Athy Heritage Centre-Museum

10th Shackleton Autumn School

22 October 2010 - 25 October 2010

Friday 22nd 

7.15pm Opening of Shackleton Autumn School and the exhibition ‘Last Days of the Arctic’

7.45pm The launch of Chet Ross’s book ‘

Lieutenant Nobu Shirase and the Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912' - A Bibliography'. The book will be launched by the Japanese Ambassador to Ireland8.30pm ‘Shackleton Memorial ‘Lecture delivered by Fintan O'Toole

The lectures series:

Saturday 23rd

10.30am " Last Days of the Arctic" by Ragnar Axelsson

12 noon "The SS Terra Nova (1884-1943) and other Polar Exploration Ships of the Heroic Age" by Mike Tarver

At 1pm the Hon Alexandra Shackleton will unveil a plaque at Athy Town Hall (Heritage Centre & Museum) dedicated to her grandfather Sir Ernest Shackleton.

2.30pm"The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition" by Dr T.H. Baughman

4.00pm "Lieutenant Nobu Shirase and the Japanese Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1912" by Chet Ross

8pm Annual Shackleton Autumn School Dinner

Sunday 24th

10.30am 'Uncovering the story of Scott's Other Expedition' by Meredith Hooper

12 noon "Life inside drifting Antarctic pack ice" by Professor David Thomas

2.30pm Afternoon Film ‘TBC’

4.30pm Open forum chaired by Bob Headland

9 pm Drama Premiere Performance 'Where a Single Footprint Lasts a Thousand Years'

This October the school will premiere, in Shackleton country, a performance of music, theatre, poetry and readings relating to Ernest Shackleton and exploration. In association with the Shackleton School, Michael Holohan has devised a unique event, featuring his own signature composition of music-theatre, complemented by poetry and readings. This is a premiere performance in Ireland’s Shackleton country.

Sat & Sun 10am- 5pm Antarctic Adventurers –

The Antarctic Adventures are a group of British re-enactors who specialise in recreating the world of Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen. They recreate a three man sledging party of the 1901 – 1913 period with clothing, sledges and equipment of the time.

Athy Heritage Centre & Museum
The Museum is world renowned for featuring the only permanent exhibition devoted to Sir Ernest Shackleton the Irish Antarctic explorer which includes unique artefacts, film footage and audio guides. A unique experience.

Mon 25th

10.00am Excursion/Field Trip Bus tour through Shackleton country.

A Visit to Ballitore and the home of Mary Leadbeater, writer and ancestor of Ernest Shackleton, the Quaker Meeting House and the Shaker Store.

Exhibition: 'Last Days of the Arctic' - Polar Photography comes to Athy from 22nd October - 26th Nov. 2010
New polar work from the Icelandic photographer Ragnar 'Rax' Axelsson forms the photographic exhibition 'Last Days of the Arctic' to be held in Athy Heritage Centre-Museum Images for the exhibition will be drawn from his new book 'Last Days of the Arctic' which will be released in a number of languages on 1 October. Rax has spent the last 40 years photographing in the Arctic, in particular among the hunters of Greenland. His most recent book 'Faces of the North' documenting life in Greenland was described in the New York Times as 'stunning'

Leading up to the 10th Shackleton Autumn School from 14th Sept – 15th October 2010

‘FIRE & ICE’ A Photographic Journey of Antarctica Official opening on 14th Sept at 7.30 by Prof. Gamble
This exhibition is of a collection of photographs taken throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s by John Gamble a Professor in Geology at UCC while on fieldwork in Antarctica. He has the rare distinction of having 3 terrestrial landmarks named in his honour – Gamble Glacier and Gamble Cone in Antarctica and the Gamble Volcanic Complex a submarine volcano on the