Plaque unveiled in small English coastal town to honour famous Kildare man

A blue plaque in memory of Sir Ernest Shackleton has been unveiled in the town of Plymouth, less than two months after a statue was dedicated to him in Athy.

Shackleton, born in Athy in 1874, was a famed explorer who sailed towards the Antarctic in 1914. While he moved away from Kildare with his family at the age of 11, his ancestry traces back almost 300 years in the county through five generations. Shackleton's granddaughter, Alexandra, unveiled a statue at Emily Square in Athy on August 30 on front of a large crowd, and there was also a large crowd in Plymouth to witness the unveiling of a blue plaque in his honour.

The connection with Plymouth comes from the fact that he and a group of men set sail from the waterfront in the coastal town. That voyage would ultimately end with Shackleton and his fellow crew members becoming marooned in the Antarctic waters after their ship was crushed, but the Kildare native guided the crew members to safety, leading them to be rescued two years later.

It was first unveiled two years ago, but it only became available for public viewing this week.

Paul Davies, Chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Polar Society said: "It is great to see the plaque on display just metres from where Shackleton's ship sailed and quite appropriate that it should have found a permanent home just now, 100 years after the men were rescued from the desolate Elephant Island.