Kinsale man’s medal for epic Antarctic journey set to make €24k at auction

The polar medal awarded to Kinsale man Timothy McCarthy who sailed to South Georgia in the Antarctic with Shackleton comes up at auction in London on July 22.

The unique bronze medal awarded to the Royal Naval Reserve able seaman for the epic 1,290km journey across the sub-Antarctic Ocean is expected to make between €18,000 and €24,000 at Dix Noonan Webb, the international coin, medal and jewellery specialists.

McCarthy sailed with Ernest Shackleton in the 6m-long boat James Caird from Elephant Island to South Georgia in 1916. The 16-day journey to get help for their shipmates from the Polar exploration ship Endurance became one of the greatest maritime stories in history.