Across the pond: Tom Crean, the Irish hero

DUBLIN -- Well, I was in Dublin.

The wife and I just spent a week across the Atlantic, you see; three days in Edinburgh and three in the Irish capital. That's where I finally got to ask someone about the other Tom Crean.

There are two famous Tom Creans. You know one of them well.

Made his name as an assistant at various programs, most notably Michigan State. Rebuilt Marquette. Head coach at Indiana these last seven years.

But there's a Tom Crean that predates him.

This Tom Crean explored the coldest parts of our planet, opened a pub that still stands today and has a beer named after him. By the look of him in some basic Google searches, he was also a big fan of pipe tobacco.

I had come across this Tom Crean from time to time, stumbled onto stories about him through search engines or seen him pop up in the occasional Google Alert.

It's probably fair to call him something of a minor national hero in Ireland. People I asked about him, including the friendly gentleman tending bar at Sheehan's off Grafton, knew right away who he was, and about his famous exploits, at least generally.

He was from County Kerry, and was best known for participating in numerous Antarctic expeditions. He also served in the navy and later ran said pub, called The South Pole Inn, before his death in 1938.

He was nicknamed "The Irish Giant."

The South Pole Inn still stands today.

So now you know, at least roughly, the story behind the other Tom Crean, explorer of one of Earth's last frontiers.

Ah yes, the beer. It's a lager from Dingle Brewing Company, in Co. Kerry, where Crean was born and eventually settled. You can't get it everywhere in Dublin, but where you can, it often comes in its own pint glass (as do most ales and lagers there, which is pretty cool). You can also buy it on Aer Lingus flights, and Dingle Brewing's website says "plans are underway" to begin distributing in the United States.

(I'm basically the Amy Haneline of the sports desk now, by the way.)

The beer itself is good.

It's straightforward in taste, which is apparently what the brewers are going for. According to Dingle Brewing's website: "Only four natural ingredients go into every brew of Tom Crean's Premium Lager: fresh natural mineral water, malt, pilsner hops and Saflager yeast. Our master brewer combines these ingredients and uses the simplest brewing techniques to make a truly unique and refreshing beer."

Plus, it comes with its own glass!

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.