I only have 34 seconds of fame left

I was stood at the bar of the Green Room in the RTE studios sipping a smooth Chilean Merlot and we got the call to make-up. The poor lady had to use buckets of cover-up to hide the frost bite gouges on my cheeks and the blisters on my nose. A quick briefing from the controller and we were walking down the isle to take our seats in front of Pat Kenny – the host of the longest running chat show in television history.....The Late Late Show.

Not sure what to make of the whole thing really, at the time it was fun but I was desperate to get home for a rest. At the end of the interview I thought I would be a bit cheeky and make an appeal for my lost camera to be returned. Right at the end of the show, Pat holds up the camera, the taxi driver was watching at home, went out to his car and found the camera, he dropped it round to the studio while we were still there - incredibly I got it back intact, and with it a small slice of Irish history has been preserved.

Thanks to RTE for the hospitality and ferrying us around the country.
This is my 14 minutes and 26 seconds of fame - link to Replay of Irish Team interview

Áras an Uachtaráin

The bed at Jury's in Cork was as comfortable as ever a bed was. This was a momentous event and probably above all else the thing I was looking forward to the most -clean sheets and a pillow – it didn't disappoint.

An early morning and 'Full Irish' fuelled us for the flight back upto Dublin, I found myself looking at my drab 'Polar' wardrobe wondering what I was going to wear for tea with Mary MacAleese, the President of Ireland.

RTE television provided taxis, flights and hotels for the trip up to Dublin (we were going to be on the The Late Late show in the evening), not only for the 4 weary travellers but also for our 10 or so entourage – my parents included.

More taxis and hotel check-ins, I had time for a sandwich and then we were off to meet the President at the Áras an Uachtaráin....like you do!

As I signed my name in the visitors book, I looked everywhere for my camera to commemorate the moment, I was sure I had it at the hotel but now it was gone – and I had all the group photos of the team at the Pole – I was meant to be the custodian of our slice of Irish Polar heritage and I lost it.

Fortunately there were teams of press at the official 'welcome home' from the President to record the moment. Mary MacAleese, was wonderfully charming – if I was nervous beforehand, I wasn't when she was speaking to me, she was extremely well briefed and a keen outdoors woman herself, very interested in our expedition.

I was honoured that she would welcome us home and she told us that the whole country took a great sense of pride in our achievement.

[Shaun: sorry you are not in the photo, I don't have one with you in it!]