Harry Crosbie

Harry Crosbie (born 1945 or 1946) is an Irish property developer and entrepreneur from the Dublin suburb of Drumcondra. He is known for his work in redeveloping the Dublin Docklands, and his association with arts and events venues in Dublin city, including the Convention Centre, Vicar Street, The Point Depot/3Arena and the Grand Canal Theatre, as well as the Point Village, and the Wheel of Dublin ferris wheel.

Early life

Crosbie grew up on Clonliffe Road in Drumcondra. His father came from East Wall in the Dublin Docklands, where he later ran a haulage business and acquired a large landbank beside Dublin Port. He was educated at the private boarding school Rockwell College.

Developments

The Point Theatre and O2 Crosbie bought the closed CIE Points Works in Dublin's Docklands depot for 750,000 Irish pounds in 1988, and redeveloped it into the Point Theatre, later expanded as the Point Depot, and then the O2, now known as the 3Arena, Ireland's biggest music and event venue. NAMA made Crosbie sell his 50% share of the O2 (to the co-owner of the O2 Live Nation) for €35 million in 2012.

Kittiwake

In 2007, Crosbie purchased from the Commissioners of Irish Lights the Kittiwake, a 1950s 40-metre light ship, built by Philip and Son in Dartmouth, Devon. It was the second-last lightship to serve in Irish waters, ending service in 2005. The port authority, the Dublin Port Company, said that they had purchased the boat from the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) in 2012, and lifted it from the Alexandra Basin West, in December 2022,

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority & Joe O'Reilly built a large theatre on the Grand Canal Docks south of the Point, commissioning Daniel Libeskind to design it.

In 2017, NAMA sold the Gibson Hotel in the Point Village to Deka Immobilien for €87 million and in 2022 The Point Village was sold by NAMA for €85 million.

Recognition

In 2012, Crosbie was awarded an honorary OBE, being invested by the British Ambassador to Ireland in Glencairn House, in recognition of services to Anglo-Irish cultural relations and for organising an event during the state visit by Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011.

Personal life

Crosbie is married for the second time, his first wife, with whom he had three children (Claire, Alison and Simon) having died. He has eight grandchildren/> He moved from a large house on Shrewsbury Road to a converted warehouse on Hanover Quay in the Docklands. He published a book of short stories in 2021.

Publications