Richard Crosbie

Richard Crosbie (1755–1824) was the first Irishman to make a manned flight. He flew in a hydrogen air balloon from Ranelagh, on Dublin's southside to Clontarf, on Dublin's northside on 19 January 1785 at the age of 30. His aerial achievement occurred just 14 months after the first-ever manned balloon flight by the Montgolfier Brothers in France and is commemorated by a memorial located at the site of this historic event and commissioned by Dublin City Council.

Crosbie, who was six feet three inches, was from Crosbie Park, near Baltinglass, County Wicklow. He studied at Trinity College Dublin. In December 1780, he married Charlotte Armstrong, daughter of Archibald Armstrong, with whom he had two children, Edward and Mary. Edward went on to become an army officer and Mary a novelist. in which he intended to cross the Irish Sea.

He intended to cross the Irish Sea, but as darkness fell early in the winter evenings, he decided to land at Clontarf. He attempted a channel crossing on 19 July 1785, (defying a ban on balloon flights by the Lord Mayor of Dublin because the population of the city was spending long periods gaping at the sky instead of working), but came down halfway across due to a severe storm, and was rescued by the Dun Laoghaire barge Captain Walmitt, which was following his progress.

Property

Just 20 days or so after his January 1785 ascent from Ranelagh, Crosbie signed a Deed taking over the remainder of a 900-year lease from his father-in-law Archibald Armstrong, of a property on the west side of Cumberland Street, Dublin (which Armstrong had been leasing from John Trotter, since late February 1781). The yearly rent was £30 (besides taxes) and it consisted of a house, coach house, stable, and other appurtenances. Just three years later, on 19 May 1788, Crosbie (described as 'Richard Crosbie formerly of the City of Dublin, now of Ballycumber in the Kings County, Esquire') assigned the house back to Archibald Armstrong for the remainder of the 900 years. It is not known why the house changed hands so often. Prior to his death in 1824, Crosbie had arranged that the house be put into the name of his daughter Mary, which came to pass in a Deed of Assignment dated 30 May 1827, with the "consent, approbation and acquiescence" of her brother Edward.

Memorial statue

A memorial statue to commemorate the balloon flight, designed by Irish artist Rory Breslin, depicts Crosbie's youthful curiosity and many of the items displayed on the bronze reflect an airborne theme.

On Sunday, 28 September 2008 in Ranelagh Gardens, in conjunction with the Ranelagh Arts Festival, Councillor Mary Freehill (deputising on behalf of the Lord Mayor) unveiled a sculpture to commemorate "the first Irishman to fly".

Dublin City Council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's Per Cent for Art Scheme, funded the statue.