Richard Crosbie 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 and was 30 years old. Crosbie, who was six feet three inches, was from Crosbie Park, near Baltinglass, County Wicklow. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin. His brother, Sir Edward Crosbie, was executed for treason as a United Irishman. Crosbie launched several balloons containing animals before attempting the first human flight on Irish soil. One of which, containing a cat, was seen passing over the west coast of Scotland, before descending near the Isle of Man. The cat and the balloon were both rescued by a passing ship. The balloonists of the eighteenth century, pioneers in the first successful method of conquest of the air, were men of science comparable to the astronauts of the 1960s, attracting the same public excitement and receiving similar international publicity. His 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 & commissioned by Dublin City Council.
A memorial to commemorate Richard Crosbie, "The first Irishman to fly"
The Artist The statue, which was designed by leading Irish artist Rory Breslin, depicts Richard Crosbie's youthful curiosity and many of the items displayed on the bronze reflect an airborne theme. The sculpture, which is adorned with various images, gives a sense of the showmanship, extravagance and ornamentation that was evident on the actual day in January 1785. It is designed to be a fitting commemoration to Richard Crosbie and his redoubtable curiosity and determination while also being a timeless piece of art in its own right. Background On 19 January 1785 at 2.30 pm, Crosbie launched, from an exhibition area at Ranelagh Gardens his Grand Air Balloon and Flying Barge in which he intended to cross the Irish Sea. Crosbie 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,, 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. Unveiling On Sunday, 28 September at 1 pm in Ranelagh Gardens, in conjunction with the Ranelagh Arts Festival, Councillor Mary Freehill unveiled a sculpture to commemorate Richard Crosbie, "the first Irishman to fly". The statue was unveiled by Councillor Mary Freehill assisted by Mr. Frank McNally of the Irish Times and Mrs Rose Doherty. Speaking before the launch, Cllr Freehill spoke of her delight at being asked to unveil the statue " It is truly fitting that we should honour Richard Crosbie with a statue here in Ranelagh Gardens, where Ireland's first manned balloon flight took off. I hope that residents and visitors will take time out to come and view the statue” DublinCity Council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government's Per Cent for Art Scheme, funded the statue.
