Ballina talk on daring 1920s navigator

Conor O'Brien the subject of Lakeside Hotel event this Thursday

Ireland has an illustrious history of sailors and explorers, from the sixth century religious voyager St Brendan to modern day Olympic athletes like Annalise Murphy.

Among that list, Conor O'Brien stands out as one of the most audacious and daring.

The self-made navigator circumnavigated the globe in 1923-25, taking to the high seas in his own personal yacht and successfully sweeping around the Cape of Good Hope, as well as navigating various other maritime milestones. O'Brien is now the subject of an intriguing historical talk, to be presented by Vincent Murphy at the Lakeside Hotel this coming Thursday, October 12, at 7.30pm. The event, arranged by Killaloe/Ballina Historical Society in conjunction with Killaloe Sailing Club, sets out to celebrate the colourful life of O'Brien, whose ancestors include the legendary Brian Ború.

Alongside his endeavours on the high seas, O'Brien was also a well-known freedom fighter, assisting independence leader Erskine Childers to import arms for use by the Irish Volunteers in their revolutionary struggle. At a glance, he comes across as a man of many different dimensions, and that was precisely the case, according to Charlie MacDonnell, who is heavily involved in Killaloe Sailing Club and also helped to bring the talk to the Lakeside.

“He was a very significant figure and a very prominent patriot, really, in the context of the War of Independence. His uncle would have been Smith O’Brien, the Young Irelander. And of course they were all part of the O’Brien dynasty, the O’Briens of Dromoland Castle, which stretches all the way back historically to Brian Ború. So he was a very significant figure in terms of Irish independence. That cause was deep-rooted in his family.”

Since first witnessing Murphy’s talk in Foynes, Charlie has become heavily invested in the Conor O’Brien story, and now boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of the navigator, ranging from his revolutionary activities to his voyage around the globe in the early to mid 1920s.

“His boat was named the Kelpie, and he was involved in running arms into Wicklow - the same time as the Asgard ran arms into Howth. That was in 1914. But he then decided he would sail around the world, and he set off, to much fanfare in 1923.

"His boat was named the Saoirse on that occasion, to mark Irish freedom, and he returned then in 1925 having completed the voyage. But in the meantime he had landed in the Falkland Islands, where he designed and built a boat known as the Uileann. The Uileann river flows through Baltimore in West Cork, hence the inspiration for the name.”

Charlie is issuing a warm welcome to all who would like to attend the talk, which will take place this Thursday evening in the Lakeside from 7.30pm. He anticipates a sizeable crowd, and says the event has been well-publicised in local media. Conor O’Brien, a great sailor and a revered revolutionary figure, will be remembered and celebrated - as he should be - in the Lakeside this Thursday.