Conor OBrien Sailor Extraordinaire

The life story of Conor OBrien, born 1880 near Foynes, Co. Limerick Ireland. On the 20th June 1923 he set out to sail around the world in his 42 ft yacht Saoirse, which he designed himself and had built at the Baltimore Fisheries School, West Cork Ireland. He was the first person ever to sail a small private craft west to east around the world and south of the 3 great capes: Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin (SW Australia) and Cape Horn - southern ocean all the way, the clipper route. He arrived back to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, to a welcoming crowd of 10,000, on 20th June 1925, exactly two years to the day after his departure. He was awarded the Royal Cruising Club Challenge Cup three years running, 1923, 24 and 25, for this ground breaking voyage. Earlier in his life he was involved in the importation of arms for the Irish Volunteers, dedicated to seeking independence from England. He studied architecture at Oxford, was a member of the Royal Society of antiquaries, was involved in the Gaelic Revival Movement, and a member of the United Arts Club in Dublin. He was a keen mountaineer, noted for climbing in his bare feet and climbed with George Mallory in Ireland and England. Mallory later died on Everest in 1926.