Conor O'Brien

Edward Conor Marshall O'Brien, born in Limerick, Ireland, was an Irish aristocrat and intellectual. O'Brien was educated in England at Winchester College and Oxford, and in Ireland at Trinity College. After his education he came back to Ireland and started practicing as an architect in 1903. O'Brien was credited with two buildings in his lifetime: the Co-operative Hall in Co. Donegal and the People's Hall in Co. Limerick. He was also owner and captain of one of the first boats to sail under the tri-colour of the Irish Free State, and he was the first amateur Irish sailor to sail around the world. He was a ship builder and designer, and his notable boats include the Kelpie (used for gun running in 1914), the Saoirse (in which he circumnavigated the globe), and the Ilen (a Falkland Islands service ship).

O'Brien was a keen mountaineer as well as a sailor, and he was known for climbing in bare feet. He climbed Mount Brandon in southwest Ireland and Mount Snowdon in Wales with George Mallory and Geoffrey Winthrop Young, among others. Later, during his circumnavigation 1923–1925 he planned to climb Mount Cook / Aoraki in the Southern Alps in New Zealand's South Island. However, because of delays during his circumnavigation he arrived in New Zealand too late. O'Brien authored a number of books which document his experiences of sailing, from which he distilled advice for other boat designers, builders and sailors. He also wrote novels on the nautical theme.

Source: Wikipedia