Richard Crosbie (1756-1824) is rightly celebrated as Irelands first aeronaut. Inspired by balloon experiments in France, he constructed a hydrogen balloon with the aim of flying across the Irish Sea. A crowd of 20,000 people witnessed his first flight from Ranelagh Gardens, Dublin in January 1785.

He organised two further flights in Dublin, from Royal Barracks and from Leinster Lawn, and made a final flight from Limerick in 1786.