Edward Conor Marshall O'Brien (3 November 1880 – 18 April 1952)[1] was an Irish aristocrat and intellectual. His views were republican and nationalist. He was also owner and captain of one of the first boats to sail under the tri-colour of the Irish Free State. He was the first amateur Irish sailor to sail around the world.[2]
O'Brien was a grandson of the Young Irelander William Smith O'Brien, and learned Irish. 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).