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Harry Crosbie

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Not to be confused with Harry Crosby (disambiguation).

OBE
Harry Crosbie
Crosbie at the opening night of his Grand Canal Theatre on 18 March 2010
Born1945 or 1946 (age 78–79)[1]
Dublin, Ireland[2]
OccupationProperty developer

Harry Crosbie, (born 1945 or 1946) is an Irish property developer and entrepreneur from the Dublin suburb of Drumcondra.[3][4][5] He is known for his work in redeveloping the Dublin Docklands, and his association with arts and events venues in Dublin city, including the Convention Centre, Vicar Street,[6] The Point Depot/3Arena and the Grand Canal Theatre,[7][8][9][10] as well as the Point Village,[11][12] and the Wheel of Dublin ferris wheel.[13]

Early life

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Crosbie grew up on Clonliffe Road in Drumcondra. His father came from East Wall in the Dublin Docklands, where he later ran a haulage business and acquired a large landbank beside Dublin Port. He was educated at the private boarding school Rockwell College.[14]

Developments

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The Point Theatre and O2

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Crosbie bought the closed CIE Points Works in Dublin's Docklands depot for 750,000 Irish pounds in 1988, and redeveloped it into the Point Theatre, later expanded as the Point Depot, and then the O2, now known as the 3Arena, Ireland's biggest music and event venue.[14][15] NAMA made Crosbie sell his 50% share of the O2 (to the co-owner of the O2 Live Nation) for €35 million in 2012.[16]

Kittiwake

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The Kittiwake in February 2009

In 2007,[17] Crosbie purchased from the Commissioners of Irish Lights the Kittiwake, a 1950s 40-metre light ship, built by Philip and Son in Dartmouth, Devon.[18] It was the second-last lightship to serve in Irish waters, ending service in 2005.[19][20] He had plans to lift it from the Liffey onto the quayside but was unable to reach agreement on a dry land location with the local authority. He had work done on the ship anyway, removing engines and asbestos, with a view to opening a cafe inside it, and stated that over half a million euro had been spent on the project.[20] The port authority, the Dublin Port Company, said that they had purchased the boat from the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) in 2012, and lifted it from the Alexandra Basin West, in December 2022,[18] for future display in a heritage area on the Alexandra Road. Crosbie disputed both the purported sale and the move, and threatened legal action.[21][22]

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

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The Dublin Docklands Development Authority & Joe O'Reilly built a large theatre on the Grand Canal Docks south of the Point, commissioning Daniel Libeskind to design it.[15] Later known as the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. On completion Crosbie bought the theatre for €10 million. It opened in March 2010. In 2013 NAMA appointed a Receiver to the theatre and sold it for €30 million to Crownway Investments in 2014.[15]

The Point Village and later developments

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Crosbie planned a multi-element development north of the Point Theatre, to include a hotel (now the Gibson), a shopping centre, apartments, office space, the 39-storey "Watchtower" which was to be the tallest building in Ireland, a "U2 Experience", a ferris wheel and a sculpture.[15][11] At one point, he had budgetary plans for investment of about 850 million euro in this.[14] As Crosbie was unable to repay his €430 million debt to NAMA, NAMA appointed Receivers to all of Crosbie's assets.[23][24]

In 2017, NAMA sold the Gibson Hotel in the Point Village to Deka Immobilien for €87 million[25] and in 2022 The Point Village was sold by NAMA for €85 million.[26]

Recognition

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In 2012, Crosbie was awarded an honorary OBE, being invested by the British Ambassador to Ireland in Glencairn House, in recognition of services to Anglo-Irish cultural relations and for organising an event during the state visit by Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011.[27][28]

Personal life

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Crosbie is married for the second time, his first wife, with whom he had three children, having died. He has at least six grandchildren.[14] He moved from a large house on Shrewsbury Road to a converted warehouse on Hanover Quay in the Docklands.[14] He published a book of short stories in 2021.[1]

Publications

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  • Crosbie, Harry (October 2022). Undernose Farm Revisited. Lilliput Press. ISBN 978-1843518150.

References

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  1. ^ a b McGreevy, Ronan (9 March 2021). "Harry Crosbie: 'My book is an attempt at capturing a world which is now gone'". Irish Times. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Harry Crosbie The CV". independent.ie. 12 November 2006. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  3. ^ Carty, Pat (3 December 2021). "Book Review: Harry Crosbie - Undernose Farm Revisited". Hotpress.
  4. ^ O'Toole, Fintan (19 July 2014). "Bord Gáis theatre sale 'barbarous', says Harry Crosbie". The Irish Times.
  5. ^ Quinlan, Ronald (25 May 2014). "Harry Crosbie in court challenge to Nama over seizure of theatre". Irish Independent.
  6. ^ McGreevy, Ronan (28 September 2023). "Plans for Dublin to get new 2,000-seater music and arts venue". The Irish Times.
  7. ^ Fagan, Jack (9 July 2014). "Harry Crosbie's Bord Gáis theatre for sale at €20m". The Irish Times.
  8. ^ Carbery, Genevieve (19 March 2010). "Grand Unveiling: New Theatre Opens Its Doors With 'Swan Lake'". The Irish Times.
  9. ^ "Receivers appointed to companies behind former Grand Canal Theatre and Point Village". TheJournal.ie. 19 April 2013.
  10. ^ Lyons, Tom (16 May 2014). "Docklands king's downfall – why Nama pursued Harry Crosbie". The Irish Times.
  11. ^ a b Keena, Colm; Quinlan, Ronald (18 August 2023). "Dunnes Stores begins work on fit-out of Point Village anchor unit in Dublin". The Irish Times.
  12. ^ "Dunnes settle Point row with Crosbie". BusinessWorld.ie. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2010 – via WayBack Machine.
  13. ^ Gartland, Fiona (27 July 2010). "Giant Dublin wheel gives bird's-eye view". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e McCann, Fionn (26 June 2010). "'I can't imagine how tough it is for ordinary people out there' (The Saturday Interview: Harry Crosbie)". The Irish Times.
  15. ^ a b c d Meagher, John (20 July 2014). "Harry Crosbie: The man who dreamed too big". The Irish Independent.
  16. ^ Sheena (24 February 2014). "Live Nation completes purchase of The O2 in Dublin's Docklands". Entertainment.ie. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  17. ^ Ashmore, Jehan (4 August 2011). "Crosbie's Café Lightship Plan Rejected". afloat.ie. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  18. ^ a b Betson, Alan (29 December 2022). 481-tonne ship lifted out of Dublin port will be restored and put on public display (video). The Irish Times.
  19. ^ "Old Lightship - The Kittiwake". Dublin Street Images.
  20. ^ a b Collins, Liam (2 May 2021). "Docklands developer Harry Crosbie seeks the return of 'Kittiwake' lightship". Independent.ie. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023.
  21. ^ Ashmore, Jehan (3 May 2021). "Dublin 'Docklands' Developer Harry Crosbie Seeks Return of former Lightship 'Kittiwake'". afloat.ie.
  22. ^ Kelly, Olivia (29 December 2022). "Harry Crosbie threatens legal action against Dublin Port Company over ship ownership". The Irish Times.
  23. ^ Daly, Gavin (18 May 2014). "Crosbie alleges Nama reneged on deal". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  24. ^ "NAMA's receivership appointments at Harry Crosbie companies". NAMA Wine Lake. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Gibson Hotel in docklands' Point Village for sale at €87m". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Nama generates €85m from selling Point Square scheme". Irish Independent. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  27. ^ Heffernan, Breda (20 October 2012). "The name's Crosbie, Harry Crosbie -- family man gets OBE". Independent.ie.
  28. ^ O'Halloran, Marie (19 October 2012). "Harry Crosbie receives honorary OBE". The Irish Times.
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