A special ceremony was held at Fitzmaurice Place in Portlaoise to mark the 95th anniversary of the first east west transatlantic flight recently.
This took place on Sunday April 16 with representatives of the Irish Air Corps, the Irish United Nations Veterans Association Post 27 Portlaoise Branch, elected representatives of Laois County Council, the Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee, and Laois Heritage Society in attendance.
The event was enhanced musically by skilled piper in Cormac Bowell.
Alan Phelan, Chair of the Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee said: “We mark the 95th anniversary of the flight of the Bremen, which on 12th April 1928 crewed by our own Col James Fitzmaurice, Capt. Hermann Köhl & Baron Gunther von Hüenfeld completed the First successful East to West Crossing of the Atlantic by Air.
“This flight is considered worldwide to be a landmark achievement in aviation history.
“By making the first successful transatlantic East-West flight, these intrepid airmen conquered the wildest ocean on earth and by connecting the two most commercially advanced continents, Europe and America, opened up a whole new world of commerce and communication.”
The flight is also considered by some to be one of the seeds of the growth of the aviation industry in Ireland, resulting in the country punching above its weight in many fields of aviation.
Ireland is a leader in aircraft maintenance as well as being the home of the largest airline in Europe and we are the leader in the aircraft leasing sector worldwide.
A PWC report published in March 2023 noted that aircraft leasing alone contributes almost €1 bn to the Irish economy and provides over 8,500 full time jobs.
It is fitting that Portlaoise and Fitzmaurice Place are the annual centres for the commemoration of that first flight, as it was in Portlaoise that the father of Irish aviation enjoyed a happy upbringing and received all his formal education – just up the hill from Fitzmaurice Place in the Christian Brothers school.
It was also here, Fitzmaurice reveals in his memoirs, that he got his inspiration to become a world-famous aviator by observing the construction of the Portlaoise Plane, the first airplane built in the Republic, at Alldritt’s’ Garage, also up the street, and watching it take flight in what is known locally as the Golden croft which was an expansive meadow beside the railway station.
The name of the field will live on, as it is now the name on a new Clúid housing development on the site, comprising 67 new houses and apartments.
At the Laois Festival of Flight held last year, the Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee committed themselves to mark each anniversary of the flight with special events up to the centenary year in 2028 and beyond.
Already in 2023, the Committee has had a successful outing and tour to the Air Corps in Baldonnel by the winners of the Festival Of Flight Schools Project organised jointly by Laois Heritage Society and the Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee in conjunction with the Laois Education Centre.
The National School from Paddock in Mountrath and secondary students from Tullamore College, Co Offaly were the winning schools.
The Committee thanked Brigadier General Rory O’ Connor and his staff for organising such a memorable day for the schools. They hope that events like this will instil a passion for aviation in the young minds of students in County Laois and that more aviation pioneers from these parts will follow in Col James Fitzmaurice’s footsteps.
The Committee has announced that several more events are planned in 2023. Firstly, there will a public display of The Portlaoise Plane at the Abbeyleix House and Farm estate open day on Saturday, June 3 in conjunction with the Gordon Bennett Rally. On the day there will also be an Air Display (weather permitting) and a collection of other planes to view.
It is also hoped the display a working model of The Portlaoise Plane which was expertly crafted and recreated by Dermot Gannon. Later in the year, possibly during Heritage Week in August the committee will organise the inaugural flight of the Portlaoise Plane model amongst other activities that are in the planning stage.
In the longer term and with the 100th anniversary in mind, a full-length feature documentary on the life and times of Col. James Fitzmaurice has been commissioned and work has commenced to put this project in motion.
Cllr Thomasina, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council laid a wreath at the Col Fitzmaurice Sculpture in memory of Fitzmaurice and his co-pilots of the flight, Captain Hermann Kohl and Baron Von Hüenfeld.
Laois County Council has been very supportive of the Portlaoise Plane project and were instrumental to the success of last year’s Festival Of Flight.
Laois County Council were also represented at the event by Cllr Willie Aird, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald and Cllr Marie Tuohy.
General Officer in Command Brigadier General Rory O’Connor laid a wreath On behalf of the Air Corps, in memory of former Commanding Officer of the Irish Air Corps Colonel James Fitzmaurice.
Fitzmaurice was one of the first pilots in the Aer Corps and it was at Baldonnel that The Bremen took off on its fateful flight on 12th April 1928.
Laois Heritage Society was represented by their Chairperson Sinéad Holland who laid a wreath on behalf of the Society
The Irish United Nations Veterans Association are an integral part of the commemoration event every year, and in addition to a guard of honour for the event, a wreath was laid on behalf of IUNVA Post 27 by Jimmy Shiel.
Michael Parsons, former Chair of the Heritage Council laid a wreath on behalf of the Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee
Teddy Fennelly, President of the Col Fitzmaurice Committee thanked everyone for attending the event, and remarked: “This annual commemoration will continue each year for the years ahead, all the way up to the Centenary of this historic flight, which we will celebrate in style in 2028.
“I want to thank you all here present for taking the time out to remember and commemorate a very momentous moment in world aviation history and in particular to remember one of Laois’s and Portlaoise’s favourite sons.
“We hope that his memory and contribution to aviation in Ireland will continue to grow in the Irish psyche as we move closer still to the 100th anniversary in 2028.”
The Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee is made up of Teddy Fennelly (President), Alan Phelan (Chair), Michael Parsons, Louise Fennelly, PJ Kavanagh, Sean Murray and Catherine Casey.
The event was run in partnership with Laois County Council and Laois Heritage Society with technical assistance from the Dunamaise Arts Centre. The Committee is grateful for all this support.
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