the road less travelled

Henry Deasy was born in Dublin on 29 June 1866, second son of Rickard Deasy (attorney general for Ireland from February 1860 – January 1861).

Educated in England and in Ireland, he joined the army in 1888. Before long, his regiment was posted to India; by 1894, he was captain.

Three years later, weary of the routine of army life, he resigned his commission.

At this time, much of neighbouring Tibet was unknown to the outside world. In October 1897, Deasy set off to explore it.

He travelled some 5,000 miles, surveying the land as he went, often enduring extremes of weather and dangerous circumstances.

By February 1899, he was back in Kashmir.

The information he gathered was used to create new maps, some of which were in use even into the 1950s.

For his efforts, the Royal Geographical Society awarded him their gold founder’s medal.

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Back in Europe, Deasy became involved in the motoring industry.

In 1903, he drove a car into the Alps; some of his journeys were on slopes with a gradient of about 1 in 4.

His trip was a publicity stunt for the fledging Swiss Martini car company. The ploy worked a treat; his exploits were covered by newspapers worldwide.

Demand for the cars surged; a new factory was built to meet the growing need.

Deasy was appointed British agent for the Martini touring car and in 1906 founded the Deasy Motor Car Manufacturing Company; he resigned two years later.

During World War I, Deasy served as a major on headquarters staff.

In time, he retired to Carrigahorig, Co. Tipperary (near the north-eastern tip of Lough Derg); he died there on 24 January 1947.

With his wife Dolores (Hickie) of Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary, they had one son and two daughters. Their son, Rickard Deasy, founded the National Farmers’ Association.