Skerries Lifeboat Station

Skerries Lifeboat Station
Skerries Lifeboat Station
	Skerries Lifeboat Station
	Skerries, County Dublin
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Skerries Lifeboat Station
Address	Harbour Road
Town or city	Skerries, County Dublin
Country	Ireland
Coordinates	53°35′09.9″N 6°06′20.5″W / 53.586083°N 6.105694°W
Opened	1833, 1854, 1981
Closed	1838, 1930
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
	Skerries RNLI Lifeboat Station

Skerries Lifeboat Station is situated at Harbour Road, on Red Island, a tied island at Skerries, County Dublin, a town approximately 31 kilometres (19 mi) north of Dublin in the administrative region of Fingal, on the east coast of Ireland.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Skerries in 1833 by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), but the station closed just five years later in 1838. A station was re-established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1855.^[1]

The station currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Louis Simson (B-866), on station since 2013.^[1]

History

A 24-foot lifeboat built by William Plenty of Newbury, Berkshire, costing £130, was initially placed at Arklow on 30 November 1826. This would be the first lifeboat station in Ireland. Just 3½ years later, having never been launched on service, the boat was relocated to Newcastle, County Down, in April 1930, and the Arklow station was closed.^[2]

Three years later, in 1833, the boat was transferred to Skerries, and was stationed there for five years until 1838, when it was transferred once again, this time to Rosslare Harbour. The boat was not replaced at Skerries.^[1]

On 21 January 1854, Ireland suffered one of its largest maritime disasters of the period, when the RMS Tayleur, lost in fog with a misreading compass, ran aground on Lambay Island, located mid-way between Skerries and Howth, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) off the mainland. The passenger ship, named after Charles Tayleur, founder of the Vulcan Foundry at Bank Quay, Warrington. was on its maiden voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne, Australia. After initially hitting the rocks, the vessel was washed back into deeper water, and sank, with the estimated loss of 362 lives.^[3]

In the 1854 October edition of 'The Lifeboat', it was announced that a 29-foot lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, based on Mr Peake's (self-righting) design, was ready to be transported to the station, along with her new carriage, built by Ransome and Sims of Ipswich, aboard the British and Irish Steam Packet Company vessel Foyle. A boathouse was constructed, at a cost of £98, on a site provided by James Hans Hamilton, M.P., and a "local committee of gentlemen" had been created, with Hans Hamilton Woods as chairman, and Henry Alex Hamilton appointed as honorary secretary.^[4]^[5]

It was also reported that considerable contributions had been forthcoming from the residents of the local area, as detailed on issue 12 page 119 of The Lifeboat. "The recent wrecks of the Tayleur and of the brig Agnes in this locality will probably be remembered by many of our readers as amongst those which have pointed it out as a desirable one for a life-boat station".^[4]^[6]

On 1 February 1873, the Skerries lifeboat Admiral Mitchell (1859) was launched on a bitterly cold night, to the schooner Sarah of Runcorn. The vessel had wrecked on the rocky shore at Balbriggan. In an effort to get close, oars were broken, and control of the boat was lost. The lifeboat was anchored, but after an hour of riding the surf, the lifeboat capsized, and seven men were thrown into the water. Only the coxswain managed to regain the boat, which was then capsized twice more, fortunately with no more loss of life. A memorial to the six men lost stands in Holmpatrick Cemetery.^[5]^[7]

On service to the barque S. Vaughan of Windsor, Nova Scotia on the 23 October, the Skerries lifeboat Laura Platt was being towed by a trawler, and capsized after the tow line parted. No lives were lost.^[5]

A new boathouse was constructed in 1903, costing £767, to house the William Maynard (ON 493), a 35-foot Liverpool (P&S) lifeboat, funded from the legacy of Rev. W. S. Maynard of Gressingham.^[8]

In 1930, a motor lifeboat, Lady Kylsant (ON 721), was placed at Howth, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the south. Skerries Lifeboat Station was then closed. The William Maynard (ON 493) was sold out of service.^[1]

1981 onwards

In July 1981, it was decided to once again establish a lifeboat station at Skerries, and a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat (D-176) was placed on service. The station was formally opened on Sunday May 1 1983 by John Boland, Minister for the Public Service in the Republic of Ireland. In just under two years on service, the inshore boat had performed 11 rescues, and saved 13 lives.^[9]

Successful evaluation trials with held with the B-class (Atlantic 21) lifeboat Round Table (B-543) in 1997. The D-class (EA16) Helen Mitchell Scrimgeour (D-393) was withdrawn. Work began in April 1997 to construct a new boathouse for the Atlantic-class lifeboat and Talus MB-764 County launch tractor, which was completed in August 1997. On 22 June 1998, the B-class (Atlantic 75) lifeboat Rockabill (B-747) was placed at Skerries.^[5]

The current lifeboat is the B-class (Atlantic 85) Louis Simson (B-866), which arrived on 28 February 2013, and was funded from the bequest of Mrs Charlotte Jordon Simson.^[1]^[5]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Skerries.^[5]^[10]

RNLI Silver Medal

Alexander Bain, seaman - 1859

John Payne, Chief Officer of H.M. Coastguard - 1877

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Skerries lifeboat.^[5]

Lost when the lifeboat Admiral Mitchell capsized, whilst on service to the schooner Sarah of Runcorn, 1 February 1873.^[11]

Albert Anning, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard (32)

Richard Cochrane (40)

William Fitzpatrick (20)

Joseph Halpin (42)

James Kelly (45)

Patrick Reid (24)