A Brief History of Dún Laoghaire Lifeboat Station

The story of organised lifesaving in Dún Laoghaire stretches back more than two centuries. From humble beginnings at Sandycove to the modern all-weather Trent class lifeboat, the station has borne witness to courage, tragedy, and extraordinary service.

Early Years

1803 – The first lifeboat for the area was placed at Sandycove by the Dublin Ballast Board.
1817 – A lifeboat was stationed at Old Dunleary.

Long before the RNLI assumed responsibility, local crews risked their lives time and again. Their heroism was formally recognised with one Gold Medal (1829) and seven Silver Medals (1844 and 186

RNLI Era

1861 – The RNLI took over the lifeboat station.
1868 – Silver Medals awarded to Edmund Gray and John Freeney for saving five men from the schooner Blue Vein.
1876 – Second Coxswain Thomas White lost his life after the lifeboat capsized.
1881 – Coxswain H. Williams received a Silver Medal for a rescue to the wreck of the George H Oulton.

By 1890, a second lifeboat was moored within the harbour. Just two years later, tragedy struck: Crew Member Patrick Hammond died when the lifeboat was wrecked during a night exercise.

The Palme Disaster

On 24 December 1895, disaster befell the station when the No.2 lifeboat capsized while answering a call to the steamship Palme. Fifteen lifeboatmen perished. The No.1 lifeboat also capsized, but her crew made it safely ashore. A memorial overlooking the harbour today commemorates those fifteen men.

The following day, the Palme’s 20-strong crew were rescued by Captain Thomas McCombie of the steamship Tearaght, who was awarded the RNLI’s Gold Medal for his gallantry.

Into the 20th Century

1901 – A boathouse was built for the No.2 lifeboat.
1911 – The first lifeboat station closed.
1919 – The station’s first motor lifeboat, Dunleary, arrived.
1930 – The station was awarded a Centenary Vellum.
1947 – The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum awarded to Acting Second Coxswain W. Kelly for saving 45 people from the Bolivar.
1956 – Captain R. S. Kearon, Honorary Secretary and Harbour Master, tragically drowned when the harbour launch capsized.

Modern Lifeboats and Inshore Service

1963 – The lifeboat was placed on moorings near the Mail Boat Pier.
1969 – Coxswain/Mechanic Eric Offer received the Bronze Medal and Maud Smith Award for rescuing two men from capsized dinghies.
1975 – A 150th Anniversary Vellum was presented.
1980 – Dr Niall L. Webb, honorary medical adviser, received a Vellum certificate for tending to an injured man.
1986 – An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat.
1990 – The Thanks of the Institution on Vellum awarded to Eamon O’Leary for single-handedly rescuing six people, including a heart attack victim and a young boy, from a capsized dinghy.
1995 – The Trent class Anna Livia arrived, funded by the Dublin Bay Lifeboat Fund and other legacies.
2001 – D class lifeboat Tony Heard placed on service.
2011 – D class lifeboat Réalt na Mara placed on service.

Station Honours

The bravery of Dún Laoghaire lifeboat crews has been recognised many times over its long history. To date, the following awards have been made at the station:

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum – 4
Bronze Medals – 1
Silver Medals – 10
Gold Medals – 2

Legacy

Dún Laoghaire lifeboat station stands as one of the most decorated in Ireland, a testament to generations of volunteers who have answered the call, often at great personal risk. Their legacy is carved into the history of the harbour and continues today through the service of modern crews and lifeboats, ready at a moment’s notice to save lives at sea.

A Brief History of Dún Laoghaire Lifeboat Station