Fenit Lifeboat Station

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Fenit Lifeboat Station
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The Harbour Office, Fenit - geograph.org.uk - 6289714.jpg
Fenit Lifeboat Station
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Fenit, County Kerry
Former namesTralee Bay Lifeboat Station
General information
Type RNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationThe Harbour
Town or city Fenit, County Kerry
Country Ireland
Coordinates 52°16′18.2″N9°51′46.7″W / 52.271722°N 9.862972°W / 52.271722; -9.862972
Opened1879–1969
1994–
Owner Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Fenit RNLI Lifeboat Station

Fenit Lifeboat Station is located at the Harbour in Fenit, a village sitting north of the Dingle Peninsula, and south of the River Shannon estuary, on the south west coast of Ireland.

Contents

A lifeboat station was first established at Fenit in 1879 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), and named Tralee Bay Lifeboat Station. [1]

The station currently operates the Trent-class lifeboat 14-27 Robert Hywel Jones Williams (ON 1239), on station since 1999, and the small D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Lizzie (D-860), on station since 2022. [2]

History

On 19 November 1850, the brig Enrichetta, on passage from Barletta to Falmouth, Cornwall, was wrecked off County Kerry. John Town, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, led a party of men, to wade out in the surf, and rescue the 12 man crew. Ever since its founding in 1824, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854, would award medals for deeds of gallantry at sea, even if no lifeboats were involved. John Town was awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal. [3] [4]

Tralee Bay Lifeboat Station was established at Fenit in 1879 by the RNLI, following application by local residents for a lifeboat to be placed in the area. A boathouse was constructed at the top of the lane to Kelly's beach, at a cost of £393-15s, on land granted by John Hurly of Fenit House. A 34-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, costing £363, along with its launch carriage, which cost a further £137-10s, was given free passage to the station, by steamer from London to Cork, with the City of Cork Steam Ship company, and then by rail to Tralee, with the Great Southern and Western Railway. [5]

At a ceremony on the 26 June 1879, the new lifeboat station was opened, and the lifeboat named Admiral Butcher. On a memorial stone tablet in the station was inscribed: [1]

The Admiral Butcher life-boat was placed here, on the coast of his native country, by Richard George Butcher, Surgeon, in affectionate remembrance of his father, Admiral Samuel Butcher and his brother, Samuel Butcher, S.T.P., sometime Regius Professor of Divinity in Trinity College, Dublin, and Lord Bishop of Meath.

'Jehovah make the storm calm, so that the waves thereof are still.' (Ps. CVII 29).

'And Jesus arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.' (St Mark IV 39).

The whole cost of the lifeboat, carriage, boathouse and equipment was provided by the gift of Dublin surgeon Dr. Richard George Herbert Butcher, MD MRIA FRCS (1816–1891), president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1866–67, in memory of his late father, Samuel Butcher (Royal Navy officer), and his brother, Samuel Butcher (bishop). [5] [6]

The name of the station was formally changed to Fenit (Tralee Bay) Lifeboat Station in 1892. [7]

Continuing the tradition of awarding medals for gallantry at sea, four RNLI Bronze Medals were awarded at Fenit, firstly in 1920, to a young boy, for his efforts to rescue his friend, and then in 1930, to three fishermen who rescued the three crew of the steamship Co-operator of Tralee. [1] [3]

After a comprehensive review of operational requirements, it was decided that two lifeboat stations in Ireland were to be closed, Helvick Head and Fenit. Fenit lifeboat station closed in 1969. The Barnett-class lifeboat on station, Hilton Briggs (ON 889), was transferred to the relief fleet, later to serve at Longhope and Invergordon. [8] [9]

1994 onwards

At an RNLI management meeting on 24 November 1993, it was noted that there was increasing activity on the west coast of Ireland, and that an additional All-weather lifeboat should be placed between the lifeboat stations of Valentia and Galway. It was decided that the station at Fenit be re-established, initially for a 1-year evaluation period, now to be known as Fenit Lifeboat Station. The old boathouse was no longer suitable as a station, so a temporary Portakabin was placed on the quay, and the harbour was dredged for a mooring. In 1994, Fenit lifeboat station was reopened with the arrival of the Arun All-weather lifeboat Ralph and Bonella Ferrant (ON 1081). The new Fenit lifeboat performed her first service with the new crew before even arriving on station, when she responded to a mayday call from the motor boat Mayfly off Salcombe, whilst on passage to Fenit. [1] [10] [11]

Fenit Trent-class lifeboat Fenit lifeboat - geograph.org.uk - 3381890.jpg
Fenit Trent-class lifeboat

The station received two lifeboats in 1999. The Arun-class was replaced by the current All-weather lifeboat, the Trent Robert Hywel Jones Williams (ON 1239), and a D-class (EA16) Inshore lifeboat, Ann Speed (D-404) was also placed at the station for evaluation. [12]

Following the death of lifeboat mechanic Bradley Burns, who died of cancer in 2005, and his wife Sonia, lifeboat administrator, who died suddenly the following year, €39,000 was raised by the lifeboat crew from Bangor, to pay for a lifeboat to be named in their memory. At a ceremony in September 2010, a new D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat was placed at Fenit, and named Bradley and Sonia (D-729). [13]

In 2022, Bradley and Sonia (D-729) was retired, and a new Inshore lifeboat placed on station. The boat was funded from the legacy of Elizabeth Joan Finch, better known as British Film and TV actress Liz Fraser. At a ceremony on 29 May 2022, the lifeboat was named Lizzie (D-860). [14]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Fenit. [1] [3]

John Town, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Castlegregory – 1850
John F. O'Mahoney (age 12) – 1920
John Nolan, fisherman – 1930
John Cahill, fisherman – 1930
Joseph Cahill, fisherman – 1930
Thomas Crowley, Coxswain – 1933
John Doyle, Mechanic – 1933
Gerard O’Donnell, Deputy Launching Authority – 1996
Niall Hickey, Assistant Mechanic – 1996
John Moriarty, Deputy Second Coxswain – 1996

Fenit lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON [a] NameBuiltOn Station [15] ClassComments
pre-635Admiral Butcher18781879–189034-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
305Louisa and Emma18901890–189534-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 2]
382John Willmot18951895–192342-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
457 James Stevens No.20 19011923–1928 43-foot Watson (P&S) [Note 4]
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

All-weather lifeboats

ON [a] Op. No. [b] NameBuiltOn Station [16] ClassComments
561–John A. Hay19081928–193242-foot Self-righting (motor) [Note 5]
755–Peter and Sarah Blake19321932–1958 51-foot Barnett
889–Hilton Briggs19511958–1969 52-foot Barnett (Mk1)
Station Closed, 1969–1994
108152-22Ralph and Bonella Ferrant19821994–1999 Arun
123914-27Robert Hywel Jones Williams19991999– Trent

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No. [b] NameOn Station [17] ClassComments
D-404Ann Speed1999–2000 D-class (EA16)
D-488Mabel2000–2001 D-class (EA16)
D-561Cursitor Street2001–2009 D-class (EA16)
D-523Peterborough Beer Festival I2009–2010 D-class (EA16)
D-729Bradley and Sonia2010–2022 D-class (IB1) [13]
D-860Lizzie2022– D-class (IB1) [14]
  1. 1 2 ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. 1 2 Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 34-foot x 8-foot 3in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, costing £363.
  2. ↑ 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
  3. ↑ 42-foot x 11-foot 4in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
  4. ↑ 43-foot x 12-foot 6in (10-oared) Watson-class (P&S) lifeboat.
  5. ↑ 42-foot x 11-foot 6in (12-oared) self-righting motor lifeboat.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fenit's station history". Fenit Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 70, 100.
  3. 1 2 3 Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0907605893.
  4. ↑ "Shipping Intelligence". Daily News. No. 1405. London. 25 November 1850.
  5. 1 2 "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. X (114): 596. 1 November 1879. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  6. ↑ "List of Presidents of the RCSI" (DOC). Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  7. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 125.
  8. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 52–53.
  9. ↑ "Changes in Ireland". The Lifeboat. XL (427): 541. March 1969. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "Chalk and Cheese..." (PDF). The Lifeboat. 53 (529): 228–229. Autumn 1994. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  11. ↑ "First service for new station's Arun" (PDF). The Lifeboat. 53 (529): 225. Autumn 1994. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  12. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 70, 92.
  13. 1 2 "Bangor lifeboat couple's name lives on in Co Kerry". Belfast Telegraph. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Legacy from British Actor Funds Fenit RNLI's New Inshore Lifeboat 'Lizzie'". Afloat. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  15. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 16–34.
  16. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 38–70.
  17. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 92–100.
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