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.
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
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.
On 19 November 1850, the brigEnrichetta, 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. He 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, on land granted by John Hurly of Fenit House. A 34-foot 10-oared self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, along with its launch carriage, 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 name of the station was formally changed to Fenit Lifeboat Station in 1892.[1]
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 steamshipCo-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.[2][7]
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 Fenit Lifeboat Station would be re-established, initially for a 1-year evaluation period. 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 whilst off Salcombe.[1][8][9]
The station received two lifeboats in 1999. The Arun-class was replaced by the current All-weather lifeboat, the TrentRobert Hywel Jones Williams (ON 1239), and a D-class (EA16) Inshore lifeboat, Ann Speed (D-404) was also placed at the station.[2]
€39,000 was raised by the lifeboat crew from Bangor, to pay for a lifeboat to be named in memory of lifeboat mechanic Bradley Burns, who died of cancer in 2005, and his wife Sonia, lifeboat administrator, who died suddenly the following year. At a ceremony in September 2010, the D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat was placed at Fenit, and named Bradley and Sonia (D-729).[10]
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).[11]
Blyth Lifeboat Station is located at the Port and seaside town of Blyth, in the south east corner of the county of Northumberland, approx. 13 miles (21 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Barry Dock Lifeboat Station is located at the Pierhead Buildings, at Barry Dock Outer Harbour, near the town of Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station is located at The Esplanade, in the town of Porthcawl, on the South Wales coast, in Bridgend, Wales.
Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Aldeburgh, in the English county of Suffolk.
Skegness Lifeboat Station is located at Tower Esplanade, in the town of Skegness, on the east coast of England, south of the Humber Estuary and north of The Wash, in the county of Lincolnshire.
Portsmouth Lifeboat Station is located at Eastney Point near Southsea, on Portsea Island, in the English county of Hampshire. It sits facing Langstone Harbour on one of the tributaries flowing into the Solent.
Littlehampton Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Littlehampton, in West Sussex, on the south coast of England.The station is on the harbour side on the eastern bank of the River Arun, a quarter mile from the harbour entrance and the pier. The current lifeboat house on Fisherman's Quay was built in 2002.
Brighton Lifeboat Station is located in the seaside town of Brighton in the county of East Sussex.
Eyemouth Lifeboat Station is located at the harbour town of Eyemouth, in the Scottish Borders, Scotland.
Barmouth Lifeboat Station is located in Barmouth, a town at the mouth of the Afon Mawddach river in Gwynedd, Wales. A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1828.
Blackpool Lifeboat Station is located in-between the North and Central Piers on the promenade in the town of Blackpool in Lancashire. A lifeboat was first stationed in Blackpool by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1864.
Tynemouth Lifeboat Station is located on the River Tyne, at Fish Quay, North Shields, in the county of Tyne and Wear.
Seahouses Lifeboat Station is located in the village of Seahouses, in the county of Northumberland.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Lifeboat Station is located on the south bank of the River Tweed at Tweedmouth, part of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the county of Northumberland.
Wicklow Lifeboat Station is located at East Pier in the county town of Wicklow, County Wicklow, a harbour town at the mouth of the River Vartry, on the east coast of Ireland.
Amble Lifeboat Station is located at Radcliffe Quay, Warkworth Harbour, in the town of Amble, at the mouth of the River Coquet, in the county of Northumberland.
Newcastle Lifeboat Station is situated at South Promenade, Newcastle, a seaside town in County Down, located the foot of Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne Mountains, overlooking the Irish Sea, in the south east corner of Northern Ireland.
Youghal Lifeboat Station is located on The Mall, in Youghal, a town situated on the western bank of the River Blackwater estuary in County Cork, approximately 48.5 kilometres (30.1 mi) east of the city of Cork, on the south coast of Ireland.
Howth Lifeboat Station sits on the middle pier at Howth Harbour in the fishing village of Howth, on Howth Head, a peninsula located on the north side of Dublin Bay, in the administrative region of Fingal, historically County Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland.
Tramore Lifeboat Station is located on The Cove, near The Pier at Newtown, a suburb of Tramore, a seaside town in County Waterford, approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Waterford, on the south coast of Ireland.
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
