History
The first lifeboat to be placed at Howth was operated by the Ballast Corporation of Dublin. In early 1862, the Ballast Corporation made a request to the RNLI to take over the management of their three lifeboat stations, located at Poolbeg, Kingstown and Howth, which was agreed. Sir George Bowles, a new fully equipped 30-foot Self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was provided to Howth, arriving on station in September 1862. A new carriage for transportation was also provided, along with a new boathouse, which was constructed on the West Pier, at a cost of £205. The Ballast Corporation agreed to contribute £50 of the annual cost of the station. [1] [2] [3]
In 1863, the Howth lifeboat capsized whilst on exercise. Fortunately, no lives were lost. [4]
The Howth lifeboat was launched on 15 October 1865 to the lugger Castletown of Belfast, after she struck a rock near Ireland's Eye. The lifeboat managed to save the seven crew as well as the vessel, for which the master recorded that he was "truly thankful for the services rendered by the life-boat in saving his property from destruction". [5]
The barque Eva, with eight crew, was on passage from Dublin to Ardrossan, when she was driven ashore and wrecked on Baldoyle Strand, in the south-easterly gale of 25 March 1877. Five of the crew managed to get away in the ship's boat. In difficult conditions, the Howth lifeboat Clara Baker arrived to find three men still lashed to the rigging as the sea broke over the vessel. All three were rescued. For this service, and with acknowledgement of previous rescues, including the Castletown in 1865, Coxswain John White was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal. [6] [7] [8]
In 1894, The RNLI received a legacy of £50,000 from the estate of Mr James Stevens, a developer, from Edgbaston in Birmingham. This donation provided 20 lifeboats, more lifeboats than any other single donation received by the RNLI. The James Stevens No.7 (ON 429) was placed on service at Howth in 1899. The boat was kept afloat, and the old boathouse was handed over to the Board of Public Works. The boathouse still stands on the West Pier. [4] [9]
Howth would see the arrival of its first motor-powered lifeboat in 1930, the 40ft 6in Watson Lady Kylsant (ON 721). Now able to cover significantly greater distances at much higher speeds, it would bring about the closure of the Skerries lifeboat station, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the north. [1] [10]
On the night of 14 July 1964, relief lifeboat H. F. Bailey (ON 777) was launched into a southerly gale, to the aid of the fishing boat Ros Cairbre, being swept ashore after engine failure. After travelling 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in very rough seas, the vessel was found in Freshwater Bay, and towed to Howth. Coxswain Joseph McLoughlin was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal. [4] [6]
In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies. More stations were opened, and in 1967, a D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat (D-129) was additionally placed at Howth. The cost of the boat had been defrayed by a donation from the Boy Scouts of Ireland Jubilee Fund. [4] [11]
A new station building was constructed on Howth Middle Pier in 1984, on reclaimed land from the 1982 harbour development. In 2016, a new pontoon berth was constructed alongside the lifeboat house. [12] [13]
On 11 March 2002, the Trent-class lifeboat 14-33 Roy Barker III (ON 1258) was placed on service. Mr Frederick Roy Barker (1909–1992), known as Roy, left his entire estate to the RNLI, known as the Roy Barker Memorial Fund, with the request that all income be used to fund lifeboats. Howth received one of three Trent-class lifeboats from the fund. [14]
In 2016, Howth would receive their latest Inshore lifeboat, the €71,000 D-class (IB1) lifeboat funded from the bequest of the late Mrs Aideen Cresswell, latterly of Howth, who died in 2011, aged 91. At a ceremony on 2 October 2016, the lifeboat was named Aideen Cresswell (D-796). [15]
Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
