Howth Lifeboat Station

Howth Lifeboat Station
Howth Lifeboat Station
Howth, County Dublin
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Middle Pier
Address	Howth Harbour
Town or city	Howth, County Dublin
Country	Ireland
Coordinates	53°23′22.6″N6°04′05.6″W / 53.389611°N 6.068222°W / 53.389611; -6.068222
Opened	1817 1862 RNLI
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Howth RNLI Lifeboat Station

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.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Howth in 1817 by the Corporation and Port of Dublin. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1862. ^[1]

Howth Trent-class lifeboat 14-33 Roy Barker III (ON 1258)

The station currently operates a Trent-class All-weather lifeboat, 14-33 Roy Barker III (ON 1258), on station since 2002, and the D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Aideen Cresswell (D-796), on station since 2016. ^[2]

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. ^{[3] [4]}

In 1863, the Howth lifeboat capsized whilst on exercise. Fortunately, no lives were lost. ^[5]

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". ^[6]

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. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

On 22 October 1881, the ship George H. Oulton of Saint John, New Brunswick ran aground on the North Bull, off Clontarf, Dublin. The Howth lifeboat Clara Baker was launched at 08:00 into a south-east gale, and 16 crew were rescued. Nine days later, 11 riggers undertaking salvage work were rescued from the same vessel in a joint effort by the Poolbeg and Kingstown lifeboats. Four RNLI Silver Medals were awarded to crew of the Poolbeg and Kingstown lifeboats. ^{[7] [10]}

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. ^{[5] [11]}

Howth would see the arrival of its first motor-powered lifeboat in 1930, the 40-foot 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 km (19 mi) to the north. ^{[12] [13]}

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 4 km (2.5 mi) in very rough seas, the vessel was found in Freshwater Bay, and towed to Howth. Coxswain Joseph McLoughlin was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal. ^{[5] [7]}

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. ^{[5] [14]}

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. ^{[15] [16]}

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. ^[17]

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). ^[18]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Howth. ^{[5] [7]}

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

Thomas Jones, Second Mate of the Packet Escape – 1832

• RNLI Silver Medal

John White, Coxswain – 1877

Thomas Rickard, seaman of the vessel Storm King – 1897

George Caulfield, seaman of the vessel Storm King – 1897

James McLaughlan, seaman of the vessel Maymaid – 1897

C Kelly, seaman of the vessel Maymaid – 1897

Edward Rourke, seaman of the vessel Maymaid – 1897

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Petty Officer Charles Slater, H.M. Coastguard, Howth – 1919

Patrick Rickard, shop assistant – 1919

Joseph McLoughlin, Coxswain – 1964

Frank Hendy, boatman, Howth Yacht Club – 1976

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Tony Brown, member of the public – 1976

Robert Duffy, Coxswain – 1995

George Duffy, Second Coxswain/Mechanic – 1996

Ian Sheridan, Deputy Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1996

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Eamonn Howard, crew member – 1996

Michael Duffy, crew member – 1996

Jim Duffy, crew member – 1996

Mr Patrick Kelly, a member of the public – 1996

Robert Duffy, Coxswain – 1998

George Duffy, Second Coxswain – 1998

Ian Sheridan, Assistant Mechanic – 1998

Frederick Connolly, crew member – 1998

Damian Cronin, crew member – 1998

Eamonn Howard, crew member – 1998

David Howard, crew member – 1998

Brian McConkey, crew member – 1998

• A Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Flight Lieutenant Henry Pottle – 1996

Flight Lieutenant Patrick Thirkell – 1996

Flight Sergeant Alan Falconer – 1996

(all aircrew of Helicopter Rescue 122)

Roll of honour

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

• Died of a heart attack when answering the maroons, 1949

Patrick Rourke

Howth RNLI lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON [a]	Name	Built	On Station [19]	Class	Comments
Pre-395	Sir George Bowles	1862	1862–1872	30-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 1]
Pre-556	Clara Baker	1871	1872–1886	33-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 2]
97	Tom and Ida Smithies	1886	1886–1899	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 3]
429	James Stevens No.7	1899	1899–1912	45-foot Watson (P&S)	[Note 4]
310	Providence	1890	1912−1913	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 5] Formerly at Giles Quay
429	James Stevens No.7	1899	1913–1926	45-foot Watson (P&S)	[Note 6]
491	Rose Beddington	1902	1926	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 7] Formerly at Drogheda No.2
550	Anne Miles	1905	1926–1930	43-foot Watson (P&S)	[Note 8] Formerly at Longhope

All-weather lifeboats

ON [a]	Op. No. [b]	Name	Built	On Station [20]	Class	Comments
721	–	Lady Klysant	1929	1930–1937	40-foot 6in Watson	[Note 9]
789	–	R. P. L.	1936	1937–1962	46-foot Watson	[Note 10]
963	–	A. M. T.	1962	1962–1986	47-foot Watson	[Note 11]
1113	52-35	City of Dublin	1986	1986–2002	Arun	[Note 12]
1258	14-33	Roy Barker III	2001	2002–	Trent	[Note 13]

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No. [b]	Name	On Station [21]	Class	Comments
D-129	Unnamed	1967–1977	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-108	Unnamed	1977–1979	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-273	Unnamed	1980–1988	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-379	Unnamed	1989–1998	D-class (EA16)
D-530	Marguerite Joan Harris	1998–2006	D-class (EA16)
D-659	George Godfrey Benbow	2006–2016	D-class (IB1)
D-796	Aideen Cresswell	2016–	D-class (IB1)

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

1. 30-foot x 7-foot (6-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £154.
2. 33-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
3. 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
4. 45-foot x 12-foot 6in (12-oared) Watson-class (P&S) lifeboat.
5. 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat
6. 45-foot x 12-foot 6in (12-oared) Watson-class (P&S) lifeboat.
7. 35-foot x 8-foot 3in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
8. 43-foot x 12-foot 6in (10-oared) Watson-class (P&S) lifeboat.
9. 40-foot 6in Watson-class (single motor) lifeboat.
10. 46-foot Watson-class lifeboat, built by Groves and Guttridge.
11. 47-foot Watson-class lifeboat, built by J. Samuel White of Cowes.
12. 52-foot Arun-class lifeboat.
13. 14-metre Trent-class lifeboat.

References

1. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 125.
2. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 70, 99.
3. "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. V (46): 163–164. 1 October 1862. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
4. "Dublin - Sheet 15". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
5. "Howth's station history". Howth Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
6. "Castledown, of Belfast". The Lifeboat. V (55): 541. 1 January 1865. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
7. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0907605893.
8. "Royal National Lifeboat Institution". The Times. No. 28909. London. 6 April 1877. col C, p. 6.
9. "Shipping Intelligence". Western Mail. No. 2467. Cardiff. 27 March 1877.
10. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. XI (123): 440. 1 February 1882. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
11. "Pride of RNLI heads for new berth". Birmingham Post & Mail. 14 July 1998. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
12. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 44.
13. "Skerries' station history". Skerries Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
14. "Inshore Rescue Boats". The Lifeboat. XXXVIII (407): 3. March 1964. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
15. "Howth Middle Pier". Geocaching. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
16. "Planning" (PDF). Fingal County Council. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
17. "Llandudno RNLI Shannon Launch and Recovery System named in memory of Roy Barker". RNLI. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
18. "Howth RNLI name new lifeboat Aideen Cresswell in memory of local woman". RNLI. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
19. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 8–38.
20. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 44–70.
21. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 88–99.

External links

• Howth RNLI Lifeboat Station