Arklow Lifeboat Station
| Arklow Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | South Quay, Arklow, County Wicklow |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°47′31″N 6°08′42″W / 52.791941°N 6.1451339°W / 52.791941; -6.1451339 |
| Opened | 1826 |
| Owner |  Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Arklow Lifeboat Station is a RNLI lifeboat station located in the coastal town of Arklow, County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. It was established in 1826, making it the oldest lifeboat station in Ireland.[1]
Since 1997, it has operated an All-weather Trent-class lifeboat, 14-19 Ger Tigchelaar (ON 1223).[2]
History
A lifeboat was first placed at Arklow in 1826 by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, later to become the RNLI, but in 1830, the station was closed, and the boat was relocated to Newcastle, County Down.
The station was reopened by the RNLI in 1857[2] after a series of maritime disasters.[3]
A new boathouse was built in 1873, and adapted in 1912 to house the stations first motorised lifeboat.[4]
In 2023, it was announced that Arklow were being assigned a new Shannon-class lifeboat as a replacement for Ger Tigchelaar, due to arrive in 2024.[5]
Station honours
The following are awards made to the crew of Arklow Lifeboat Station[6][7]
- James Dillon, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard - 1848
- Peter Kavanagh, Coxswain - 1866
- Captain Edward Kearon - 1867
- John Cummings, Coxswain - 1870
- William Manifold, Second Coxswain - 1877
- The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
- Michael O'Brien, Coxswain - 1974
- A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- Edward Dillon, Coxswain - 1997
- A Case of Rum from the Sugar Manufacturers Association (of Jamaica)
- for longest winter service 1955-1956 for service of 22/23 December 1955.
Arklow Lifeboats
All-weather lifeboats
| ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[2] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | Unnamed | 1826–1830 | 24ft Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Station Closed in 1830 |
| – | – | Unnamed | 1857–1863 | 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | Station Reopened in 1853 |
| – | – | Arundel Venables | 1863–1873 | 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| – | – | Out Pensioner | 1873–1890 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 281 | – | Frances and Charlotte | 1890–1915 | 39-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 642 | – | John Taylor Cardwell | 1915–1938 | 40-foot Self-Righting (motor) | |
| 807 | – | Inbhear Mor | 1938–1968 | 41ft Watson | |
| 897 | – | St Andrew (Civil Service No.10) |
1968–1973 | 41ft Watson | |
| 907 | – | William Taylor of Oldham | 1973–1986 | 42ft Watson | |
| 1006 | 44-007 | Connel Elizabeth Cargill | 1986–1990 | Waveney | |
| 1029 | 44-011 | Augustine Courtauld | 1990–1997 | Waveney | |
| 1223 | 14-19 | Ger Tigchelaar | 1997– | Trent |
- ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
- ^ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
See also
- List of RNLI stations
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
References
- ^ "First lifeboat station". Bray People. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021 (2021 ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
- ^ "190 years of saving lives". Wicklow People. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ "Arklow lifeboat". Irish Lifeboats. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
- ^ "Arklow's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0-907605-89-3.
External links
- Arklow Lifeboat Station
- Arklow Maritime Museum