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THE HISTORY OF R.N.L.I. STATION ARRANMORE
by Norman Miller

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

More Arranmore Lighthouse Pictures

The Story

1883 Lifeboat house slipway and protecting wall erected at a cost of £420

1887 Silver Medal voted to Sergeant Patrick McPhillips for putting off in a boat and rescuing a man drifting onto a ledge of rocks off Arranmore during a strong northwesterly wind on 12th July.

1893 Slipway extended and repaired at a cost of £225

1901 Lifeboat placed on the beach at Rannagh Point for service during winter.

1903 New lifeboat house constructed on a site at Rannagh Point. Old lifeboat house sold for £100.

1916 Lifeboat house struck by lightning.

1930 The motor mechanic, Hugh McGill, the son of the Honorary Secretary, blown over the end of the pier and killed during a gale at the end of December when he had gone to see if the boarding point was secure. A memorial tablet was erected.

1940 Gold Medal awarded to Coxswain John Boyle. Silver Medal to motor mechanic Teague Ward and Bronze Medals to the other six crew members for the rescue of 18 from the Dutch steamer Stolwijk on 7th December. The wind was of hurricane force, with fierce squalls accompanied by snow and sleet and the seas were mountainous. It was a rescue of great daring, gallantry and endurance carried out in weather of exceptional severity.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands awarded the Dutch Gold Medal for gallantry in saving life to Coxswain Boyle, Silver Medal to motor mechanic Ward, and the Bronze Medal to each of the six other crew members. Each medal was accompanied by a decree making the award, in which the Queen said the medal had been awarded for "exceptionally outstanding courage, unselfishness and devotion to duty".

The owners of the Stolwijk, the "Netherlands Shipping and Trading Co.", gave £20 to be divided among the crew.

1949 One of the most distinguished of the Irish Coxswains, John Boyle of Arranmore, died on 5th September at the age of 57. He served as an officer of the lifeboat for 23 years, as bowman from 1926 to 1928, and then as coxswain until his death 21 years later. He was one of the seven coxswains who won the Gold Medal for conspicuous gallantry during the war of 1939 to 1945 when, on 7th Dec. 1940, he rescued 18 of the crew of the Stolwijk of Rotterdam. This was one ship in a convoy of ships from America, which had come through three days of a rising northwesterly gale. She was making for the passage between Scotland and Ulster, at that stage in the war, the only remaining entrance to British Ports, in a hurricane of wind and snow.

1964 Thanks of the Institution inscribed on a collective vellum awarded to the coxswain and crew in connection with the service on 18th August to the Yacht Espanola of Ramsgate, when her crew of five were rescued and the boat saved.

1967 Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain Philip Byrne in recognition of his courage and determination when, in a strong northwesterly gale with a very rough sea, the lifeboat conveyed a seriously ill boy from Tory Island to Burtonport on 29th November, thereby saving his life.

The lifeboat also gave help to a curragh, which had put off to transfer the boy to the lifeboat. Thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum accorded to the other members of the crew and each man was also granted an additional monetary award.

1983 Centenary Vellum awarded to station.

1991 Framed letter of appreciation, signed by the Chairman of the Institution, was presented to Second Coxswain/Mechanic, J. O`Donnell. This was in recognition of his skill and determination, when the lifeboat under his command went to the assistance of the fishing vessel Locative, which was unsure of her position and had suffered engine failure on 9th March 1990.

In force 9 winds and rough seas, both the lifeboat and a SAR helicopter, attempted unsuccessfully to take off the crew of four from the fishing vessel. A tow was passed and the Locative was maneuvered bow first into the wind, enabling the crew to be winched up into the helicopter.

For their part in this service, a letter of appreciation, signed by the Director of the Institution, was sent to the helicopter crew.

1994 The boat-store, which houses the boarding boat, was very substandard and provided very little in the way of adequate crew facilities. Hence proposals for the construction of boarding boat housing, launching ramp and an access road were subsequently drawn-up and approved. Work commenced in May 1993 and was successfully completed in June 1994.

1995 Framed letter of appreciation signed by the Chairman of the Institution, was presented to Coxswain Francis Bonnar for the 13 hour service on 19th December, when the lifeboat William Lackin rescued five persons and saved the fishing vessel Claudia Marie. The vessel had lost her rudder 24 miles north east of Arranmore in winds gusting to force 9, very rough seas and a large 6 meter swell.

1996 A further extension to the slipway was carried out in order to provide improved launching/recovery of the boarding boat. Due to launching problems, a further slipway extension was carried out.

1997 Works were completed on the fitting out of the boarding boat facility and the construction of rock armoring adjacent to the slipway.

2000 Severn Class Lifeboat RNLB "Myrtle Maud" arrives on station

Lifeboat Crew May 2000 A.D.

Coxswain: Anton Kavanagh
Mechanic: Philip McCauley
2nd Mechanic: Tony Ward

Boat crew:
Mr Frankie Bonner, Mrs Nora Flanagan
Mr Damien Boyle, Mr Martin Gallagher
Mr John Boyle, Mr Seamus Kavanagh
Mr John Paul Boyle, Mr Francis McCauley
Mr Neil Boyle, Mr John McHugh
Mr Ciaran Cox, Mr John O`Donnell
Mr Hugh Early, Mr Mannie O`Donnell
Mr Jerry Early, Mr Sean O`Donnell
Mr Jimmy Early

Station Branch President: Mr Daniel O`Donnell
Chairman and Act./Hon. Secretary: Mr A. Gallagher
D.L.A.: Mr F. Bonner
S.H.P.O.: Mrs Nora Flanagan

Fundraising Branch Chairperson: Mrs Grace Gallagher
Hon. Secretary: Mrs Nora Flanagan
Hon. Treasurer: Mrs Winnie McCauley
Committee Members: Mrs Margaret Boyle, Mr John O`Donnell , Mr Duncan McMillen

Published by: Norman Miler
Year written: 2000
Copyright owned by: R.N.L.I. Station Arranmore

Other publications by the same author:
Lough Derg, Co. Donegal.
A Guide to King`s Mountain, Co. Sligo.
A Guide to Errigal, Co. Donegal.

The Craic gratefully acknowledges the help of R.N.L.I. Station Arranmore Co. Donegal and Norman Miller in putting together this page.

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