Arranmore History
1883 An RNLI lifeboat station was established and a boathouse, slipway and protecting wall were built.
1887 A Silver Medal was awarded to Sergeant Patrick McPhillips for rescuing a man drifting onto a rock ledge.
1893 The slipway was extended and repaired.
1901 The lifeboat was placed on the beach at Rannagh Point for service during the winter.
1903 A new boathouse was built at Rannagh Point.
1929 The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on moorings off Leabgarrow.
1930 Motor Mechanic Hugh McGill was tragically killed when he was blown over the end of the pier during a gale when he had gone to see if the boarding point was secure.
1941 A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Boyle, Silver Medal to Motor Mechanic Teague Ward and Bronze Medals to Crew Members Philip Boyle, Philip Byrne, Neil Byrne, Bryan Gallagher, Patrick O’Donnell, and Joseph Rogers for the rescue, in hurricane force winds, of 18 people from the Dutch steamer Stolwijk.
Similar Medals were awarded by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
1964 A collective Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to the Coxswain and crew for the rescue of five crew from the yacht Espanola.
1967 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Philip Byrne when the lifeboat saved a seriously ill boy. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to the other five members of the crew.
1983 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1991 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Second Coxswain/Mechanic J O’Donnell when the lifeboat went to the assistance of the fishing vessel Locative. Both the lifeboat and a Search and Rescue helicopter attempted to take off the crew of four. Eventually a tow was passed and the Locative was manoeuvred bow first into the wind so the crew could be winched up into the helicopter. A Letter of Appreciation was sent to the helicopter crew.
1994 A new boat store for the boarding boat was built, along with a launching ramp and access road.
1995 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Coxswain Francis Bonner for a 13-hour service on 19 December when the lifeboat rescued five people and saved the fishing vessel Claudia Marie.
Work was carried out to extend the slipway, providing improved launching and recovery of the boarding boat.
1997 The boarding-boat facility was fitted out and protection for the slipway was installed.
2000 The Severn class lifeboat arrived on station on 20 January.
2006 Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Coxswain Anthony Kavanagh for saving the yacht Nephele and her sole occupant in a 20-hour servcie. The crew received a Framed Letter of Thanks.
Station honours
At Arranmore lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 3
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 7
Bronze Medal 6
Silver Medal 3
Gold Medal 1
