Skerries History

1854  The RNLI established a lifeboat station and a boathouse was built.

1858 A Gold Medal was awarded to Henry A Hamilton for rescuing the 13 crew from the brigantine Tregiste that ran aground between Lambay Island and the mainland.

1859 A Silver Medal was awarded to Alexander Bain for wading into the surf and rescuing the three crew from the barque Azalea, which had run ashore on rocks off Skerries during a gale.

1873 On 1 February, the lifeboat launched to the schooner Sarah on a bitterly cold night. The lifeboat capsized three times and only four of the crew survived. Six crew tragically drowned.

1877 A Silver Medal was awarded to Chief Officer of Coastguard John Payne for rescuing one man from the wrecked smack Falcon.

1881 The lifeboat capsized, fortunately without loss of life, while out on service to the barque S. Vaughan.

1903 A new boathouse was built on the sea front.

1930 The station closed when a motor lifeboat was placed on service at Howth.

1981 The station was re-established as an inshore lifeboat (ILB) station with a D class lifeboat. The ILB was kept in a stone-built house on the sea front.

1997 A B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was placed at the station for evaluation.

A new boathouse was completed in August for the Atlantic lifeboat and launching tractor.

1998 The Atlantic 75, B-747 Rockabill, named after a lighthouse off Skerries, was placed on service in June.

2005  The station was awarded a Centenary Vellum to commemorate an aggregate of 100 years service as a lifeboat station.

Station honours

At Skerries lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Silver Medal 2
Gold Medal 1