Tramore's Station history

Silver Medal awarded to Pat Coffey for rescuing the crew of the French Schooner Deux Soeurs, by going into the turbulent surf on a horse and bringing a rope ashore, and assisting the crew to get a boat out on 25 November.

Silver Medal awarded to John Weblin, Coastguard boatman of the Ballymacaw Station, for rescuing 40 men, women and children from the vessel Prince Regent that was wrecked in very rough weather on 22 June.  He swam out to the vessel with a rope through a tremendous surf by which means the 40 people were saved.

Lifeboat station established.

Two local fishermen, John Fitzgerald and Thomas Crotty were killed attempting to save the crew of a French vessel wrecked on 25 January.  Their small boat was capsized.  One of the men they had rescued also died.  The RNLI gave £20 to the fund for Fitzgerald and Crotty’s families.

Silver Medals were awarded to Hon Sec James Budd, Coxswain R O Johns, William Morris Reade and Alfred Stephens in recognition of their gallant and meritorious conduct in rescuing the crew of the brig San Spiridione wrecked in gale force winds on 17 February.  The lifeboat capsized during this service without loss of life.

Silver Medals awarded to John Donovan, Chief Boatman of HMCG, and James Gough, a fisherman in recognition of their gallant exertions when they swam off of rocks through heavy surf to take hold of a life-belt which was floated on a line from the wreck and in this way secured a line and saved 24 people from the wrecked ship Queen of Commerce on 22 January.

Silver Medal awarded to William Nelson, commanding Coastguard cruiser Eliza, for the rescue of the crew of five from the brig Jame that got into difficulties off the coast of Waterford and became a total wreck on the beach at Tramore Bay on 3 December 1866.

Silver Medal Second-Service Clasp awarded to Coxswain Richard O Johns and a Silver Medal to Martin Norris in acknowledgment of their highly meritorious and persevering services in going out in the lifeboat and rescuing 21 people from the ship Oasis which was wrecked during gale force winds on 12/13 January.  After prolonged exertions due to the turbulent surf, the lifeboat reached the wreck at midnight and using an anchor veered down and was able to rescue 20 people off the jib boom.  The following day the lifeboat launched again after a man had been seen in the rigging.  Mr Norris boarded the boat with difficulty and recovered the exhausted man.

Silver Medal Third-Service Clasp awarded to coxswain Richard O Johns, in acknowledgment of his long and gallant services in saving a large number of shipwrecked people in his capacity as coxswain of the Tramore lifeboat.

Silver Medal to coxswain Stephen Pilcher in acknowledgement of his long services in the lifeboat, and particularly on the occasion of the rescue of the crew of seven men of the schooner Fanny, which was wrecked in Tramore Bay during south-westerly winds and a heavy surf on 3 January.

Alterations and additions made to lifeboat house at a cost of £390.

Owing to the encroachment of the sea the lifeboat house was re-erected on another site.

Lifeboat station temporarily closed.

Lifeboat station permanently closed when a motor lifeboat was placed at Dunmore East.

Inshore lifeboat station established in June with the placing on service of a D class lifeboat.  The cost of the inshore lifeboat was defrayed by a legacy left by Miss M Gregory.

The construction of a new ramp, stores and office was completed in March 1971, their cost being entirely met by the Sea Rescue Association.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Helmsman Frank Partridge and crew members Sean Walsh and David Kenneally in recognition of the skill and seamanship they displayed when the inshore lifeboat rescued a boy stranded on a rock in Ronan's Bay two miles south west of the lifeboat station on the evening of 28 June.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Helmsman Noel I Power in recognition of the skill and seamanship he displayed when the inshore lifeboat was beached in a small cove a quarter of a mile west of Newton Head in a south westerly gale and heavy seas on 22 April, in an attempt to rescue a man who had fallen and was lying seriously injured at the base of a cliff.  A special certificate on Vellum was awarded to Doctor Hugh O'Brien-Moran in recognition of the great determination he displayed when he proceeded in the inshore lifeboat and then negotiated a strenuous and dangerous route over the rocks to give medical assistance to the injured man.

A Centenary Vellum awarded to station.

The D class inflatable lifeboat use to be housed in premises forming part of the pumping station, which was built by the local authority in 1967 for use by the Institution and Tramore Sea Rescue.  This building provided very little in the way of crew comforts and therefore proposals were drawn-up for the construction of a new larger boathouse to be situated further up the access road.  The new boathouse which includes a boatroom for the D class lifeboat and boarding boat was successfully completed in July.  As from 28 November this station became all year round.

A new D class lifeboat D-511 Margaret placed on service on 12 December.

Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to helmsman Paul Tuohy in recognition of his seamanship, skill and local knowledge displayed by him when one surfer was rescued in gusting Force 9 winds and 15ft seas on 6 June.

The new class of lifeboat IB1, D-643 Tra Mhor was placed on service on Thursday 30 June.  This lifeboat was funded by a local appeal.  D-511 Margaret has been withdrawn.