# Fenit Lifeboat Station

Fenit Lifeboat Station is located at the Harbour in Fenit, a village sitting north of the Dingle Peninsula, and south of the River Shannon estuary, on the south west coast of Ireland.
A lifeboat station was first established at Fenit in 1879 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), and named Tralee Bay Lifeboat Station.
The station currently operates the Trent-class lifeboat 14-27 Robert Hywel Jones Williams (ON 1239), on station since 1999, and the small D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Lizzie (D-860), on station since 2022.

## History

Ever since its founding in 1824, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854, would award medals for deeds of gallantry at sea, even if no lifeboats were involved.
On 19 November 1850, the brig Enrichetta, on passage from Barletta to Falmouth, Cornwall, was wrecked off County Kerry. John Town, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, led a party of men, to wade out in the surf, and rescue the 12 man crew. He was awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal.
Tralee Bay Lifeboat Station was established at Fenit in 1879 by the RNLI, following application by local residents for a lifeboat to be placed in the area. A boathouse was constructed at the top of the lane to Kelly's beach, on land granted by John Hurly of Fenit House. A 34-foot 10-oared self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, along with its launch carriage, was given free passage to the station, by steamer from London to Cork, with the City of Cork Steam Ship company, and then by rail to Tralee, with the Great Southern and Western Railway.
At a ceremony on the 26 June 1879, the new lifeboat station was opened, and the lifeboat named Admiral Butcher. On a memorial stone tablet in the station was inscribed:
   The Admiral Butcher life-boat was placed here, on the coast of his native country, by Richard George Butcher, Surgeon, in affectionate remembrance of his father, Admiral Samuel Butcher and his brother, Samuel Butcher, S.T.P., sometime Regius Professor of Divinity in Trinity College, Dublin, and Lord Bishop of Meath.
   'Jehovah make the storm calm, so that the waves thereof are still.' (Ps. CVII 29).
   'And Jesus arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.' (St Mark IV 39).
The whole cost of the lifeboat, carriage, boathouse and equipment was provided by the gift of Dublin surgeon Dr. Richard George Herbert Butcher, MD MRIA FRCS (1816–1891), president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1866–67, in memory of his late father, Samuel Butcher (Royal Navy officer), and his brother, Samuel Butcher (bishop).
The name of the station was formally changed to Fenit Lifeboat Station in 1892.
Continuing the tradition of awarding medals for gallantry at sea, four RNLI Bronze Medals were awarded at Fenit, firstly in 1920, to a young boy, for his efforts to rescue his friend, and then in 1930, to three fishermen who rescued the three crew of the steamship Co-operator of Tralee.
After a comprehensive review of operational requirements, it was decided that two lifeboat stations in Ireland were to be closed, Helvick Head and Fenit. Fenit lifeboat station closed in 1969. The Barnett-class lifeboat on station, Hilton Briggs (ON 889), was transferred to the relief fleet, later to serve at Longhope and Invergordon.
At an RNLI management meeting on 24 November 1993, it was noted that there was increasing activity on the west coast of Ireland, and that an additional All-weather lifeboat should be placed between the lifeboat stations of Valentia and Galway. It was decided that Fenit Lifeboat Station would be re-established, initially for a 1-year evaluation period. The old boathouse was no longer suitable as a station, so a temporary Portakabin was placed on the quay, and the harbour was dredged for a mooring. In 1994, Fenit lifeboat station was reopened with the arrival of the Arun All-weather lifeboat Ralph and Bonella Ferrant (ON 1081). The new Fenit lifeboat performed her first service with the new crew before even arriving on station, when she responded to a mayday call from the motor boat Mayfly whilst off Salcombe.
The station received two lifeboats in 1999. The Arun-class was replaced by the current All-weather lifeboat, the Trent Robert Hywel Jones Williams (ON 1239), and a D-class (EA16) Inshore lifeboat, Ann Speed (D-404) was also placed at the station.
€39,000 was raised by the lifeboat crew from Bangor, to pay for a lifeboat to be named in memory of lifeboat mechanic Bradley Burns, who died of cancer in 2005, and his wife Sonia, lifeboat administrator, who died suddenly the following year. At a ceremony in September 2010, the D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat was placed at Fenit, and named Bradley and Sonia (D-729).
In 2022, Bradley and Sonia (D-729) was retired, and a new Inshore lifeboat placed on station. The boat was funded from the legacy of Elizabeth Joan Finch, better known as British Film and TV actress Liz Fraser. At a ceremony on 29 May 2022, the lifeboat was named Lizzie (D-860).

## Station honours

The following are awards made at Fenit.
* RNIPLS Silver Medal
       John Town, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard - 1850
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       John F. O'Mahoney (age 12) - 1920
       John Nolan, fisherman - 1930
       John Cahill, fisherman - 1930
       Joseph Cahill, fisherman - 1930
* Silver watches
       Thomas Crowley, Coxswain - 1933
       John Doyle, Mechanic - 1933
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       Gerard O’Donnell, Deputy Launching Authority - 1996
       Niall Hickey, Assistant Mechanic - 1996
       John Moriarty, Deputy Second Coxswain - 1996

## Fenit lifeboats

| ON | Op. No. | Name | Built | In service | Class |
| pre-635 | – | Admiral Butcher | 1878 | 1879–1890 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 305 | – | Louisa and Emma | 1890 | 1890–1895 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 382 | – | John Willmot | 1895 | 1895–1923 | 42-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 457 | – | James Stevens No.20 | 1901 | 1923–1928 | 35-foot Liverpool (P&S) |
| 561 | – | John A. Hay | 1908 | 1928–1932 | 42-foot Self-righting (motor) |
| 755 | – | Peter and Sarah Blake | 1932 | 1932–1958 | 51-foot Barnett |
| 889 | – | Hilton Briggs | 1951 | 1958–1969 | 52-foot Barnett |
| Station Closed, 1969–1994 ||||||
| 1081 | 52-22 | Ralph and Bonella Ferrant | 1982 | 1994–1999 | Arun |
| 1239 | 14-27 | Robert Hywel Jones Williams | 1999 | 1999– | Trent |
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

### Inshore lifeboats

| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class |
| D-404 | Ann Speed | 1999–2000 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-488 | Mabel | 2000–2001 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-561 | Cursitor Street | 2001–2009 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-523 | Peterborough Beer Festival I | 2009–2010 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-729 | Bradley and Sonia | 2010–2022 | D-class (IB1) |
| D-860 | Lizzie | 2022– | D-class (IB1) |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* 1 2 Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.