# Valentia Lifeboat Station

Valentia Lifeboat Station is located adjacent to the Watch House Cottages at Knightstown, a village at the eastern tip of Valentia Island, County Kerry, in the SW corner of Ireland.
A lifeboat was first stationed across on the mainland at Reenard Point in 1864 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The station currently operates a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-07 John and Margaret Doig (ON 1218), on station since 1996.

## History

The first lifeboat house in the area was constructed in 1864 on the mainland at Reenard Point, facing the island of Valentia. The station was relocated onto Valentia Island in 1869, but it closed in 1896.
Between 1939 and 1945, an auxiliary rescue boat had been stationed at Valentia to help aircraft personnel flying in from the Atlantic during Second World War. After the War, the RNLI re-opened the station in 1946.
On 23 June 1985, Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747-237B VT-EFO, en route from Montreal to London, exploded at 31,000 feet (9,400 m) from a terrorist bomb, when it was 120 miles (190 km) off Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew. Valentia lifeboat crew would participated in the recovery of bodies from the worst aviation disaster in Irish territory. (See Station Honours 1985)
A new boathouse was constructed in 1995, and the following year, the station received 17-07 John and Margaret Doig (ON 1218), a Severn-class lifeboat, becoming one of the 35 Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations around the British Isles to operate the RNLI's largest lifeboat.

## Notable rescues

On 2 September 1963, seeing a small dingy capsize in poor conditions, Motor Mechanic John Joseph Houlihan set off single handed in the Valentia station boarding boat to the aid of the dinghy. Arriving to find two men in the water, one was dragged aboard, and one left holding the transome. With some difficulty, he brought the two men to shore. For this service, John Joseph Houlihan was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal and The Maud Smith award for Gallantry 1963.
At 6.05pm on 20 February 1970, Valentia Lifeboat was called to the aid of MV Oranmore, with broken down engines, 9 miles NNW of Braddon Head, Co. Kerry, some 42 miles away. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 11.15pm, standing off in rough seas for 2 hours until it was decided that 3 crew be taken off. Eventually, the decision was taken to abandon ship, and the lifeboat rescued a further 7 men, and also the body of the Mate, who had fallen in the sea during the rescue, was recovered, but sadly died. A rope had fouled the port engine during the rescue, so the lifeboat made for Kilrush, and arrived at 6:15am, after just over 12 hours on service. For this service, Coxswain Dermot Walsh was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.

## Station honours

The following are awards made to the crew of Valentia Lifeboat Station
* RNLI Silver Medal
       William Rowe - 1828
       Joseph Ronowden - 1828
       William Mark - 1828
       Richard Jeffers - 1828
       Nicholas Hanning - 1828
       Hugh Cooper, Coastguard - 1861
       Dermot Walsh, Coxswain - 1970
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       John Joseph Houlihan, Motor Mechanic - 1963
* The Maud Smith Award 1963 (for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
       John Joseph Houlihan - 1964
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       P Murphy, Bowman - 1970
       J Curtin, crew member - 1970
       J Curran, crew members - 1970
       N Murphy, crew member - 1970
       John Joseph Houlihan, Motor Mechanic - 1983
* A Framed letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       The Coxswain and Crew - 1985
       Seanie Murphy, Coxswain - 1989
       Seanie Murphy, Coxswain - 1997

## Valentia lifeboats
### All-weather lifeboats

| ON | Op. No. | Name | In service | Class |
| Pre-424 | – | Mary, Crosby Leonard | 1864–1890 | 32-foot Self-Righting (P&S) |
| 174 | – | Crosby Leonard | 1890–1896 | 33-foot 7in Self-Righting (P&S) |
| Station Closed 1896–1946 ||||||
| 690 | – | C. & S. | 1946–1947 | 45ft Watson |
| 687 | – | B.A.S.P. | 1947–1951 | 45ft Watson |
| 717 | – | A.E.D. | 1951–1957 | 51-foot Barnett |
| 938 | – | Roland Watts | 1957–1983 | 52-foot Barnett |
| 1082 | 52-23 | Margaret Frances Love | 1983–1996 | Arun |
| 1218 | 17-07 | John and Margaret Doig | 1996– | Severn |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.