RNLB Mary Stanford ( ON 733 ) RNLB Mary Stanford ( ON733 ) was the Ballycotton Lifeboat from 1930 to 1959 . Ballycotton is on Ireland ' s southern coast , a trade route to the Americas . There are many dangerous rocks and shallows with on - shore prevailing winds . Ballycotton has a long tradition of life - saving . " Mary Stanford " had 41 " shouts " and saved 122 lives . She performed what many regard as the most famous rescue : the Daunt Lightship rescue on 7 February 1936 . She is the only lifeboat to be awarded a gold medal for gallantry ( boat as well as the crew ) . Today " Mary Stanford " languishes in a backwater of Dublin ' s Grand Canal Dock . Nearby are timbers , all that remain of the " Iris " . Ballycotton . The RNLI established a lifeboat station in Ballycotton in 1858 . There is a long history of life saving at Ballycotton . The first to be acknowledged by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was when they awarded a silver medal in 1826 . On 21 December 1825 , the vessel " Britannia " was wrecked in Ballycotton Bay . Her Master , the only survivor , lashed himself to a rock . There he remained for seven hours . In spite of the danger , a local man , Dennis Crowen rowed out and rescued him and then sheltered him in his cottage for four days . There were many early rescues by coastguards . For example , on 13 December 1850 , in a violent storm , the " Mountaineer " was being driven onto rocks at Dunmanus Point . The coastguards rowed out to assist , and got on board . Then their boat was smashed on the rocks . Fortunately the " Mountaineer " was carrying a cargo of timber and although damaged , remained afloat . Using their local knowledge , the coastguards were able to steer the " Mountaineer " to mud flats and beach her . The rescue of the 28 crew of the " Mountaineer " resulted in the award of one gold and five silver Lifesaving Medals to Lieutenant Goss and the men of Dunmanus Coastguard Station . RNLI . The need for a purpose - built lifeboat was evident . The boat was delivered in time for the visit of the Prince of Wales , Albert Edward in 1858 . The lifeboats prior to the " Mary Stanford " were all powered by oars and sail . As ships became larger the need for a motorised craft was realised . On 12 December 1928 , the RMS " Celtic " was wrecked at Roche ' s Point , Cobh . At the time of her launch in 1901 , she was the largest ship in her day , one of the " Big Four " , the first to exceed 20 , 000 tons , dwarfing the Ballycotton Lifeboat , which came to the rescue . The " Mary Stanford " was named on 7 July 1930 by Mrs . Louisa Cosgrave , wife of President Cosgrave . The cost , £11 , 000 , was donated by Mr . J . F . Stanford , of London . There was a previous lifeboat , named " " Mary Stanford " " . Two years earlier , it had capsized with the loss of all 17 crew in Rye Harbour , England . The new " Mary Stanford " would be more fortunate . She would save many lives , including the famous rescue of the Daunt Lightship . Not only would her entire crew receive gallantry awards , she would be the only boat , in lifeboat history , for a boat to be awarded the gold medal . Daunt Lightship Puffin . Daunt Rock has always been a hazard to shipping . The first lightship was stationed there by the Irish Lights Board in 1864 following the wreck of the " City of New York " on the rock . Lightvessel " Puffin " took up this duty . There was a severe gale on 8 October 1896 and the " Puffin " vanished . The wreck was not found until a month later , on 5 November 1896 . The remains of the crew were never located . In folklore they remain at their post , as a ghost ship , appearing to warn of impending danger . Daunt rescue . On 7 February 1936 a south - eastern gale , with rain and snow , developed into a hurricane . Mountainous waves were crashing over the pier and breakwater transforming the harbour into a seething cauldron , the spray was flying over the lantern of the 196 ft high lighthouse ; " " stones , some a ton in weight , were being torn from the quay and flung about like sugar lumps " " . At 8am next morning an SOS was received : the LV " Comet " , on station at Daunt rock , had broken from her moorings and was drifting dangerously . Without waiting for orders , in horrendous conditions , Coxswain Patrick ( " Patsy " ) Sliney took " Mary Stanford " to sea . " Comet " was not at Daunt rock , she was riding at anchor a quarter - mile away . Other ships arrived , but dare not approach the " Comet " in such conditions . Lightships are not ' lightweight ' , they are heavy : built for endurance . The " Comet " was being tossed around by the waves , were it to hit another ship , that ship would suffer serious damage . " Mary Stanford " made several attempts to get a steel cable aboard the " Comet " . Every time they did , a terrible wave crashed the ships further apart and the cable snapped . When darkness fell , " Mary Stanford " headed for Cobh to get stronger cables . The and stood by . The Lifeboat crew had been , all day , without food . They ate , slept for three hours and received a change of clothing . Early next morning ( Wednesday ) " Mary Stanford " returned to Daunt rock . The sea was just as stormy . It was now enveloped by a thick fog . It was impossible to effect a rescue . The lifeboat remained in the storm all day and all night . The Commissioners of Irish Lights vessel ILV " Isolda " had arrived and stood by while " Mary Stanford " went to Cobh at 7am to refuel , and promptly returned . That evening , the storm increased . " Comet " drifted closer to Daunt rock . When she was 60 yards from the rock , as darkness approached , the Coxswain decided the only option was to try and get alongside and for the crew to jump for the lifeboat . He knew the dangers . On the first attempt , one man got on board , on the second attempt no one jumped ; a third time , and five men were safe . The lifeboat went in a fourth and fifth time , and again no one was able to make it . Two men were still on board , clinging to the rails , too exhausted to jump . On the sixth attempt , as the " Mary Stanford " came alongside , the two were seized by the lifeboat crew and dragged aboard . ( This moment was depicted on the postage stamp ) They then went to Cobh and disembarked the rescued at 11pm and then returned to Ballycotton . " Mary Stanford " had been away for 79 hours . The crew had only three hours sleep during the 63 - hour rescue ( from leaving Ballycotton to disembarking " Comet ' s " crew at Cobh ) , they all suffered from colds , saltwater burns and hunger . A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Patrick Sliney , Silver Medals to Second Coxswain John Lane Walsh and Motor Mechanic Thomas Sliney , and Bronze Medals to Crew Members Michael Coffey Walsh , John Shea Sliney , William Sliney and Thomas Walsh . Even the boat " Mary Stanford " received an award – the only time this has happened in lifeboat history . This rescue became legend . It was depicted by marine artists . It featured in popular books . When a postage stamp was issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the RNLI , this rescue was chosen . The design of the stamp was based on the painting by Bernard Gribble , which depicts the last two lightshipmen being pulled on to the lifeboat . Other rescues . " Mary Stanford " had many other rescues to her credit . The years of the Emergency ( as World War II was known ) were difficult . There was a serious risk from drifting mines . On 27 January 1941 a mine exploded on the Ballycotton shore , demolishing the curate ' s house and smashing the windows in the church . Rescues which merited medals were : Some rescues involved the Cliff Rescue Team . On 1 February 1947 , the " Irish Plane " was driven onto rocks below cliffs , west of Ballyshane . The " Mary Stanford " was called out . Attempts to pull the " Irish Plane " off the rocks failed as she had been holed and started to break - up . As the lifeboat couldn ' t get close enough , because of the rocks , the crew of the " Irish Plane " were rescued by the Cliff Rescue Team . Epilogue . " Mary Stanford " retired and on 16 September 1959 she was replaced by " Ethel Mary " . Lifesaving continues at Ballycotton , there have been many callouts , including the 1979 Fastnet race . Two Gold , seven Silver , and eight Bronze medals have been awarded to Ballycotton lifeboatmen . Since March 1998 , Ballycotton has been served by Trent Class lifeboat " Austin Lidbury " . The Daunt Lightship " Comet " survived . After she was sold , she became Radio Scotland , a Pirate radio station . Coxswain Patsy Sliney retired in 1950 , he had taken part in the rescue of 114 lives and was awarded Gold , Silver and Bronze Medals . " Mary Stanford " was a reserve lifeboat from 1959 until 1969 when she was sold to the Limerick Harbour Commissioners , where she served as a harbour pilot launch until the mid - 1980s . An organisation called the " Irish Nautical Trust " announced plans to establish a floating museum in Grand Canal Dock . They were given a number of historic craft on the understanding that they would be preserved . Without funding the work was abandoned . Now the dockmaster refuses to admit boats to the dock unless he is assured that they intended to continue . " Mary Stanford " now lies in Hanover Dock , a backwater of Grand Canal Dock . Beside her is the " Naomh Éanna " , which served the Aran Islands .