Blackrock Lifeboat Station

Blackrock Lifeboat Station is a former Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station, located in the village of Blackrock, on the south side of Dundalk Bay, in County Louth, Ireland.

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the RNLI in 1859 following the Mary Stoddard disaster. It is one of two stations that have been home to the 'Dundalk lifeboat', the other being at Giles Quay.

The Blackrock Lifeboat Station was closed in 1935.

History
A storm, which is described in the Shipwreck Inventory of Ireland as 'one of the worst storms to have hit the coastlines of County Louth', began on Tuesday 6 April 1858, and did not subside until the following Sunday. The barque Mary Stoddart was seen in distress in Dundalk Bay on the 6 April 1858. Numerous attempts were made over 5 days to rescue the crew, and 4 men lost their lives in the rescue efforts. The Captain and nine crewmen were finally rescued by H.M. Coastguard Chief Boatman Robert Shankey and his boat crew from Giles Quay on the 9 and 10 April, but seven crewmen of the Mary Stoddart were lost.

No fewer than 10 RNLI Silver Medals were awarded for the rescue efforts, and a memorial was erected in Roden place, Dundalk, in memory of those men who gave their lives.

In Memory of Captain James Kelly Gerald Hughes James Crosbey and James Murphy who lost their lives in a Noble and Humble Effort to rescue the crew of the Barque Mary Stoddart wrecked in Dundalk Bay on 9 April 1858



As a result of this disaster, the RNLI promised to place a lifeboat in the Dundalk area, on finding a suitable location. Lord Clermont had a lifeboat house built at his own expense at Blackrock, and a 30-foot Self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sail, was placed there by the RNLI in 1859.

A first service for the Blackrock lifeboat came on 19 September 1859, giving assistance to the vessel John James of the Isle of Man. A call on 22 August 1861 to the barque Frederick, on passage from Dublin to the West Indies, but wrecked at Dundalk harbour entrance, resulted in 21 lives being saved.

Funded by children attending Sunday School, a new lifeboat Stockport Sunday Schools was placed at Blackrock in the summer of 1867. This boat was launched on the 2 July 1873, to the Glasgow barque Prince of Wales (recorded locally as the Princess of Wales), aground 1 mi south of the lighthouse, and rescued 16 people. The wreck was a hazard to shipping for 20 years, and was eventually blown up.

In 1877, it was thought that the Dundalk lifeboat would be better sited at Giles Quay (now Gyles Quay), on the north side of Dundalk Bay. RNLB Stockport Sunday Schools was transferred over to the new station in 1879, and Blackrock lifeboat station was closed.

Almost straight away, the decision was reversed, and in 1880, it was decided to reopen the Blackrock station, but also to retain the new Giles Quay station. A new boat, James Thomas, was placed at Giles Quay, and Stockport Sunday Schools was transferred back to Blackrock, but not before a race was held between the two station boats, Blackrock emerging victors after a restart.

A new boat was placed at the station in 1885. General R. Dudley Blake (ON 95) was a 34-foot 6in Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat. As is the way, the lifeboat was not required for 10 years, and then she was required for two rescues on the same day, 24 December 1895. The first, to the steamship Paragon, beached at Dunaney Point, required 3 hours of hard rowing to make the 2 mi to the beached vessel, rescuing 11. The second, to the barque Ardendee of Liverpool, where another 11 people were rescued. It would then be another nine years before the lifeboat was once again needed.

In 1909, the lifeboat was replaced with a 35-foot lifeboat, given the same name, General R. Dudley Blake (ON 593). On a call just before Christmas 1909, both lifeboats from Blackrock and Giles Quay stood by, until a tug came to tow the steam dredger Thames to harbour.

With more powered vessels at sea, there were fewer and fewer calls on the lifeboat, and Blackrock would not be required again until 1923. In the last call out on 8 April 1923, the lifeboat brought ashore two passengers from the Fetlar, aground on the sand, but in no immediate danger.

Blackrock lifeboat was called just 5 times between 1909 and 1935. With a motor-powered lifeboat placed at Clogherhead in 1931, Blackrock lifeboat station was closed in 1935. Launched 39 times since opening, the Blackrock lifeboat had rescued 75 people.

General R. Dudley Blake (ON 593) was sold from service, and as of 2023, was awaiting restoration at Ardee, Co.Louth. The lifeboat station still stands, somewhat neglected, but is reported as being used as an art studio.

Station honours
The following are awards made at Blackrock


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * Bernard Johnston, Captain of Steamer Enterprise - 1858
 * John Connick, Agent for Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Society - 1858
 * Thomas Lewis, Mate, Earle of Erne - 1858
 * William Gilmer, First Mate, steamer Pride of Erin - 1858
 * Nicholas Crosby - 1858
 * George Elphinstone - 1858
 * John Hynds - 1858
 * Thomas McArdle - 1858

Blackrock lifeboats

 * Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.