Donor:	John Frederick Stanford, London.
Station	Ballycotton Ballycotton Ballycotton is a village in County Cork, Ireland, situated about 25 miles east of Cork city. It is a famous fishing village and has given its name to the folk band Ballycotton. The village is set on a rocky-ledge overlooking Ballycotton Bay and its sandy beach that stretches for about...

For the lifeboat which capsized in Rye Harbour in 1928 with the loss of its 27 crew, see: Mary Stanford Lifeboat

Mary Stanford Lifeboat

The Mary Stanford Lifeboat was a vessel which capsized in Rye Harbour in 1928.The disaster was the worst for many years. It occurred on 15 November 1928 when the whole of the 17 man crew of the Mary Stanford Lifeboat were drowned, practically the whole male fishing population of the small town of...

 (ON661)

RNLB Mary Stanford (ON733) was the Ballycotton

Ballycotton

Ballycotton is a village in County Cork, Ireland, situated about 25 miles east of Cork city. It is a famous fishing village and has given its name to the folk band Ballycotton. The village is set on a rocky-ledge overlooking Ballycotton Bay and its sandy beach that stretches for about...

 Lifeboat

Lifeboat (rescue)

A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...

 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

Lightvessel

A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...

 rescue on 7 February 1936. She is the only lifeboat to be awarded for gallantry (boat as well as the crew). Today Mary Stanford languishes in a backwater of Grand Canal Dock. Nearby are timbers, all that remain of the Iris.

Ballycotton

The RNLI

Royal National Lifeboat Institution

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....

 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

Her Majesty's Coastguard

Her Majesty's Coastguard is the service of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating air-sea rescue.HM Coastguard is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime Search and Rescue within the UK...

. 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 Prince of Wales Albert Edward

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

 in 1858. The lifeboats prior to the Mary Stanford were all powered by oars and sail. As ships became larger the need for a motorized craft was realised. On 12 December 1928, the RMS Celtic

RMS Celtic (1901)

RMS Celtic was an ocean liner owned by the White Star Line. The first ship larger than the in gross tonnage, Celtic was the first of a quartet of ships over 20,000 tons, dubbed The Big Four....

 was wrecked at Roche's Point, Cobh

Cobh

Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...

. She was the largest ship in her day, one of the "Big Four"

Big Four (White Star Line)

The Big Four were a quartet of 20,000 tons ocean liners built by Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line in the early 20th century, completed in 1906: -Origin:...

, 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 the First Lady

First Lady

First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...

, wife of President

President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State

The President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937...

 Cosgrave. The cost, £11,000, was donated by Mr. J.F. Stanford, of London.
There was a previous lifeboat, named "Mary Stanford"

Mary Stanford Lifeboat

The Mary Stanford Lifeboat was a vessel which capsized in Rye Harbour in 1928.The disaster was the worst for many years. It occurred on 15 November 1928 when the whole of the 17 man crew of the Mary Stanford Lifeboat were drowned, practically the whole male fishing population of the small town of...

. Two years earlier, it had capsized with the loss of all 17 crew in Rye Harbour

Rye Harbour

Rye Harbour is a village located on the East Sussex coast in southeast England, near the estuary of the River Rother: it is part of the civil parish of Icklesham. Rye Harbour is located some two miles downstream of the town of Rye....

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. 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

Commissioners of Irish Lights

The Commissioners of Irish Lights is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands...

 in 1864 following the wreck of the City of New York on the rock. Lightvessel Puffin

Puffin Lightvessel

Puffin Lightvessel was a lightvessel situated at Daunt Rock, 25 miles south west of Roche's Point near Cork harbour entrance and was in the care of the Commissioners of Irish Lights....

 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

Folklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

 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

Coxswain

The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...

 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

Wire rope

thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....

 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

Cobh

Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...

 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

Commissioners of Irish Lights

The Commissioners of Irish Lights is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands...

 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

B. F. Gribble

B. F. Gribble RBC SMA was a prolific British marine artist and illustrator.- Life and works :...

, 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

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 was known) were difficult. There was a serious risk from drifting mines

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

. On 27 January 1941 a mine exploded on the Ballycotton shore, demolishing the curate

Curate

A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...

's house and smashing the windows in the church.

Rescues which merited medals were:

• On 30 January 1941, there was a strong wind, thick fog and drifting mines. The eight man crew of the SS Primrose of Liverpool were rescued just as she was sinking. Bronze medal awarded.
• On 23 December 1943, the Irish Ash was in difficulties. This rescue took 30 hours. They managed to bring the ship to safety in Cobh. One silver and two bronze medals were awarded.

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 breakup. 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 Balycotton, there have been many callouts, including the 1979 Fastnet race

1979 Fastnet race

The 1979 Fastnet race was the twenty-eighth Fastnet race, a yachting race competition held since 1925, generally every two years. In 1979, it was the climax of the five-race Admiral's Cup competition, as it had been since 1957....

. 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

Radio Scotland

Radio Scotland was an offshore pirate radio station broadcasting on 1241 kHz mediumwave , created by Tommy Shields in 1965. The station was located on the former lightship M.V...

, a Pirate radio

Pirate radio

Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...

 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 launched until the mid-1980s. An organisation called the "Irish Nautical Trust" announced plans to establish a floating museum in Grand Canal Dock

Grand Canal Dock

Grand Canal Dock is an area in Ringsend near Dublin city centre, surrounding the Grand Canal Docks, an enclosed harbour or docking area between the River Liffey and the Grand Canal...

. 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

Aran Islands

The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...

.

Effective Services

Effective Services
Date	ship	home port	action	saved
17 September 1930	Fishing Yawl Boozer	Ballycotton	saved yawl	2
19 October 1930	Steam Trawler Phineas Beard	London	assistance
10 August 1931	Yacht Ailsa	Southampton	assisted to harbour
26 March 1932	Steam Trawler Macaw	Milford	stood by
27 October 1932	Fishing Boat St. Mary and a punt	Ballycotton	escorted
15 December 1934	Steamship Lady Martin	Dublin	escorted
11 February 1936	Daunt Rock lightvessel Comet			8
2 May 1936	Steam Trawler Evaristo Perez	Vigo	assistance
2 May 1936	Steam Trawler Teresa Camposa	Vigo	assistance
16 May 1937	Ketch Garlingstone	Milford Haven	stood by
2 January 1939	Motor Drifter Yankee Girl	Ballycotton	escorted
30 July 1939	Motor Fishing Boat Point Girl	Ballycotton	saved boat &	4
23 August 1940	Motor Fishing Boat Point Girl	Ballycotton	saved boat &	4
19 November 1940	Steamship Nestlea	Newcastle	landed	22
20 November 1940	Steamship Nestlea	Newcastle	helped
20 November 1940	Steamship Nestlea	Newcastle	saved a boat
30 January 1941	Steamship Primrose	Liverpool	saved	8
29 April 1941	Ship's boat		saved boat
12 March 1942	Ship's raft		saved raft
15 December 1942	Steam Trawler Dereske	Milford Haven	assisted
23 December 1942	Steamship Irish Ash	Dublin	saved vessel &	35
23 January 1943	Fishing Boat Emily	Ballycotton	saved boat &	4
15 January 1945	Drifter Ptide of Rosslare	Dunmore East	escorted
26 April 1945	Fishing Boat Emily	Ballycotton	saved boat &	2
6 November 1947	Steam Trawler East Coast	Milford Haven	assisted to save vessel &	9
12 September 1949	Yacht Betty	Cork	escorted
11 October 1949	Daunt Rock lightvessel		landed injured man
10 January 1950	Irish torpedo boat M4		gave help
8 February 1950	Steamship Joseph Mitchell	London	saved	13
11 December 1950	Fishing punt	Ballycotton	saved boat &	2
13 March 1952	Motor punt	Ballycotton	escorted
6 August 1952	Fishing boat Rapid	Ballycotton	gave help
10 September 1952	Fishing boat Irish Leader	Dublin	saved boat &	2
10 September 1952	Fishing boat St Mary	Ballycotton	gave help
9 July 1953	Fishing boat Irish Leader	Dublin	gave help
26 October 1954	Schooner Windermere	Dublin	escorted
4 June 1955	Fishing boat Inis Caol	Dublin	saved boat &	2
16 November 1955	Fishing boat Maid of Loughshinney	Dublin	saved boat &	2
15 January 1956	Fishing boat St Mary	Cork	saved boat &	2
4 April 1958	Fishing boat Pride	Helvick	saved boat &	3
10 June 1958	Fishing boat	Ballycotton	saved boat &	1
10 June 1967	Fishing boat Cait	Schull	gave help
Source: appendix 3