Crew's descendants restoring the ‘Mary Stanford’ lifeboat
DESCENDANTS of an heroic lifeboat crew who were involved in a legendary rescue have taken a giant step towards realising their dream of restoring their ancestors’ famous vessel to her former glory.
They have saved the dilapidated Mary Stanford lifeboat from an uncertain future in Dublin and relocated her to Cork where she will undergo major restoration.
The almost century-old vessel — the first lifeboat in RNLI history to be awarded a gold medal for gallantry — is now in storage in East Cork while plans are finalised to install her on a plinth in the fishing village of Ballycotton where she was stationed in the last century.
It will be a labour of love for several committee members who have a deep family connection to the vessel.
Colm Sliney’s grandfather, grand-uncle and father all served on the vessel.
His grandfather, Patsy, was the coxswain the night of the Daunt Lightship rescue. Patsy’s son, Colm’s father, Willie, was the youngest crew member on the mission. And Billy Walsh’s great-grandfather was also a crew member on the rescue.
Colm, who served on Ballycotton’s lifeboat for decades, said the committee and entire community was delighted to get the vessel home.
“It’s a disgrace to see how she fell into such bad shape, but it’s great to see her back in East Cork,” he said.
Proud locals acquired the vessel about 20 years ago, and tried but failed to mount a restoration project. The Nautical Trust stepped in later and did some restoration but cash for the work dried up.
Despite her illustrious past, the vessel was left to languish at a rarely used quay in Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock.
She was at serious risk of being scuttled until the committee threw her a lifeline.
Mr Sliney said her hull, made from double diagonal teak, is in relatively good condition, but her deck and superstructure are in poor shape.
But he said the committee is determined to complete as full a restoration as possible, with a massive fundraising drive now underway.
“We had enough raised to transport her to Cork, and to build the plinth. But the more money we get the better job we can do restoring her,” he said.
The committee hopes the project, as well as honouring the memory of the crew and the vessel, will also make the vessel an added attraction in Ballycotton.
It is hoped she will be installed on the plinth, close to the entrance to the village’s famous cliff walk, in about six weeks, with the restoration work occurring on site.
You can help the restoration project by donating here: www.themarystanford.com
The Barnett-class Mary Stanford was Ballycotton’s lifeboat from 1930 to 1959 and was called out on 41 ‘shouts’, saving 122 lives. The Daunt Lightship rescue on February 11, 1936, was her most famous mission. The crew and the vessel were all honoured for bravery.
Four days earlier, a south-eastern gale, with rain and snow, developed into a hurricane.
At 8am the next morning an SOS was received: the LV Comet, which had been on station at Daunt Rock, had broken from her moorings and was drifting.
Despite horrendous conditions, and without waiting for orders, coxswain Patsy Sliney launched the lifeboat.
He and his crew made several attempts to get a steel cable aboard the Comet, but huge waves forced the ships apart, snapping the cable.
When darkness fell, the lifeboat headed for Cobh to get stronger cables, and the exhausted crew rested for just three hours.
They returned to Daunt Rock early the next morning but thick fog prevented a rescue. That evening, the storm increased and Comet drifted to within 60 yards of Daunt Rock.
Despite mountainous waves, Sliney decided the only option was to try to get his vessel alongside the Comet in the hope the crew of the stricken vessel could jump for the lifeboat. After five attempts to come alongside, five of Comet’s crew had managed to jump to safety but two were stuck on board, too exhausted to jump.
The Mary Stanford came alongside for a sixth time, and the RNLI crew dragged the two men aboard. The survivors were landed at Cobh at 11pm before the lifeboat crew returned to Ballycotton. They had been away for 79 hours, and had only three hours sleep during the 63-hour rescue. They all suffered from cold, saltwater burns and hunger.
A gold bravery medal was awarded to coxswain Patsy 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.
The Mary Stanford was the first and only lifeboat in RNLI history to be awarded a gold medal for gallantry.
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