Ballycotton RNLI member shares remarkable lifeboat link with Prince Edward

Áine Flynn showed Prince Edward a photograph of her great grandfather meeting the duke’s father in Westminster in 1936 just months after he and his lifeboat crewmates had been decorated for bravery following their heroic Daunt Rock rescue

Áine Flynn, centre, in Westminster Abbey at the RNLI's thanksgiving service.

An Irish RNLI volunteer whose family is steeped in lifeboat lore has spoken of her pride after sharing with the Duke of Kent her heroic great-grandfather’s remarkable lifeboat link to his father.

Áine Flynn, 33, a volunteer crew member on the Ballycotton lifeboat in Cork, played a key role at a special service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London at the weekend, carrying a candle up the aisle during the event to celebrate the RNLI’s 200 years of saving lives at sea.

She was among a select group that met Prince Edward, Duke of Kent beforehand and she showed him a treasured photograph of her great grandfather, Thomas Flavin Walsh, meeting the duke’s father in Westminster in 1936 just months after he and his lifeboat crewmates had been decorated for bravery following their heroic Daunt Rock rescue — widely regarded as one of the most demanding lifeboat rescues ever undertaken.

“I was at the end of the line of people the duke was greeting and he asked me where I was from,” Áine said.

“I said I was from Ballycotton in Cork, and then the RNLI’s chief executive, Mark Dowie, told him that my great-grandfather was in Westminster in 1936 and met his father.

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Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats outside Westminster Abbey in London. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

“I then showed him the photograph of his father meeting my great-grandfather and he said he was very touched by that, and he thanked me for showing him the photograph.” 

She was told the next day that the duke mentioned the image again later that evening and said she is now making arrangements to send him a copy.

Mr Flavin Walsh was a member of the Ballycotton lifeboat crew which launched their vessel, the Mary Stanford, on February 7, 1936, and endured 49 hours at sea, 25 hours without food, and only three hours sleep to save the lives of eight men onboard the drifting lightship, The Comet.

The lifeboat crew returned from their marathon rescue mission hungry and all suffering from cold and salt burns. 

They and their vessel were decorated for their heroism.

The Mary Stanford, which is on proud display in Ballycotton village, is the only lifeboat vessel in RNLI history to be decorated for bravery.

Members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) await the start of a service of thanksgiving to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI, at Westminster Abbey in London. Picture: Adrian Dennis/PA Wire

Just months after the daring rescue, Mr Flavin Walsh and his crewmates were invited to Westminster where they met the then Duke of Kent, Prince George, who personally congratulated them all for their bravery.

The duke spent time chatting to Mr Flavin Walsh and admiring his First World War merchant naval service medals — a moment captured by a photographer.

It was this image which so moved the duke on Monday. His father died a few years later.

But the moment was tinged with sadness too, Áine admitted.

The Duke of Kent meets Ballycotton RNLI crew member Thomas Flavin Walsh, and his crewmates who were involved in the daring Daunt Rock Rescue in 1936 — widely regarded as one of the most demanding rescues ever undertaken.

“It was a massive honour to be chosen to attend the service, and to carry a candle up the aisle as part of the event,” she said.

“I have always been so proud of my great grandfather. 

"But his daughter, my grandmother, Kathleen Flynn, passed away just before Christmas. 

"She would have been very proud of what happened on Monday. 

"My family has always been involved in the RNLI. My father, Liam, uncles, Bernard and Nicholas Flynn are crew, and Nicholas is also a launch authority.

“Since I was a child, I’ve always been helping out or been involved in fundraising. We learned the Phil Coulter song, 'Home from the Sea', when we were in school. 

"The last verse is about Ballycotton, and it was written in the village. 

Áine Flynn, Nelly Gallichan senior beach lifeguard at Jersey Channel Islands, and Jen Payne from Penarth South Wales with an RNLI lifeboat outside Westminster Abbey. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

"I went to university in the UK, and then worked in Dublin but always said if I came home, I would volunteer with the RNLI.” 

She praised the charity for its training, and also thanked her employers, US software company, Cloudera, for giving her the flexibility to be able to drop everything if her pager goes off.

The RNLI operates 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, including four on inland waters. 

It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes. 

Its most recent all weather lifeboat, The Shannon, was named after the Irish river, in recognition of generations of Irish lifeboat crew. 

The first RNLI lifeboat station in Ireland was established in Arklow in 1826.