FOUR RNLI CREW members who died at Christmas time 200 years ago while on service have been remembered during a ceremony in south Co Dublin today.

On 28 December 1821, a lifeboat was swamped while responding to a call and all 14 crew members on board were washed out of the lifeboat, with four people losing their lives: Hugh Byrne, Thomas Fitzsimons, John Archbold and Thomas Grimes. 

The crew members were remembered at an annual ceremony that is held at Dún Laoghaire every year to remember 15 lifeboat members who died on service 126 years ago.

On Christmas Eve in 1895, the number two lifeboat was capsized in gale force winds while proceeding to the assistance of the SS Palme of Finland that had run aground off Blackrock. All 15 crew members onboard drowned.

The short service was held this afternoon at the end of Dún Laoghaire’s picturesque East Pier, and also commemorated all lives lost on Ireland’s coasts and inland waters in 2021.

Dún Laoghaire RNLI is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1803 and a lifeboat was based at nearby Sandycove as one of several local stations.

The RNLI traditionally hold this annual ceremony at the East Pier lighthouse as part of a long-standing custom to acknowledge the sacrifice of their colleagues in carrying out their duty.

Today's ceremony at the East Pier. RNLI RNLI

During the ceremony, wreaths were placed by the lifeboat crew at sea off the East Pier in memory of all lives lost at sea. A joint guard of honour provided by representatives from the Dún Laoghaire’s Coast Guard Unit and Civil Defence was also present.

Musician William Byrne performed ‘The Ballad of the Palme’, and RTÉ sports broadcaster Des Cahill read a newspaper account of the disaster, which was published at the time.

As the ceremony came to a close, the RNLI team was called out to rescue a dog that had fallen from the West Pier at Coal Harbour. After racing to the scene, they retrieved the dog from the water and reunited it with its owner.