Station History
Queenstown Lifeboat Station was established by the Institution in 1866 following several wrecks with loss of life off Cork Harbour. The opening of the station is described in the Lifeboat Journal for July 1867. With one Silver Medal service and a long service to the wreck of the "Lusitania", the station was closed in 1920. The old station and slipway can still be seen today, where it is used as a base by 4th Cork (Cobh) Sea Scouts near Port Operations.
However, the first record of a lifeboat in Cork Harbour was as far back as 1825, one year after the founding of the Institution. A boat was built in Passage West and sailed to Liverpool in an unsuccessful attempt to get the Institution to adopt the design.
Since the closure of Queenstown, many attempts had been made by individuals to site a lifeboat in the harbour. However, in May 1998, a local community group (comprising of a cross-section of water users) formed to approach the RNLI. The timing coincided with the Institution's own review of the coastline. Based on the level of activity in the area, the availability of crew and temporary facilities, a decision was taken to place an Atlantic 21 on evaluation for 12 months beginning April 2000. The station was declared fully operational in June 2001. The rest of the story of Crosshaven Lifeboat is told elsewhere on this website. This page summarises the history of Queenstown (now Cobh) Lifeboat Station.
| Year |
Details |
| 1861 | Lt. Thomas Goss RN & John Starke (both Coastguard) awarded Silver Medals in acknowledgement of their gallant and persevering exertions in rescuing at great risk, by means of the rocket apparatus, 12 out of 13 of the crew of the Austrian Brig "Vredon" which had been driven ashore on 12 January. |
| 1866 | Lifeboat house constructed at a cost of £218 on site granted by War Department. |
| 1874 | Lifeboat house rebuilt on new site for £423. |
| 1878 | Silver medal awarded to Gunner H. Stevens, who swam twice to the Brigantine "Princess Royal" of Cardigan on December 24 in an attempt to establish communication. The lifeboat failed to reach the wreck and all five crew were drowned. |
| 1890 | A second, larger, lifeboat sent to station to be kept afloat. |
| 1891 | No. 2 lifeboat broke adrift from her moorings in a heavy gale on 18 October and, in spite of the efforts of the crew, she was driven against the sea wall and severely damaged. One man was thrown out between boat and wall and was injured. |
| 1899 | No. 1 Station closed. |
| 1915 | May 7 No. 2 lifeboat attends the wreck of the Lusitania, torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale. |
| 1920 | Station closed. Committee of Management voted Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and a silver inkstand to Captain George Usborne on the closing of the station for his services as Station Honorary Secretary for nearly 40 years. |
| Name |
Period |
| F Elliot | 1886-1903 |
| J McCarthy | 1903-1906 |
| C O'Sullivan | 1906-1908 |
| J Gill | 1908-1920 |
| O.N. |
Lifeboat |
Donor |
Period |
No. Launches |
Lives Saved |
Cost |
| 302 (No. 1 station) | Quiver No. 2 | Gift of "Quiver" Magazine Lifeboat Fund 34' 10-oared self righter | 1866-1899 | 15 | 13 | £303 |
| 272 (No. 2 station) | Endeavour | Legacy of Miss Ann Ball of London | 1890-1901 | 6 | - | £667 |
| 457 (No. 2 station) | James Stevens No. 20 | Legacy of James Stevens of Birmingham (one of 20 lifeboats) | 1901-1920 | 6 | - | £1,739 |
