Wexford's station history

A station was opened at Rosslare by the Institution in 1838 following a request from the Inspector General of Coastguards, the Corporation of Wexford granting £30 towards the expenses of establishment. The first lifeboat was one transferred from the Newcastle, Co Down Station, and she was replaced during the following year by a new one.

Early records are incomplete but apparently the station lapsed from some time after 1851 until 1858, when a small lifeboat was placed at Rosslare.

Following the wreck of the American emigrant ship Pomona in April 1859, with the loss of 386 out of the 409 people on board, a second larger lifeboat was stationed afloat in November of that year. The first of these stations was known as Rosslare Fort and the other as Wexford.

In 1866, both stations were known as Wexford, the afloat boat as No 1, the shore based boat No 2.

A station known as Rosslare Harbour was opened in 1896 and Wexford No 2 was closed in 1897.

The Rosslare Harbour station was closed in 1921, following the placing of a motor lifeboat with a permanent crew at Wexford (Rosslare Point). This was now the only station.

During December 1924 and January 1925, gales and very heavy seas overwhelmed the station and it was abandoned. It was eventually washed away.

Lifeboat station opened on 11 April 2002 when the D class lifeboat D-469 Winifred & Cyril Thorpe was placed on duty.

A new D class lifeboat Philip Robert Booth was placed on service on 12 July 2005. This lifeboat was funded by the legacy of Mr Philip Booth.

On 7 November, the Trustees formally agreed that Wexford is established as a D class station. A new ILB boathouse was completed in November at a cost of £552,000.