‘On the crew today we have direct descendants'

In 1914, nine Fethard volunteers lost their lives whilst saving others. Current Helm Eoin Bird on the family members who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Selfless. Dependable. Trustworthy. Courageous. These are the values that RNLI crew members live by. And they were perhaps never more in evidence than in February 1914, when, in a vicious storm, Fethard volunteers went to the aid of the schooner, Mexico. What followed was an epic 3-day ordeal.

Present-day Fethard crew member Eoin Bird tells the story of what happened to the crew of the lifeboat, Helen Blake, shining a light on a disaster that remains one of the most tragic and courageous in RNLI history.