H.M. Coastguard in Dunmore East

Based on research by David Carroll

HM Coastguard in Dunmore East

The Coastguard Service, as such, dates from January 1822, when several earlier anti-smuggling agencies were reformed and renamed as the HM Coastguard. This came two years before Sir William Hilary's vision for a service dedicated to saving lives at sea in 1824 with the formation of what was called Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, which we now know as the RNLI.

When the Irish Free State was founded in 1922, the HM Coastguard had become defunct in the twenty-six counties.

The primary objective of HM Coastguard was to prevent smuggling, but it was also responsible for giving assistance to shipwrecks.

The Coastguard ranks were:

1. Boatman

2. Commissioned Boatman

3. Chief Boatman

4. Chief Boatman-in-charge

5. Chief Officer

In 1856, the Royal Navy took over control of the Coastguard Service.

Smuggling was carried on extensively around the Irish coast, tobacco being the principal commodity involved. The coastguard has always had many duties, originally largely against smugglers, but gradually, rescue and other functions became more important.

Waterford was in the top three ports of the country and required a significant force to patrol the coast and the harbour entrance. The coastguard houses at Dunmore East and Ballymacaw still exist to this day.

The Coastguard Force was unique in that the families lived with the men in coastguard cottages or houses. They were never recruited from the district in which they served in order to reduce undue fraternisation with the community whom they effectively policed.

Local historian, James Doherty, an authority on Irish Smuggling, in a contribution to Waterford Harbour Tides and Tales, stated the following:

As a series of station houses and accommodation for the Coastguard was established, private houses were rented as a temporary measure. The only area along the coast where this rental caused difficulty was Ballymacaw, Co Waterford. The Inspector General of the newly established force, Sir James Dombrain noted that all available houses were owned by a local merchant with smuggling connections. In the same report, Dombrain stated that smuggling in this part of the coast was being carried on to an extent "that almost exceeded belief."

Apart from chasing smugglers, two Coastguard Officers based at Dunmore East and one in Ballymacaw were recipients of RNLI silver medals for gallantry:

Details are extracted from "Lifeboat Gallantry" edited by Barry Cox.
(Honorary Librarian, Royal National Lifeboat Institution.)

ROSS, RICHARD, Chief Boatman, Coastguard, Dunmore. Silver (2)
23 December 1835
On 24 November 1835, the brig Collins, Quebec to Liverpool, was wrecked near Dunmore Pier, Co. Waterford, Ireland. Mr Ross and five of his men launched a boat but were obliged to turn back by the violence of the weather. Getting on a rock abreast of the wreck, they succeeded in passing ropes on board by which the crew were hauled ashore one by one; the coastguards had other ropes fastened around their bodies. When the rope around the Master broke and he was swept away, one of the coastguards plunged in and saved him; nearly lifeless, both were hauled on to the rocks. A total of 11 men were saved.

This was the second silver medal received by Richard Ross. While stationed at Curracloe, Co Wexford in 1825, along with his colleagues, saved the lives of two of the crew of the 'Mary and Eliza', which was wrecked on passage from Bangor to Wexford. Four seamen were drowned.

STUART, THOMAS, Lt. Coastguard, Dunmore. Silver (2)
10 January 1838
On the night of the 19th.December 1837, in a westerly gale, the Cork sloop 'Edward' was seen at anchor, but at dusk she was been driven towards the rocks at Ballyman, near Dunmore. The coastguards showed lights from the shore from a gap between the rocks. The Master of the sloop cut the anchor adrift and ran the vessel towards the lights.

When the vessel struck, the three crewmen got on to the bowsprit and were saved by Lt. Stuart and his men. While saving the Master, Lt. Stuart was washed off the rocks, but he was caught by one of his men and was saved from drowning.

'Ballyman' maybe an old archaic name for part of the coastline. It is not in use in modern times. It could also have been transcribed in error, from original documents.

While stationed at Cushedon in Co Antrim in 1834, Lt Coastguard Stuart had been awarded his first silver medal for his part in saving a crew of six from a sloop "James", which went ashore.

FRENCH, CHARLES, Chief Officer, Coastguard, Ballymacaw. Silver Medal.
21 January 1841
On the 7th.December 1840 when the vessel 'Glencoe', Glasgow to Calcutta, was wrecked near Waterford, Mr. French, six coastguards and four local men placed themselves on nearby rocks with lifelines round their bodies. As the Master and his crew of twelve men dropped from the bowsprit and jib boom, they were dragged one at a time through the surf to safety.

Many of the coastguards originated from England and worshipped at St. Andrews Church and sent their children to the Parochial School, attached to the church.

A newspaper from 1863, tells us how the children of the school and the village celebrated the wedding of the Prince of Wales:

DUNMORE EAST
Her Majesty's loyal subjects at Dunmore East, did not fail to testify their love for the Royal Family, nor to exhibit their joy at the marriage of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, on Tuesday last. At six o'clock the children of the Parochial School assembled in the School-room, where they partook of a substantial tea, prepared for them by the Rector. Very hearty were the good wishes expressed and very loud were the cheers from every voice, when the Rector reminded them of the cause of the treat that evening. At seven o'clock the whole school sallied forth to see the illuminations in the village. Though the evening was wet, it was very dark, and the different lights were seen to great advantage. The first object of interest was the Police Barracks; besides presenting a brilliant appearance, it was prettily decorated with coloured plumes and mottoes. The Rector's house was one blaze of light. The houses of Mrs Young and Mr Mitchell were also illuminated. The long range of buildings belonging to the Coast Guards, looked remarkably well; every window was lighted, several blue lights and squibs, were let off, under the direction of the chief boatman, Mr Browne. The children returned at eight o'clock to the School-room and spent the rest of the evening in playing games. After singing a version of "God save the Queen", appropriate to the day, they separated, with three cheers for the Prince and Princess of Wales. (4)

Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark were married in St George's Chapel. Windsor on March 10, 1863, which gave rise to the celebrations on Dunmore East. The Prince was twenty-one and Alexandra was eighteen years old. The Prince had wanted the wedding to be a grand state occasion like previous royal marriages, but his mother, Queen Victoria, disagreed. The Queen, still mourning the death of her husband fifteen months earlier, insisted that it be a 'public' not a 'state' occasion.

If any of the children from 1863 were still living in Dunmore in 1889, and one suspects that many would have returned to England with their parents, they would have been able to watch Prince George, son of Albert Edward and Alexandra, as he arrived into Dunmore harbour as commander of one of a flotilla of six Royal Navy torpedo boats. This caused quite a stir on the village.

The Waterford Mirror described the event:

Amongst the first of officers to land was the Prince. He wore the ordinary uniform of a lieutenant of the Royal Navy, and, of course, was not then recognised. He was followed by the commander of the flotilla and several lieutenants, who walked through and spoke to the fishermen and others whom they met. On returning to the boats an order was given that all available men should have 'leave' until eleven o'clock. The blue jackets to the number of about a hundred immediately came ashore, and at once sought how the evening could be best enjoyed. Mr Patrick Harney's beautiful new hotel was first visited, and the bulk of the men remained there until the time arrived when their leave expired. They spent a jolly time of it, music both vocal and instrumental being freely brought into requisition. When darkness set in some of the men left in charge of the boats laid on the search light, which produced a sterling effect on the town. It was first directed to Mr Harney's house, and by its brilliant rays the number of seamen in each room, the blinds being up, was ascertained. Next it was laid on to 'the Island', where it was brought to bear on two 'jolly tars', who had managed on short notice to strike up an acquaintance with a pair of Dunmore lassies. Their discomfiture was quite palpable as they were 'shown up' to all who were in the neighbourhood of the dock.

The quartet were exhibited with the vividness of a scene thrown on a screen by aid of the lime light, all the surroundings being dark. The embarrassed victims of this clever joke tried to escape but it was no use. Every step they took they were followed by the powerful search light, until at last, in despair, they separated and found shelter from the intense and tell-tale rays of the light. In this way, those left on board found an easy method of amusing both themselves and the others who were fortunate enough to be allowed on shore. The officers and men were delighted with the beautiful scenery which Dunmore presented. It happened that none of them had ever seen it before and wen they took in all the varied and exquisite features of its surroundings they were quite entranced. His Royal Highness took occasion to remark to a gentleman who met him here that he never saw anything in Ireland equal to the beauty of Dunmore. He was enthusiastic in its praises, and paid a very high compliment to the neatness, cleanliness and ornamentation of the houses, both large and small. He was particularly, he said, to see such a wealth of flowers decorating even the humblest cottage and observed that it spoke well for the elevated tastes of the people. The commodore of the flotilla expressed a similar opinion and added that as they entered Dunmore Bay the picturesqueness of the view that met their eyes was incomparably beautiful. His Royal Highness, who is exceedingly affable and genial in his manner took occasion shortly after his arrival to call on Mr Patrick Harney, who is well known as one of the most enterprising and successful merchants and business men in the South of Ireland and being shown through the extensive and luxuriously furnished new hotel cordially congratulated that gentleman on his enterprise and good taste. His Royal Highness entered freely into conversation with Mr Harney on the state of Dunmore and the places of interest around it, and no one was perhaps better able to give the distinguished visitor more reliable information than the gentleman with whom he was conversing. (5)

A very sad event took place in January 1869, when five members of the Dunmore Coastguard lost their lives in the harbour while rowing a newly arrived boat from Arthurstown to Dunmore. It had been towed to Arthurstown on the previous day and the Coastguard members set out on the last leg, when disaster struck:

FATAL ACCIDENT IN WATERFORD HARBOUR

FIVE COASTGUARDSMEN DROWNED!
On Friday morning the Coastguards boat, with a crew of five men, left Arthurstown for Dunmore. The boat was a new one; she had come from London and been sent down from Waterford the previous evening in tow of the Tintern steamboat, for the Dunmore station. The severe gale from the SE prevented them going further than Arthurstown, where they hauled their boat up, and spent the night. Next morning about 10 o'clock they set out on their perilous, and, as the consequences proved, most fool-hardy voyage across the harbour. About eleven o'clock they were seen by the pilots about the distance of one nautical mile off Broom Hill, and in a tremendous pitching sea. The men in the pilot cutter saw the danger they were in, and bore down on them, at the same time making the towing gear ready to throw it to them. They had come almost alongside, when the coastguard crew sang-out they were all right, waved their hands in token of their safety, and patted their own boat's side. The pilot boat draws ten feet of water, and had they followed her in closer they would have grounded her and been themselves lost in the breakers. As it was, she missed her stays and they had to lower her mainsail before she would come off. It was at this instant, and under these circumstances -- a sea on that, in the words of an on-looker, "would throw down a house." They were obliged to run away before the wind, and before they had sailed one hundred and fifty yards, they were obliged to witness the loss of the boat and the five coastguards.

At the place named, a breast of Broom Hill, it is the peculiarity of a southerly gale to leave the sea at one moment glassy smooth- in fact, like a lake on a calm summer evening- and the next to be one succession of fearful yawning waves.
The boat at first turned partly over, and two of the men were thrown out into the sea. Scott (the coxswain), it seems then left the helm and took an oar to row the boat, with the two remaining, towards the drowning men. Again, the boat turned and this time clear over, pitching all three into the sea. The pilots would again gladly go to them; but seamen cannot do impossibilities, and they had to bear away. They say they saw one poor fellow hanging on to the boat's painter for a short time; no doubt he too was soon beyond all human assistance. The boat was affine strong boat, about 25 to 28 feet long, and of fair beam.
All now concur in the opinion that it was impossible for the boat, however, to get safely through the seas running, and that it was madness to try it on. The poor fellows paid a dear penalty, and, unfortunately, some of them have left large families unprovided for. Their names were as follows: - Scott, chief boatman; Rogers, Nash, Stewart, and Baldwin.
The pilots did all that men could do; but unfortunately, the coastguards fancied themselves safe, and deprived them of the fruits of their philanthropic intentions to save them.

FURTHER PARTICULARS
The pilot boat first saw the coastguards about half a mile off the County Wexford shore on the Templetown shoals: they were in comparatively smooth water, and the pilots went within two oars' lengths of them and tried to persuade them to take the tow rope, that they were in danger. They declined all assistance. Shortly after the two men in the coastguard boat fell out of her. It is thought they were trying to hold on the oars (they were the two lee-oarsmen) and the spring of the oars in the sea dragged them out.
Then it was that the pilot boat again tried to reach them, and the coastguards pulling, or attempting to pull, after these two men were singing out lustily for the help they had so confidently declined. It was no use now; the seas were too much for even the pilot boat, and though they were within a short distance, there was nothing for it but to put the Sea Gull's stern on to the seas, and to wear her round. Three or four dreadful seas struck her, and half-filled her with water; some of the crew ran below, and others had to spring into the rigging. She draws, in ballast, about ten feet of water, and just at this moment, in the hollow of the sea there was scarcely that draught. Had she even bumped once or twice she would become unmanageable; the rudder would be useless, so that the skipper (Fitzgerald) and crew had to look out, and bear away as best they could, or else lose their vessel and their own lives.
Nothing can now explain, the recklessness of the coast guards; they were trying the sea qualities of their new boat; going into the worst of the breakers, and putting shoulder on to, and cross the seas! Scott's (the chief boatman) body has been washed ashore below Duncannon. It is likely the other bodies will be soon found, there is such a great ground swell on. I forgot to say that the pilots, when they sighted the boat first, thought she must be the boat of a lost ship. They were surprised to see her in the position and bore down on her. She was a white painted sharp fore and aft boat, built in England as a lifeboat, for the coastguard service.
Nearly all the poor fellows have left large families. They were five stalwart men to look at.
It is in contemplation to open a subscription for the benefit of the bereaved. Rev Fr O'Donnell PP, was early and earnest in his attention at their houses, offering his kind sympathy and condolence; so was also the Rev Mr Owen, the parish minister. They are conjointly the promoters of the subscription list. They cannot receive too much praise.
On the pilot boat returning to Dunmore on Saturday the relatives, wives, and others of the lost coastguards ran wildly towards the dock and beach, clinging to the last sadly groundless idea that she had possibly saved some, at least of the boat's crew. It was a heart-rending finale.

MONDAY MORNING- Dunmore, Passage and the county Wexford side- Arthurstown, Ballyhack &c, have suffered severely from the overflow of the sea. Last night late, a French brig put into Passage; she had the full benefit of the gale, but had sea room enough, and gave the land a wide berth until the gale abated. The glass is again down for storms.

An inquest followed on and the conclusion was as follows:

*The jury returned the following verdict :- "That John Scott was found dead on the strand of Duncannon, Co. Waterford, on 30th January 1869; and that deceased lost his life by drowning through the accidental capsizing of a lifeboat in the river Suir, on the 29th January, while crossing from Arthurstown, Co. Wexford to Dunmore, Co. Waterford; and we are of opinion that deceased acted with bad judgement in proceeding to Dunmore, contrary to the advice of the officer in charge in Arthurstown, together with refusing the assistance of the pilot of the cutter 'Sea Gull' when offered; And we are also of opinion that the boat should not have gone out without being provided with lifebelts". (7)

The drowning tragedy caused widespread sympathy in the entire community and on February 26th, a list of subscribers to the Family Relief Fund, which raised a total of £25 0s 3d. was printed in a local newspaper:

The generosity of Nicholas Power of Faithlegg House is immediately seen. He was a man of great wealth. He contributed to many charities in Waterford and represented the county in parliament for twelve years. He built the church in Faithlegg, adding the steeple shortly before he died.

His eldest son, Patrick Joseph (P J), another subscriber, was living in Woodlands nearby but moved to Faithlegg in 1873, when Nicholas died. Patrick commissioned Samuel Roberts to alter and enlarge the house. His wife, Lady Olivia, had a passion for gardening and laid out the grounds at both houses.

Samuel King was father of Nannie Malcomson, who lived at Villa Marina in Dunmore and mother of Joseph. (More about the Malcolmsons can be read here:) The Malcomsons 

The vacant coastguard houses in Dunmore were burnt during the Civil War in July 1922. Happily, they were subsequently restored are still in use and form a pleasant part of the streetscape in the village. The life-saving equipment was also burned in the arson attack and this act was strongly criticised by Dr Hackett, Bishop of Waterford, preaching in the Cathedral in Waterford, a few weeks later. He condemned it as a blatant act of destruction by a reckless ruffian.

A Living Legacy: The RNLI in Modern Dunmore East

The echoes of the HM Coastguard’s heroics still resonate in Dunmore, but today, it is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) that stands as the torchbearer of maritime rescue. The same spirit that animated Richard Ross, Thomas Stuart, and Charles French—the courage to face storm-lashed seas, the resolve to save lives at all costs—lives on in the volunteers who man Dunmore’s RNLI lifeboat station.

Since its establishment, the RNLI has become a cornerstone of the community, revered not just for its lifesaving work but for its deep ties to Dunmore’s seafaring identity. The station’s lifeboat, often launched into the same treacherous waters where Coastguards once battled smugglers and storms, is a symbol of continuity. Locals speak with pride of the crews who train relentlessly, ready to answer the call in the dead of night or the height of a gale. Their modern equipment—advanced navigation systems, and thermal suits—belies the same unshakable ethos: "No one should die at sea."

The RNLI’s presence is woven into Dunmore’s daily life. Fundraising coffee mornings, and the annual Lifeboat Day attracts a huge responce, a testament to the village’s enduring gratitude. Even the old Coastguard cottages, now restored and repurposed, seem to nod approvingly at their successors.

Nowadays, the RNLI Lifeboat Station stands proudly on the quay in Dunmore East. The names of rescued sailors are still meticulously recorded, while photographs of coxswains and crew—along with awards for bravery—adorn its walls. These modern lifesavers are as revered as their predecessors, their orange suits replacing the navy wool of Coastguards like Ross and French. Their stories, once chronicled in newspaper columns, now unfold across social media and local lore, yet their heroism remains timeless.

As evening falls on the Harbour, the lifeboat rests in the dock, poised for the next emergency. The sea, ever unpredictable, remains unchanged. What has evolved is the community’s unwavering respect for those who guard it—a respect earned not by mandate, but by generations of sacrifice and service. The RNLI, like the Coastguard before it, has earned its place in Dunmore’s heart.

"Some traditions fade," observes a local fisherman, "but the lifeboat? That’s forever."

References:

(1)   Ardmore Memory and Story - The Sea.  6 The Coastguard Service by Siobhán Lincoln, Waterford County Museum

(2)   Waterford Harbour Tides and Tales Blog, Smuggling in the Suir Estuary 27/02/2017

(3)   Private notes on Dunmore East Schools, courtesy of John D Burke BGHS

(4)    The Waterford Mail, March 13, 1863

(5)   The Waterford Mirror, August 22,1889

(6)   The Munster Express, February 6, 1869

(7)   Waterford News, February 19, 1869

(8)   Waterford News, February 26, 1869

(9)    www. faithlegg.com