The 150th anniversary of a Dún Laoghaire lifeboat rescue where William Hutchison showed exceptional valour.
On 14 August 1829 the wooden brig The Duke sailed from Cumberland to Dublin with a full cargo of coal. It was driven ashore in an easterly gale at Sandycove.
She had on board five crew, three women and three children.
The alarm was raised. The lifeboat under coxswain William Hutchison, along with three coastguards and nine volunteers saved all eleven people from the wreck.
Honorary secretary of the Dún Laoghaire lifeboat John de Courcy describes the obstacles facing the lifeboat crew, that night,
It must have been an extraordinarily difficult job to do it required not only an enormous amount of courage but an immense amount of skill.
William Hutchinson was subsequently awarded the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) gold medal for valour, the first Irish lifeboatman to be honoured in this manner.
Current coxswain Eric Offer, himself a recipient of the RNLI bronze medal for bravery while saving life at sea, comments on the rescue that took place 150 years previously.
They must have been really fit men; I doubt if we'd have anyone to do it now.
Captain William Hutchinson's gold medal is displayed at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 August 1979. The reporter is Colm Connolly.
