Coxswain Edward Byrne was a sailor and was on the

THE "LYNBURN" RESCUE (SAVED 3) 14 RESCUED IN 3 MISSIONS

Coxswain Edward Byrne was a sailor and was on the "GREAT EASTERN" with Robert Halpin when the first trans-Atlantic cable was laid. After his retirement from sea he took up fishing, and his boat "ELECTRIC"tended the North Arklow Lightship.
As an old man, Edward Byrne often recalled one of the most hazardous rescue missions in the station's history. It took place during the First World War, on Wednesday afternoon, August 29th, 1917. The Steamship "LYNBURN" of Workington, bound from Cork to Whitehaven with a cargo of timber, struck a mine near the North Arklow Light Vessel.
She sank in under four minutes. The crew took to the water, having insufficient time to launch the ship's boat.

Word of the disaster reached Wicklow and at 3.15 p.m. the lifeboat Robert T. Garden IV was launched.

When they arrived at the reported position, they found no wreckage or trace of the ship. Despite the risk of striking a mine the Coxswain decided to search within the mine field.

At 5.30 p.m. they came upon a great quantity of wreckage drifting northeast of the light-ship. Amidst this, three men clung to a small timber raft, the Captain, Mate and Engineer. They
appeared to be the only survivors, eight others had perished.The men were taken into the lifeboat and when the Coxswain had satisfied himself that there were no more survivors, they returned to Wicklow. A moderate north-east gale was blowing at the time
and heavy seas prevailed.
A large crowd had gathered to greet the returning lifeboat and
crew, who were praised for their swift response.
LIFEBOAT CREW Edward Byrne (Cox.); John Davis (B.M.);
Robert Lees (M.M.).
CREW Thos. Byrne, Joseph Kavanagh, Thomas Lawless. John
Lawless, William Goodman, William Gregg, Patrick Foulkes,
William Wall.
Shortly afterwards fhe following letter was received by Mr. Lees, from Morfre, Wales.

"Dear Brethren,
In the crowded meeting which was held in the Congregational
Chapel in this place, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to you all
for your courage, pluck and devotion to duty, when trying to save
the crew of the "SS LYNBURN" on August 29th. You have
succeeded in rescuing three lives, two of whom (the Captain and Mate),
are natives of this village and members of this Church.
The two are continually praising your courage and kindness,
stating that you continued searching (after taking them to the
boat) for more of the shipwrecked crew, until the Captain of the
"SS LYNBURN" persuaded you to give up. These villagers
should like to meet you all.
And I personally thank you all,
Yours Respectfully,"
(Rev.) H. R. Cadwallader.

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14 RESCUED IN THREE MISSIONS

Shortly before 1.00 A.M. on friday March 6th.,1908, it was reported to Mr.Robert Lees that a vessel anchored about a mile to the north of the harbour was showing signs of distress signals.

A strong south-east gale was blowing at the time with driving torrential rain and very rough seas.

The vessel was the three masted schooner “J. H. BARROW” of Lancaster, under Captain Wall. She was on passage to Dublin to discharge her cargo of coal. The schooner had anchored off Wicklow at 10.00 a.m. the previous day, to shelter from the storm.

With great promptness, the lifeboat crew was mustered and the

“ROBERT THEOPHILUS GARDEN Ill’ lifeboat was soon under way.

Coxswain Mark Byrne, under very difficult conditions, managed to get alongside, with the ‘J. H. BARROW” rolling heavily, and took the crew of four on board. Barely an hour after the launch the men were landed safely.

At 9.20 am., that same morning, the lifeboat was again launched to aid a vessel in difficulties off Wicklow Head. The gale strengthened and backed around to north-west.

While attempting to clear the harbour, the lifeboat was driven by the strong gale against the pier, where she sustained damage to her stem. Undeterred by the incident, the Coxswain tried again and managed to slip through.

The distressed vessel lay off Ballincarrig; she was the Schooner”ARRON BELLE” of Aberystwyth. Fully laden with a cargo of coal, she was bound for Dublin from Swansea. During the previous few hours, the “ARRON BELLE” had suffered considerable storm damage, and had been blown off course towards the Wicklow coast. All her sail gear had been carried away together with part of her bulwarks

On reaching the vessel, the Coxswain guided her, by signals, into calmer water where four of the lifeboat crew were put on board to help the ship’s crew. At the request of the Captain, the lifeboat crew took charge of the ship. Immediately they set about assembling a temporary rig to sail the vessel to Arklow Bay; and arrived there at 1 .00 p.m. The lifeboat was then brought into Arklow harbour, leaving four of her crew on the vessel.

At approximately 5.15 p.m., the weather, which had moderated somewhat, again deteriorated so that the men remaining on the “ARRON BELLE” once more summoned the lifeboat to their assistance.

The lifeboat left Arkiow harbour and went to the schooner. The men were very anxious to abandon her as she was by that time taking water at an alarming rate.

All on board were taken into the lifeboat. This operation was made more perilous by the fact that the seventy five year old Captain had been injured during the storm.

The men were safely landed at Arklow. The lifeboat remained overnight and returned to Wicklow on the following day. The “ARRON BELLE” was later brought into Arklow.

The damage to the lifeboat was repaired temporarily and the permanent repairs were carried out the following May.

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