The General R Dudley Blake Lifeboat

Dudley

1909
Jan 21

Lifeboat Commissioned

Dudley Drawing

The General R Dudley Blake (2nd) Lifeboat was commissioned in 1909 for the RNLI for £892 pounds in the Thames Iron Works, Vistoria Dock Road, Canning Town, London, UK.

1935
Jan 01

Blackrock Lifeboat

Blackrock Lifeboat

For twenty six years the General R Dudley Blake served as a lifeboat in Blackrock Boathouse until 1935.

May 31

Lifeboat Station Closes

Lifeboat Station Closes

In 1935 the famous Blackrock station was shut down, motorboats at Newcastle, Co. Down and Clogherhead being deemed able to cope with casualties in Dundalk Bay and its approaches.

1938
Jan 01

To Limerick A Lady

Dudley Lifeboat

The lifeboat was moved to Limerick on 1938 where it took on a new life as a lobster boat.

1947
Jan 21

Fishing Tours

Fishing Tours

In 1947 the The General R Dudley Blake Lifeboat changed role to become a vessel for fishing tours and transfered to Howth under the ownership of the Cyril Doyle family and was renamed to the “St Therese”

1994
Jan 21

Blackrock Visit

Blackrock Visit

In 1994 the General R Dudley Blake made a brief return for a two day trip from Howth to its former home port of Blackrock where it received a huge welcome from the crowd onshore as part of a RNLI fundraiser.

2006
Jan 21

Decomissioned Days

Decomissioned Days

The lifeboat was decomissioned from being a ferry and pleasure vessle in 2006 where it was brought ashore in Kildare in 2006. It was later moved to seaside storage in Wexford in 2014 close to Loftus Hall.

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