AT 7.15 on the evening of the 26th of November, 1954, the honorary secretary of the Valentia (Co. Kerry) life-boat station, Mr. Kieran O'Driscoll, was informed by Valentia Radio that the motor trawler Ros Airgead was aground on White Horse Rocks, south of Cahirciveen River, and needed help urgently. The maroons were fired at 7.20, and at 7.30 a full crew mustered at the life-boat store.

A whole gale was blowing from the north-west, with heavy squalls. The sea was rough and it was very dark.

The tide was half ebb. The Valentia life-boat, A.E.D., which is moored in the harbour, is normally reached either by the Institution's pulling boat or by a motor boat which is hired. Conditions were such that the owner of the motor boat would not allow it to be used that evening, and the crew went out in the pulling boat.

Blown Back Ashore They made four separate attempts to reach the life-boat. Three times they came within twenty yards and were blown back ashore, but at the fourth attempt they succeeded, and at 9.30 the life-boat put out.

The life-boat reached the White Horse Rocks at ten o'clock and began to search, but at 1.27 Valentia Radio reported that the Ros Airgead was in Lough Kay.

The life-boat found the trawler at eleven o'clock aground on a sandy bottom on a dead lee shore. It was not possible to bring the life-boat near enough to fire a line across, but the crew of the trawler were in no immediate danger as it was low water.

At 1.30 early on the morning of the 27th the life-boat returned to harbour and picked up a 40-gallon drum. On reaching the trawler she anchored and veered the drum down on 60 fathoms of line. The line was secured by the trawler's crew, who passed a rope back to the life-boat.

Line Fast to Trawler Some two hours later the fishing boat Ros Muc also got a line fast to the trawler, but the two boats together failed to float her. The coxswain of the life-boat, Jeremiah O'Connell. laid out two anchors to prevent the Hot, Airgead from being driven further ashore, and the lifeboat stood by until with the ebbing tide the trawler's crew were again out of danger.

The trawler's crew came ashore at low water and landed some gear and ballast and then returned to their ship.

The life-boat had gone out to the trawler again, reaching her at two o'clock in the afternoon, and at six o'clock, with a strong gale blowing from the south-west and in a rough sea, the life-boat and the Ros Muc succeeded in towing the Ros Airgead clear.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Coxswain Jeremiah O'Connell.

Scale rewards to the crew and helpers, £45 4s..