Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.—At 12.10 early on the morning of the 8th of November, 1956, a telephone message was received from the Dublin harbour office that a motor launch with three men on board needed help two hundred yards south of Poolbeg lighthouse.

At 1.5 the life-boat Dunleary II put out. There was a very rough sea, a fresh to moderate southerly gale was blowing, and the tide was flooding.

The life-boat went to the position, and with the help of the searchlight found the launch very close to the rocks.

The coxswain took the life-boat to between ten and twenty yards of the launch, but could not bring her closer because of the rocks. An attempt to float a breeches buoy on a line to the launch failed, and it was decided to use the Schermuly pistol. By this time it was necessary for the life-boat to make a turn to approach a second time, and while she was turning the launch was smashed against the Pool- beg lighthouse wall. A search was carried out for survivors over the area of a triangle formed by Poolbeg light- house wall, the no. 2 buoy and the North Bull lighthouse, but the life-boat found only a life-jacket. The search was abandoned at 3.45, and the life- boat returned to her moorings, arriving at 4.15. It was decided to carry out a further search in daylight. Two and a half hours later the life-boat put out again, and after searching for two hours and finding nothing returned to her moorings at 8.40. One of the men drowned was the harbour master of Dun Laoghaire, Captain R. S. Kearon, O.B.E., who had shortly before been appointed honorary secretary of the life-boat station.—Rewards, £25 11*..