When English Rose HI, rowed by Capt. John Ridgway (20) and Sergeant Chay Blyth (20), was sighted off the North Aran light house on 3rd September, 1966, at the end of its epic 92 day 3,000 mile voyage from Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A., the Galway Bay reserve life-boat John R. Webb was the first vessel to greet the rowers as they prepared to make landfall.

The two rowers, whose approach had alerted the life-boat service along the southern part of Ireland, were not expected, however, to make landfall in the Galway Bay area.

English Rose III was first sighted just before 4.15 p.m. by the North Aran lighthouse who reported that a rowing boat containing two men was about 150 yards off the small island on which the lighthouse stands. Heavy rain and thick mist prevented the three lighthouse keepers from keeping the boat in view. The boat therefore was in grave danger owing to the extremely bad weather conditions (the wind was force seven to eight) and the rocky coast without any landing place on the north side of the island.

At 4.45 p.m. the Galway Bay reserve life-boat set out, and at 6 o'clock she came up with the rowing boat - the internationally famous English Rose HI carrying the two intrepid Atlantic travellers.

'STEPPED JOYOUSLY ASHORE' Father Joseph McNamara, honorary secretary of the Galway Bay life-boat, who was the first to greet the Atlantic rowers when they stepped ashore at Kilronan, reports: 'Apparently they had been blown off their intended course to England. They came aboard the life-boat which took in tow their 22-foot boat.

The journey to Kilronan pier was difficult because of the heavy seas but they arrived there at 7.40 p.m. and stepped joyously ashore where they were greeted by a large crowd who had gathered despite a heavy rain storm blowing at the time.' Although later that month the six life-boatmen involved in the escorting the English Rose HI to safety were invited, with all expenses paid, to a special celebration at the Kensington Gardens Hotel, London, only two of them-Coxswain Coleman Hernon and his bowman, Mr. Brian Fitzpatrick - were able to make the journey.

The Cork Examiner said of the historic voyage: 'In these days of affluence and easy living, and under conditions which cause our elders to state frequently that the younger people of today are not as hardy as they used to be, it is good, occasionally, to see somebody point out in a very dramatic way that this is not so - that the human race can still be as tough and as brave as it ever was'..