CROSSHAVEN COAST GUARD STATION
Image ©2024 crosshaven.net

The Crosshaven Coast Guard station is located behind the Crosshaven Garda Station, directly opposite the Royal Cork Yacht Club main entrance gate. This new €1.6 million OPW funded state-of-the-art Coast Guard station was opened by local TD, Minister Simon Coveney, in April 2013.

This station replaced a one room shed building, known as the Rocket House, from where the Crosshaven Unit of the Costal Rescue Service had been operating since 1888. After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, when the 26 counties gained independence from British occupation, this building was transferred from the British Admiralty to Saorstát Éireann and to the Irish Coastguard.

The Officer in Charge of Crosshaven Coastguard at the time of the opening of the new station in 2013 was Vincent Farr. The new building was designed by architect, Deirdre Wolahan of the Office of Public Works.

The Irish Coast Guard is a uniformed service comprising of 80 fulltime staff and 1,000 volunteers. It primarily provides a search and rescue service; When required it is responsible for tasking Lifeboat stations to assist in search and rescue operations. The emergency number to call for Coast Guard assistance is 112. Unlike some other jurisdictions the Irish Coastguard Service is not a law enforcement agency nor a military organisation. Those functions are the responsibility of the IRISH NAVY.

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SAORSTÁT ÉIREANN - THE CROSSHAVEN ROCKET CART
Recorded on the pier in Crosshaven
Sunday 15 June 2008

In 1801 about 10,000 sailors died at sea that year, most within a few hundred meters of the shore, as there was no way of getting a safety line to the ship. Something had to be done to prevent this needless loss of life. This video describes a method used to rescue stranded sailors by using a rocket to fire a line to a ship. It was known as the Breeches Buoy rescue method.

The cart and equipment illustrated in this video was stationed at Crosshaven, County Cork until 1998. The Breeches Buoy rescue method remained in use by the Coast Guard in Ireland for over 150 years until it was officially withdrawn from service in 2003.
Sharp eyed viewers will spot the spelling mistake on the cart!

Video Duration 24'56"   -   Video copyright specialday.tv

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NOTE: The following document contains a list of the Irish Coast Guard VHF working channels
and ALSO a Guide to Transmitting VHF Distress Alerts and Mayday Voice Calls.
Please download and keep onboard.
Click HERE to download Marine Notice N° 61 of 2020