Photo Gallery

A lifeboat station was first established at Valentia in 1864. A lifeboat house was built at Reenard Point. In 1869 the lifeboat house was moved onto Valentia Island. This lifeboat house was until 1896 when the station was closed. In the previous 32 years the lifeboat had launched on service 32 times. Between 1939 and 1945 an auxiliary rescue boat was placed at Valentia during World War 2. It was used to help aircraft crews forced down by bad weather, engine failure or injury as they flew in from the Atlantic. In 1946 the station was re-established with a Watson class lifeboat moored off Knightstown. The station received it's first fast lifeboat in 1983 when Arun class ON.1082 'Margaret Frances Love' took up service. A new station house was built in 1995. The new station provided much improved facilities including housing for the stations boarding boat.