The very good Howth, County Dublin May 1897 local fisherman’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver awarded to Thomas Rickard, who was from a family involved in the fishing industry in Howth. Rickard was awarded the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver for an incident on 11 May 1897, off the Nose of Howth when the Ringsend trawler Dodger sprang a leak and was taken in tow by the Howth hooker Storm King. The trawler began to sink immediately, so the hooker launched a boat with cousins Thomas Rickard and George Caulfield in it which took off the two-man crew. Fouled by the trawler’s boom, the boat was dragged partly down leaving the four men struggling in the water. They regained the boat and righted her, but she was capsized three times by rough seas. Rickard and Caulfield, who were both powerful swimmers, helped the other three men as they struggled in the water. The Howth hooker Maymaid now came up and launched a boat manned by Messrs McLauglan, Kelly and Rourke and saved all four men. The awards were voted to the rescuers on 9 July 1897, with all five men receiving the silver medal, the other recipients being John George Caulfield, Christy Kelly, James McLauglan and Edward Rourke. During the First World War Rickard was a survivor of an infamous German submarine attack on two Howth fishing boats that occurred some 10 miles east of Lambay Island on Saturday 30 March 1918.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver, Victoria bust with Dolphin suspension; (MR. THOMAS RICKARD VOTED 9TH. JULY 1897.)
Condition: Good Very Fine or better.
Provenance: Rickard’s medal, named ‘Mr Thomas Rickard, Voted 9 th July 1897’, initially formed part of the Edward H R Crofton collection, of Marlton House, Co Wicklow, sold at Glendinings, 20-21 July 1909, lot 343; it was subsequently in the D J Denham collection (LSARS Journal, 1992, 16: 87) and was later advertised for sale by A H Baldwin & Sons, London, April 1977, lot 183.
Thomas Rickard was born on 31 December 1875 in Howth, County Dublin, the son of fisherman Thomas Rickard and his wife Anne (née Caulfield). Thomas junior appears to have followed the
family tradition of going into the fishing industry in Howth.
Rickard was awarded the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal in Silver for an incident on 11 May 1897, off the Nose of Howth, County Dublin, when the Ringsend trawler Dodger sprang a leak and was taken in tow by the Howth hooker Storm King. The trawler began to sink immediately, so the hooker launched a boat with cousins Thomas Rickard and George Caulfield in it which took off the two-man crew. Fouled by the trawler’s boom, the boat was dragged partly down leaving the four men struggling in the water. They regained the boat and righted her, but she was capsized three times by rough seas. Rickard and Caulfield, who were both powerful swimmers, helped the other three men as they struggled in the water. The Howth hooker Maymaid now came up and launched a boat manned by Messrs McLauglan, Kelly and Rourke and saved all four men. The awards were voted to the rescuers on 9 July 1897 (see Lloyds Weekly Newsletter, Sunday 11 July 1897, p. 6), with awards being also made to John George Caulfield, Christy Kelly, James McLauglan and Edward Rourke.
Some further (and slightly differing) details are given by the Freeman’s Journal which records the events under the headlines ‘Serious Sailing Accident off Howth; A Narrow Escape of Ringsend Fishermen; Exciting Scene’. The article notes how: ‘Last evening in a strong northerly breeze, the trawler Gipsy, 5 tons, of Ringsend, when making for Howth Harbour, sprang a leak and began to fill in Balscadden Bay, about a mile from the shore. Her crew, consisting of two old Ringsend fishermen named Rowden and Edwards, showed signals of distress and the lugger Storm King, of Howth, bore down on her and threw a line aboard for the purpose of towing her in. They had scarcely done so when the Gipsy commenced to sink, and the crew of the Storm King launched her small boat in charge of two men named George Caulfield and Tom Rickard, but just as they got alongside the Gipsy her mainsail swung over on top of them capsizing their boat as the Gipsy sank in deep water. All four men were now struggling in the water, and fortunately another lugger, the Maymaid, came on the scene, and lowering her boat picked up the four men in a very exhausted condition. On being brought ashore they were carried into the East Pier Light-house and attended to by Dr Myles, of Howth. Subsequently Mr Costello had the men conveyed to his hotel, where every possible comfort was administered, and all are considered now out of danger. The Gipsy is totally lost, and also the Storm King’s boat, the latter drifting onto the cliff rocks’ (Wednesday 12 May 1897; cf. Belfast News-Letter, Thursday 13 May 1897, p. 5). On Saturday 31 July 1897 the chairman of the Howth lifeboat committee, S Smallbridge, JP, presented all five winners with their RNLI silver medals, together with framed certificates and £2 each, at a crowded public meeting at the Harbour Office on Howth’s West Pier. The captains of the Storm King and May Maid were both awarded £1 each and reimbursed for the damaged boat and the loss of George Caulfield’s sea boots (Freeman’s Journal, Monday 2 August 1897, p. 5).
He married Anne Farren (c.1888-1961) on 19 September 1908 in Howth, with whom he had several children including: Thomas (1908-1962), Annie and Christopher (1913-1978). During the First World War Rickard was a survivor of an infamous German submarine attack on two Howth fishing boats that occurred some 10 miles east of Lambay Island on Saturday 30 March 1918. The submarine first sank the 23 ton trawler Geraldine, its crew of five (skipper Joseph Rickard (38), Patrick Rourke (26), Christopher Farran (20), Joseph Gaffney (70), and boy Patrick Harford) being killed. The submarine then opened fire with its cannon at a range of about 100 yards at the 43 ton trawler St Michael, under skipper Joseph Harford. Also aboard were Thomas, James and Nicholas Rickard, Joseph Hanway, Patrick Caulfield, William Boyne, Edward Harford, John Moore, and two boys Thomas and Joseph Harford. Harford, the Rickards and the rest of the crew had to abandon ship as it was repeatedly hit and then sank.
Thomas Rickard, of 29 St Nessan’s Terrace, Howth, was elected a member of Howth Urban District Council on 11 March 1941. Thomas Rickard died from a coronary on 29 October 1956 at his home at 54 St Peter’s Terrace, Howth, his daughter Annie (who lived at the same address) registering his death. He was buried in the cemetery at Howth Abbey, his memorial there reading: ‘In loving memory of our dear parents Thomas Rickard, died 29th Oct 1956, age 83, Annie Rickard, died 21st Mar 1961, age 75. Also their son Christopher, died 25th Aug 1978,
