This he achieved through notable acts of extraordinary courage and a succession of sea-fights which made him a celebrated hero, almost without equal,[4][5] and he would later dine with both Nelson[4] and Napoleon.

[17] On 26 January 1796 the Dutton, which was transporting troops to the West Indies, ran aground under the citadel in Plymouth with almost 500 men, women and children still on board.

"Soon after Sir Edward reached the wreck, a small boat belonging to an Irish brig came to alongside, with two persons who greatly assisted him in this work of benevolence.

[20] After spending three years on a merchant ship, Coghlan was persuaded to join Sir Edward Pellew on HMS Indefatigable as a midshipman.

This "added to the British Navy an officer almost unrivaled in heroic exploits - no less a character than Captain Jeremiah Coghlan" [5] In the spring of 1799 he moved with Edward Pellew to HMS Impetueux.

While on these ships he distinguished himself on numerous occasions with his gallantry on boat services and he also saved the lives of several of their crew members who had accidentally fallen overboard.

[18] As a reward for this gallantry Pellew persuaded Admiral Lord St Vincent to give him command of the cutter Viper as acting lieutenant.

"I Did not think the Enterprize of Sir Edward Hamilton or of Captain Campbell could have been rivalled until I read the enclosed Letter from Sir Edward Pellew, relating the desperate Service performed by acting Lieutenant Coghlan, of the Viper Cutter..., which has filled me with pride and admiration"On 29 July 1800,[21] acting Lieutenant Jeremiah Coghlan was in command of the 14-gun cutter Viper, attached to Sir Edward Pellew's squadron, when he led a famous cutting out[notes 2] expedition,[22] during a blockade of Port Louis, on the South Coast of Brittany.

He persuaded Edward Pellew[23] to lend him a 10-oared cutter and 12 volunteers[21] from Impetueux and with boats also from HMS Amethyst and Viper, the Irish fire-eater[24] planned to launch a night raid on some of the gun-boats and vessels which were guarding the entrance to the harbour.

On Friday 20 March 1805, Coghlan was in command of HMS Renard and her complement of 90 men, off the north coast of San Domingo.

Legend has it that Monsieur Pointe, on seeing the inferior size of Renard, called for her to strike, and Captain Coghlan took up his trumpet and replied "Aye!

"...every possible Exertion was now made to get the only Boat that could swim to the Relief of the few Brave, but unfortunate Survivors.... who were now seen all around us, on the scattered remnants of the Wreck, in a mangled and truly distressing state.

"[33] In August 1813 Captain Thomas Ussher on HMS Undaunted discovered a number of vessels lying in the mole at Cassis, in the south of France.

This enabled HMS Redwing under Captain Sir John Sinclair to enter the mole and capture three gun boats and 24 merchant settees and tartans.

[36] The success of the venture was in large part owed to the gallantry of Coghlan and the marines under his command, as was later highlighted in Ussher's letter to Sir Edward Pellew.

On board were Napoleon's mother, his brother Jérôme, his sister Pauline and Murat's children together "with all the crown jewels, much public treasure, the pictures and other costly moveables of the palace.

Under the authority of Captain Campbell[39] and after threatening to bombard the city, Coghlan helped to negotiate the treaty, signed on 13 May 1815,[40] which enabled them to gain possession of all the ships and the naval arsenal in the Port of Naples - including Joachim and Capri.

Coghlan installed himself in the Castle of St Elmo,[43] and united with the civic guard to keep order until the arrival of Prince Leopold on the 23rd.