Just 3½ years later, having never been launched on service, the boat was relocated to Newcastle, County Down, in April 1930, and the Arklow station was closed.

[1] On 21 January 1854, Ireland suffered one of its largest maritime disasters of the period, when the RMS Tayleur, lost in fog with a misreading compass, ran aground on Lambay Island, located mid-way between Skerries and Howth, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) off the mainland.

The passenger ship, named after Charles Tayleur, founder of the Vulcan Foundry at Bank Quay, Warrington.

After initially hitting the rocks, the vessel was washed back into deeper water, and sank, with the estimated loss of 362 lives.

[3] In the 1854 October edition of 'The Lifeboat', it was announced that a 29-foot lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, based on Mr Peake's (self-righting) design, was ready to be transported to the station, along with her new carriage, built by Ransome and Sims of Ipswich, aboard the British and Irish Steam Packet Company vessel Foyle.

"The recent wrecks of the Tayleur and of the brig Agnes in this locality will probably be remembered by many of our readers as amongst those which have pointed it out as a desirable one for a life-boat station".

[7] On 1 February 1873, the Skerries lifeboat Admiral Mitchell (1859) was launched on a bitterly cold night, to the schooner Sarah of Runcorn.

The station was formally opened on Sunday May 1 1983 by John Boland, Minister for the Public Service in the Republic of Ireland.

Work began in April 1997 to construct a new boathouse for the Atlantic-class lifeboat and Talus MB-764 County launch tractor, which was completed in August 1997.