066-915 0530 || 
In 1809 the Government of the United Kingdom established a preventative Water Guard to operate in coastal waters to tackle any smugglers who had managed to evade the Revenue Cruisers. By 1816 a new shore based service, The Coast Blockade, was founded by the British Admiralty to support the existing forces. Services began to overlap each other, so in 1831 all were absorbed into the new Coastguard Service. Their varied tasks included prevention of smuggling - especially tobacco and spirits, immigration control, weather reports, wrecks, the keeping of fishery statistics, protection of rare wild birds, painting buoys and so forth.
Dingle Station
A Customs station and “Kings Store” existed in Dingle from the 18th Century as smuggling had become a major element of Kerry’s foreign trade in that era. By 1824 Dingle’s Customs force numbered 6 officials – a surveyor, a tidewater, a cockswain and 3 boatmen. Lord Ventry had obliged his tenantry to give up houses for the accommodation of the preventative crews and families. Dingle was the main station on the peninsula, the others being at Blennerville, Ventry, Brandon, Ballydavid, Ferriter’s Cove, The Blaskets and Minard, with a station also planned for Castlegregory.
Between 1840 and 1891 the Coastguards lived in Cooleen or Station Row in Dingle Town. It consisted of 6 houses, a watch house and signal pole. The house and wall plaque from 1840 can be seen there still. Beneath the house a long rowboat was kept for sea duties. Residential houses had gardens and wash sheds at the rear. At the close of th 19th Century Dingle Port became important in the exportation of fish, particularily mackerel and herring, for the British and American markets. Dingle Harbour Board and Commissioners were established, leading on to the building of Dingle lighthouse and the formation of the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway.
Shipping in the port increased. A Coastguard Company of 12 men was founded in 1880. This initiated the building of a new Coastguard Station, costing £122. 19. 0 in 1891. It was built by the Board of Trade on land either owned or leased by the Admiralty. A large building of eight 2 storied houses wityh gardens and wash sheds, flagstaff and rocket house was situated overlooking the harbor at Emlagh West. The rocket house still exists, in which a 4 wheeled horse drawn wagon named “The Rocket Car” was based. The Dingle Car was built in 1878 by the Bristol Carriage & Wagon Company.
Similar stations can still be seen in Waterville, Roundstone, Rosslare Strand, Cleggan, Morris Castle converted into holiday homes or flats.
The Coastguard men were an industrious bunch and had large gardens at the front of these houses. A wash building was situated at the rear of each, and “domestic fowl” were kept for eggs and meat. They were well liked by the local people, and their children attended school in Dingle. The road connecting the station to the town became known as “The Rocket Road”.
With the advent of World War One, most of the Coastguard men were called up for naval service in England. They left Dingle by train. The marines lived at the station during the War of Independence. After the truce of 1921 the building was left vacant but in the following Civil War it was burnt and looted by anti-treaty forces.
The Rocket house was spared this destruction. Under it’s new director, Tom Casement, the Dingle Station was re-established on the 5th December 1923., he being the brother of Roger, late of Banna strand and 1916.
The practice session or “drill” was held at the Rocket House four times yearly, as the ruin of the main building was sold off locally. The volunteer crew, totaling 15 men, were mostly all fishermen. These were descendents of earlier crews – Flannery, Moore, Brosnan, O’ Connor, Graham, Guiheen, Murphy, Flaherty …
In the 1960’s, the ruin was demolished and it’s bricks became the foundation for the Skellig Hotel. It’s remnants today consists of red brick pillars and slipway near the building
