Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland

The Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland was both an admiral's post and a naval formation of the Royal Navy. It was based at Queenstown, now Cobh, in Ireland from 1797 - 1919. The admiral's headquarters was at Admiralty House, Cobh.[1]

For the Second World War Command based in Liverpool, see Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches.
Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland
Queenstown harbour in 1871
Active1797–1922
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
Garrison/HQCobh (known as Queenstown between 1849 and 1922)

History
Admiralty House, Cobh, residence of the Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Station from 1886 to 1922

The French Revolutionary Wars led to Cobh, then usually known as Ballyvoloon or The Cove of Cork, being developed as a British naval port, and assigned an admiral. The first appointment of an "Admiral Commanding in Ireland" or "Commander-in-Chief, Cork" was in 1797.[2] The post remained unfilled between 1831 and 1843.[2] It was renamed "Commander-in-Chief, Queenstown" in 1849 following a visit by Queen Victoria during which she renamed the town of Cobh "Queenstown".[3]

The post became "Senior Officer on the Coast of Ireland" in 1876. The full title of the incumbent following the establishment of the post of Admiral Commanding, Coastguard and Reserves in 1903 was Senior Officer on the Coast of Ireland and Deputy to the Admiral Commanding Coastguard and Reserves for Coastguard Duty in Ireland.[4]

In July 1915, not without misgivings in some quarters, Vice-Admiral Lewis Bayly was appointed to the post.[5] Bayly was tasked with keeping the approaches to Britain safe from U-boat attacks. In 1917, Bayly, promoted to admiral and given the title Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland, was given command of a mixed British-American force defending the Western Approaches. He took as his chief-of-staff the American captain Joel R. P. Pringle. Bayly had a good working relation with his U.S. counterpart William Sims. He held this post until 1919.

The post became "Commander in Chief, Western Approaches" in 1919, and was disestablished at the end of the Irish War of Independence in 1922. That year the town reverted back to the name Cobh. The Royal Navy continued to station ships in Ireland, in accordance with the Anglo-Irish Treaty until 1938.[2] After Ireland’s independence, the Royal Navy presence generally consisted of two destroyers, with one usually anchored in the Cobh roadstead, opposite Haulbowline, and another either on roving patrol, or moored at Berehaven. These 'guard ships' were withdrawn and the harbour forts (probably including Fort Westmoreland, Fort Carlisle, and Fort Camden (Crosshaven[6][7]) were handed over to the Irish Government in 1938.

Commanders

Commanders included:[8]

Commander-in-Chief, Cork

Commander-in-Chief on the coast of Ireland

The post remained unfilled between 1831 and 1843

Commander-in-Chief, Cobh

Commander-in-Chief, Queenstown

Senior Officer on the Coast of Ireland

Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland
  • Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly (1915-1919) (title changed from Senior Officer, Coast of Ireland, to Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland on 4 June 1917)[11]

Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches

References
  1. Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. Routledge. p. 359. ISBN 978-1857284980.
  2. "The Royal Navy in Cork, Ireland". Cork Ship Wrecks. Archived from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  3. "Historic Cobh". Ask about Ireland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  4. "Coast of Ireland". Dreadnought Project. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  5. Massie, Robert K. (2003). Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. Random House. ISBN 0-679-45671-6.
  6. Paul M. Kerrigan (1995). Castles and fortifications in Ireland, 1485–1945. Collins Press. pp. 136 & 193. ISBN 1898256128.
  7. "Notes on the History of Haulbowline". The Irish Sword. Military History Society of Ireland. VII: 30. 1965.
  8. "Senior Royal Navy appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2014.. Amend made from Dreadnought Project to Sir Lewis Bayly
  9. The Gentleman's Magazine 1839, p 657-8, accessed 28 October 2007
  10. Harrison, Simon. "Commander-in-Chief at Cobh". threedecks.org. S. Harrison, 2010-2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  11. Dreadnought Project - ADM 196/38 f. 84
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