A celebrated Life Saving pair awarded to Mr. John Whelan, for the attempted rescue of two men from the sewers at Burgh Quay, Dublin on 6 May 1905

Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (unsuccessful) (John Whelan. May 6. 1905), lacking integral riband buckle; Order of St. John Lifesaving Medal, 2nd type, bronze (Presented to John Whelan, 5th July 1905) this last with slight edge bruising, very fine (2) £500-700

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008.

R.H.S. Case no. 33,869: ‘On the 6th May 1905, John Fleming, in the course of his employment, went down a sewer at Dublin, when he was overcome by foul gas. Patrick Sheahan, P.C., went down to try and rescue him, but was also overcome. At great risk, Colman, Rochford, Fitzpatrick, Meier, Murphy, Lambert, Stuart, Whelan, O’Hara, Rush, Kelly, Blake and Jennings went down and attempted to save the two men, but were unsuccessful’.

Order of St John Life Saving Medal: ‘For great bravery displayed at Burgh Quay, Dublin, on 6 May 1905. A man named Fleming descended a sewer to examine a leakage and was overcome by the foul gas. A fellow workman, John Coleman, observed Fleming fall below and immediately went to his assistance. Thomas Rochford, Constable Sheahan and Kiernan Fitzpatrick concluded something was wrong and each descended in turn without the slightest hesitation to endeavour to rescue Fleming and Coleman. The remainder of the above mentioned men followed at intervals notwithstanding the extreme danger and difficulty. After all the men had been brought to the surface it was found that John Fleming and Constable Sheahan were dead and all the other men suffered greatly from the effects of their gallant efforts, the foul and irritating atmosphere necessitating immediate medical treatment. Dr. J. A. Mexall rendered medical assistance to those involved.’

For their services, the above 13 men were each awarded the R.H.S. Medal in Bronze, and were presented with their medals by H.E. the Viceroy of Ireland, the Earl of Dudley, G.C.V.O. at Dublin Castle on 25 August 1905. Ten bronze lifesaving medals of the Order of St. John were also awarded. An ‘In Memoriam’ Certificate was presented to the relatives of 10032 Constable Patrick Sheahan, Dublin Metropolitan Police who gave his life in trying to save Fleming.

The Burgh Quay calamity, as it became known, was one of the most famous rescue efforts in Ireland in the early part of the 20th Century, and was subsequently incorporated by James Joyce in his Ulysses. A memorial in Burgh Quay also commemorates the self-sacrifice of the constable and the bravery of the others.

Sold together with copied research including an essay on the incident by Dr. Roger Willoughby.