Thanks for the help on lighthouses and lightships in Ireland. It turns out that the Commissioners of Irish Lights was the place to go afterall. I emailed them and within 24 hours they came back with the service record of both my Thomas Delaney relatives (father and son) nothing on the grandfather Richard as his records would be much earlier in 1840-50. However they don't have any family info on their lightshipmen e.g whether married, or what their addresses might have been, only County of origin.
Canberragirl
There is a wealth of information on all things nautical in two books recently launched in Wexford. Written by John Power and in two weighty volumes it provides a chronological history of events around the Wexford coast from 1859 – 1960. It provides details of wrecks, lighthouse keepers, lightship men, lifeboat men, custom officers and ordinary sailors and fishermen from the locality.
See:
http://www.wexfordpeople.ie/lifestyle/maritime-book-is-launched-2936988.htmlOn page 73 of volume 2 the following appears:
William Delaney:
The death occurred on 24th February 1913 of William Delaney, aged 48 years, a member of the Irish lights. He was serving on board the South Rock lightship off the Down coast up to the time of his death. William was the eldest son of the late Richard Delaney, Parnell Street, Wexford. Flags were flown at half mast on ships in Wexford Harbour on receiving the news of his death.
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Here’s William’s 1901 census record providing his home address:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Ards_Upper/New_Row/1232258/In 1911 he was on his lightship
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Quintin/Lightship/241860/