Calling all fire engine enthusiasts! Check out your National Transport Museum | Season 4 – Episode 77 

Fire engines have always captivated people of all ages, evoking awe and excitement. We all fondly remember the bright red fire trucks from childhood, their clanging bells demanding attention as they raced by. The addition of sirens and flashing blue lights in recent years has only amplified this excitement.

The Ireland Made film crew made up of Philip Darling and Kevin Reid made a recent mid-week visit to the National Transport Museum (Irish: Iarsmalann Náisiunta Iompair na hÉireann) at Howth just north-east of Dublin city centre, to see their collection of fire engines, tenders and appliances dating back to 1883. 

In the 1940s The Transport Museum Society of Ireland began to collect vehicles. Their collection was given a permanent home from 1974 at Castleruddery, County Wicklow and renamed as the National Transport Museum. Since 1985 the museum has been in the Heritage Depot, Howth Demesne, in former farm buildings, which are accessed via the main gates for Howth Castle. 

Their collection showcases an array of vehicles, including buses, lorries, trucks, fire engines, trams, and tractors. Sixty vehicles, dating from the late 19th century to 1984, are currently on display in Howth, with over 180 in total. The remaining vehicles are stored at a reserve depot in Castleruddery/ Donoughmore, in County Wicklow.

The National Transport Museum currently houses twenty-three fire engines, with twelve on display at Howth and the remaining eleven in storage.

DENNIS PUMP (JB 7280)

The first fire engine we came across was a 1935 Dennis Pump (JB 7280), originally used by Wallingford Urban District Council. Built by Dennis Brothers of Guildford, it features Braidwood bodywork, allowing firemen to sit or stand along the sides. The compact engine was preserved by 1977 and acquired by Aubrey Edge in 2001. After his passing in 2002, it was donated to the National Transport Museum on December 14, 2002, by Miss Allison Edge in his memory.

Manufacturer: Dennis Brothers

Model: Dennis Ace chassis No. 7717

Year: 1935

Engine: 4-cylinder 3.7L 

Power: 75 bhp

Pump: Dennis number 2 pump – 350/450 gallons per minute

DENNIS BIG ACE (2406 IE)

Our second machine is a very lovely 1943 Dennis ‘Big Ace’ fire engine bought to Ireland following World War 2 service with the UK National Fire Service. Purchased pre-owned in the 1960s the Dennis was imported along with several other similar vehicles by Clare County Fire Service.  The Dennis was re-registered 2406 IE in 1975 and served until 1977 when it was subsequently purchased by Sean Keoghan of Kilbeggan, who restored it, rallied it for several years and donated it to the museum in 2005.

Manufacturer:  Dennis Brothers

Model:  Big Ace

Year:  1943

Engine:  6-cylinder 7.4L

Power:  100 bhp

Pump:  Dennis pump

MERRYWEATHER TURNTABLE LADDER (ZA 7706)

The third fire engine in the museum collection on display is a 1936 Merryweather & Sons turntable ladder (ZA 7706), operated by Dublin Fire Brigade. First registered on May 21, 1936, it carried a 100-foot steel ladder and cost £4,722. It served at Tara St. Central Fire Station and saw its first major action at the Exide factory fire in October 1936. After its last call in 1972, it was used for crew training before joining the museum collection in 1973.

Manufacturer:  Merryweather & Sons

Model:  Type FE6

Year:  1936

Engine:  6-cylinder 6.5L

Power:  125 bhp

Pump:  Hatfield 3-cylinder 

MERRYWEATHER PAXTON MANUAL PUMP ENGINE

At the back of the museum is a Merryweather & Sons Paxton manual pump engine from Moore Abbey Demesne, County Kildare. Purchased by the Marquis of Drogheda in 1883 for estate fire-fighting, it was pulled by horses or maneuvered by hand. The engine remained at Moore Abbey until 1934, then served at Cassidy’s Distillery. John Holmes bought it in 1948, and Ms. Elanor Holmes donated it to the museum in 1966. Though showing signs of age, the engine’s mechanicals are believed to be in good working condition.

Manufacturer:  Merryweather & Sons

Model:  Paxton manual 22-man pump

Year:  1883

Engine:  6-inch hand-pumped engine

Power:  22-man crew

Pump:  100 gallons per minute @ one stroke per second

MERRYWEATHER, AEC MERCURY (RZE 117)

The fifth fire engine we came across during our museum tour was a Mercury GM4RA/4, on a MkII chassis, is a classic industrial design. Purchased by Dublin Fire Brigade in 1964, turntable ladder RZE 117 was one of two diesel Merryweather & Sons appliances. Based at Tara Street, it responded to the Talbot Street bombing in May 1974. In the 1980s, it became a reserve appliance and was used for crew training before joining the museum in 1990. The Merryweather also featured in the 1994 film “A Man of No Importance.”

Manufacturer:  Merryweather & Sons

Model:  AEC Mercury GM4RA/4

Year:  1964

Engine:  6-cylinder 7.6L

Power:  126 bhp

Pump:  powered by BMC 2.2L engine

DENNIS METZ TURNTABLE LADDER (YRI 584)

Tucked against the wall in front of the Merryweather is a well-preserved 1954 Dennis Metz Turntable Ladder (Registration YRI 584) from the Dublin Fire Brigade. Entering service in 1955 at Tara St. fire station, it spent its entire operational life there. The 30m (100′) Metz ladder was the first in the fleet with an enclosed cab, housing the driver and officer-in-charge in the front and a canopied rear cab for four firefighters. It was transferred to the museum collection in 2004 after serving in reserves and attending community events.

Manufacturer:  Dennis Brothers

Model:  Metz Turntable Ladder

Year:  1955

Engine:  

Power:  

Pump:  

MERRYWEATHER GREENWICH TYPE FIRE PUMP

Entering the second display shed at the National Transport Museum, we found a beautifully preserved steam-powered Merryweather & Sons fire engine from the Great Northern Railway (G.N.R.). The G.N.R. had locomotive works in Dundalk, County Louth, necessitating its own firefighting capability. In 1889, it purchased the Merryweather Greenwich type fire pump, numbered #1. Initially Dundalk’s only fire appliance, it was drawn by horses and later towed by a tractor. It worked until the Dundalk Railway Works fire in September 1955 and was transferred to the museum in 1965.

Manufacturer:  Merryweather & Sons

Model:  Greenwich Steam Pump

Year:  1889

Engine:  2-cylinder horizontal 

Power:  steam

Pump:  Merryweather & Sons

TIMONEY TECHNOLOGIES FIREFLY (518 YZU)

Next is the Timoney Firefly (Registration: 518 YZU), the first engine in the collection that can lay claim to being ‘Ireland Made’. In 1981, Timoney Technologies in Navan, County Meath, began developing fire appliances for the domestic market. They built their own chassis with a patented independent suspension system, equipping hundreds of foam tenders for the US Air Force. In 1983, Dublin Fire Brigade purchased three vehicles, including 518 YZU. Though not popular in service, they provided years of good service before being sold to CIE (Córas Iompair Éireann) for the Inchicore Works Brigade.

Manufacturer:  Timoney Technologies

Model:  Firefly

Year:  1983

Engine:  Detroit 2-stroke diesel

Power:  180 bhp

Pump:  

DENNIS F8 PUMP LADDER (NIK 888)

Our next engine is a well-preserved Dennis F8 Pump Ladder (Registration: NIK 888), also known as the ‘Ulster.’ This model became the standard fire engine for the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade, achieving great operational success due to its compact size, which allowed easy manoeuvrability through narrow city streets. Registered on October 12th, 1956, NIK 888 spent most of its life at Rathmines station and joined the museum collection in July 1984 and was restored in 1985 at AnCo (FAS) workshops in Dublin.

Manufacturer:  Dennis

Model:  Dennis F8 chassis pump ladder

Year:  1956

Engine:  6-cylinder 4.2L

Power:  122 bhp

Pump:  Dennis No. 2 

MORRIS TENDER (PZA 406),

Next is a former ambulance/tender commissioned by the Guinness Brewery in 1960, the Morris Tender (Registration: PZA 406). Supplied as a shell, it was finished by Guinness craftsmen as an ambulance and designated number 269 in the Guinness fleet. It featured a roof-mounted gantry for carrying ladders and could serve as a fire tender, towing a Beresford stork trailer (48A) pump. After 25 years of service, it was withdrawn in 1985 with just 16,054 miles and donated to the museum, requiring only a repaint and mechanical service.

We have previously featured Morris PZA 406 on Ireland Made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8EaAHpkS5Y

Manufacturer:   Morris

Model:  Commercial LD chassis

Year:  1960

Engine:   4-cylinder 2.2L

Power:   46 bhp

Pump trailer: Beresford Stork 48A   

ERF FIRE APPLIANCE (43 NIK)

The penultimate fire engine on our tour is the Dublin Fire Brigade ERF Fire Appliance (Registration: 43 NIK). Between 1909 and 1972, most appliances were purchased from Dennis, Leyland, and Merryweather. However, in the mid-1970s, Dublin Fire Brigade expanded its choices and bought two ERF pump/water ladders in 1975, both equipped with Perkins V8 diesel engines. A second-hand ERF was later acquired for the training school, reregistered as 40 NZU. After its withdrawal in 1990, 43 NIK was donated to the museum and remains the only ERF in the collection.

Manufacturer: ERF

Model:   Pump/ Water Ladders

Year:   1975

Engine:   V8 diesel 8.85L

Power:   112 bhp

Pump:   

DODGE K850 PUMP WATER TENDER (977 GYI)

The final engine we saw on display was a 1976 Dodge K850 pump water tender (Registration 977 GYI). With Dublin’s growth from the 1970s, the Dublin Fire Brigade purchased eight Dodges between 1973 and 1977, including seven pump water tenders and one Magirus 30m turntable ladder. The bodywork was built by Carmichaels of Worcester, U.K. 977 GYI served with the Dublin Fire Brigade until the late 1980s, then transferred to the Civil Defence Auxiliary Fire Service at the Esplanade near Heuston Station until 1995, when it was donated to the transport museum.

Manufacturer: Dodge

Model: K850

Year: 1976

Engine:   

Power:   

Pump:   

The museum’s collection also includes these impressive fire engines, though they are not currently on display:

1.         Beresford trailer pump 1940-1974

2.         CIE ex UK Commer Pump (Registration: PBH 222) 1951-1986  

3.         DHA Austin Gypsy (Registration: FZD 783) 1962-1985

4.         Dublin Fire Brigade – AEC Merryweather & Sons 100′ Ladder (Registration: 6524 ZE) 1972-1998

5.         Dublin Fire Brigade – Dennis F12 pump escape (Registration: ZO 8056) 1953-1983

6.         Dublin Fire Brigade – Dennis Metz 100′ ladder (Registration: YRI584)  1955-1992.

7.         Dublin Fire Brigade – Merryweather & Sons ladder (Registration: ZI 7528)  1931-1964

8.         Dublin Fire Brigade – Rathmines Leyland (Registration: IK 2426)  1921-1958

9.         Land Rover Redwing pump (Registration: 9656 IP) 1963-1996

10.       Skelmanthorpe pump (Registration: DWW 353)  1939-1994  

11.       Squibb Bedford 4×2 green goddess 1953-1985

NATIONAL TRANSPORT MUSEUM

Calling all fire engine enthusiasts! The National Transport Museum boasts a collection sure to spark your interest. Dedicated to preserving Ireland’s transport heritage, the museum operates entirely on a voluntary basis, with funding from entry fees, poster sales, and donations. 

Your support helps keep this history alive—plan your visit this weekend and explore!

If you have a story to share, email Kevin Reid [email protected]