Newcastle Lifeboat Station

Newcastle Lifeboat Station
Newcastle Lifeboat Station
Newcastle, County Down
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Newcastle Lifeboat Station
Address	South Promenade
Town or city	Newcastle, County Down, BT33 0EX
Country	Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54°11′53.2″N5°53′13.6″W / 54.198111°N 5.887111°W / 54.198111; -5.887111
Opened	1830–1833 RNLI 1854–
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Newcastle RNLI Lifeboat Station

Newcastle Lifeboat Station is situated at South Promenade, Newcastle, a seaside town in County Down, located the foot of Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne Mountains, overlooking the Irish Sea, in the south east corner of Northern Ireland.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Newcastle in 1830 by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS). A station was re-established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854. ^{[1] [2]}

The station currently operates the All-weather Mersey-class lifeboat, 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177), on station since 2022, and the smaller D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Eliza (D-775), on station since 2014. ^[3]

History

In 1825, the newly formed County Down branch of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) established Rossglass Lifeboat Station, when an 18-foot lifeboat was placed at Rossglass, Co. Down. ^[2]

Thomas Foy, Coxswain of the Rossglass Lifeboat, was awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal, one of the earliest awarded, for putting out at 02:00 in a fishing boat with five men on 2 December 1825, and saving seven of the nine crew off the vessel Usk, on passage from Liverpool to Spain, when she was wrecked in a violent weather. Between 1825 and 1852, no less than 15 gallantry medals were awarded by the RNIPLS in the area. ^{[4] [5]}

A 24-foot lifeboat built by William Plenty of Newbury, Berkshire, costing £130, was placed at Arklow on 30 November 1826. Only 3½ years later, having never been launched on service, and at the recommendation of Capt. Samuel Sparshott, Deputy Inspector General of Coastguard, the lifeboat was relocated in April 1830, and Newcastle Lifeboat Station was established. No records have been found of any service, and in 1833, the station closed, with the boat relocated again, this time to Skerries. ^[1]

The Rossglass lifeboat station was closed in 1835, the lifeboat being relocated to St John's Point Lifeboat Station, just 2 miles (3.2 km) further down the headland, next to H.M. Coastguard station at St Johns Point, remaining there until 1843. ^[2]

In 1843, the St John's lifeboat was condemned and sold. No replacement was provided. The 1840s was a period of decline for the RNIPLS, with little income, and especially following the death in 1847, of the founder, Sir William Hillary, Bt. However, under the direction of The Duke of Northumberland, appointed as president in 1851, the RNIPLS was resurrected, becoming the RNLI in 1854. ^[6]

Newcastle Lifeboat Station was re-established in 1854 by the RNLI. A boathouse was provided by The Earl of Annesley MP. A 27-foot unnamed self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, arrived in 1854, but weighing two tons, was found to be too heavy for the location. The lifeboat was withdrawn the following year, and later stationed at Castletown, and a replacement 26-foot unnamed lifeboat arrived at Newcastle. In 1858, a larger 30-foot unnamed lifeboat was placed on station, this one serving until 1881, being named Reigate in 1868. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Reigate was launched on 26 February 1874, to the aid of the schooner Rose, when she was wrecked in Dundrum Bay. One of the five crew of the Rose was lost, but four were rescued. Coxswain James Hill, and Capt. Charles Grey-Jones, second assistant Inspector of Lifeboats, were each awarded the RNLI Silver Medal. ^{[4] [10]}

1881 Newcastle Lifeboat House

Reigate was replaced in 1881, by a new 34-foot lifeboat, Farnley (ON 283). A new boathouse was required, and was constructed at a cost of £425. The building, used until the 1930s, still stands on Downs Road, and is currently used by the Newcastle Elim Pentecostal Church. ^[2]

On 15 March 1905, 20 lives were saved from the French barque Cannebiere, in a joint effort by the Newcastle lifeboat Farnley, and the tugboat Flying Irishman, in a service lasting over 14 hours. The vessel, on passage from Glasgow to New Caledonia, was sheltering from a storm in Dundrum Bay, but ran aground after dragging her anchor. John McCausland, Master of the tug, and Coxswain Superintendent James Foland of Newcastle lifeboat, were awarded a 'Gold Medal and Diploma' by the French Government, presented in 1906 by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sir Daniel Dixon, 1st Baronet. ^[11]

1936 Newcastle Lifeboat House

A new station with slipway was constructed in 1936. This was followed by the arrival of a 35-foot Self-righting (motor) lifeboat, L. P. and St Helen (ON 703), built in 1927, and having previously served at Eastbourne and Boulmer. ^{[2] [12]}

In a remarkable one-year period of service during World War II, Newcastle lifeboat L. P. and St Helen would be involved in three medal rescues, and see 10 medals awarded for gallantry. Coxswain Patrick Murphy would receive the RNLI Bronze Medal for a service on 19–21 January 1941, to the vessel Hoperidge. Murphy would receive a second bronze medal (second-service clasp) just 9 days later, when 14 men were rescued off the vessel Sandhill, which was damaged by a Naval Mine, with Mechanic Robert Agnew also receiving the RNLI bronze medal. ^{[4] [13]}

Just one year later, on 21 January 1942, in an exceptionally daring and skilful rescue, 39 people were rescued from the convoy steamship Browning, which had run aground in a south-east gale near Ballyquintin. After several attempts to get close, the Coxswain manoeuvered the lifeboat through the rocks, and managed to get the 39 people aboard. Now dangerously overloaded, he took the boat out over a reef, judging the waves perfectly. With weather too poor to return home, the lifeboat made for Portavogie. Seven medals for gallantry were awarded, with Murphy being awarded the RNLI Gold Medal. He would also be awarded the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service (BEM). ^{[4] [14]}

Newcastle's Mersey-class lifeboat 12-29 Eleanor and Bryant Girling (ON 1188)

In 1992, the RNLI would receive an extraordinary bequest, a sum of £4 million from the estate of Mrs Eugenie Boucher, specifically to be used for the construction of new boathouses. A native of Penza in Russia, eight so named 'Penza' boathouses would be constructed, including one for Newcastle. Built on the site of the tractor house and coastguard hut, the building was completed in August 1993. Then followed the arrival on 11 August 1993, of a new Mersey-class lifeboat, 12-29 Eleanor and Bryant Girling (ON 1188), funded from the bequest of Eleanor Bertha Girling. ^{[2] [15] [16]}

On 24 January 1994, a D-class (EA16) Inshore lifeboat was placed on service for the season, for evaluation. A permanent D-class lifeboat was placed at the station on 19 May 1995. Initiated by Wing Cdr. Mark Codgebrook, £11,000 had been raised by the personnel at the local RAF Station, and at a ceremony on 10 June 1995, Group Captain R. E. Wedge named the boat Aldergrove (D-478). ^{[17] [18]}

Newcastle's Mersey-class lifeboat 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177)

On 3 December 2014, Aldergrove II (D-637). a second boat funded by the personnel at RAF Aldergrove, was retired. Newcastle would receive the D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Eliza (D-775), funded from the bequest of Mary Olga Illingworth, in memory of her mother. ^[2]

Mersey-class lifeboat 12-29 Eleanor and Bryant Girling (ON 1188) was withdrawn to the relief fleet in 2022, and replaced with a slightly older Mersey-class lifeboat, 12-20 Leonard Kent (ON 1177), previously stationed at Margate. Soon after, in 2023, Newcastle would receive T121, the newest of the 31 Talus MB-H Crawler launch tractors, built in 2003. ^[19]

Following the departure of 12-34 Freddie Cooper (ON 1193) from Aldeburgh on 28 October 2024, just two RNLI stations remain operating the Mersey-class lifeboat, Douglas in the Isle of Man, and Newcastle, with the last carriage launched Mersey-class.

On 9 April 2025, it was announced that a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat will be placed at Newcastle by the end of the year, when their Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat is finally retired. With a Trent-class lifeboat scheduled to be placed at Douglas, it is likely that Newcastle's Mersey will be the last one in service with the RNLI, although there are four retired RNLI Mersey-class lifeboats still in service with rescue services in Chile and Uruguay. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

Station honours

The following are awards made at Newcastle, Co. Down. ^{[2] [4]}

• Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service (BEM)

Patrick Murphy, Coxswain – 1942 ^[23]

• RNIPLS Gold Medal

Capt. John Row Morris, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Newcastle – 1826

Capt. Philip R. M. Browne, RN – 1838

Lt. Henry Frederick Sewell, RN, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1840

• RNLI Gold Medal

Patrick Murphy, Coxswain – 1942

• Gold Medal and Diploma, awarded by the French Government

James Foland, Coxswain Superintendent – 1906

John McCausland, Master of the tugboat Flying Irishman – 1906

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

Thomas Foy, Coxswain, Rossglass lifeboat – 1826

Alexander Douglas, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Newcastle – 1826

John Phillips – 1830

Michael Casey – 1830

John Adam, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1837 (Second-service clasp)

John Strains, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1837

William Hogg, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1837

William Adair, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1837

Capt. Philip R. M. Browne – 1837

George MacDonald, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1840

James Taylor, Commissioned Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Dundrum Bay – 1845

James McCarthy, Chief Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Dundrum Bay – 1852

• RNLI Silver Medal

Henry Boyd, Coastguardsman, H.M. Coastguard, St John's Point – 1860

Capt. George Agar Ellis Ridge, RN, Inspecting Commander, H.M. Coastguard, Newcastle – 1860

Capt. Charles Gray-Jones, RN, Second Assistant Inspector of Lifeboats – 1874

James Hill, Coxswain – 1874

Cmdr. Orford Summerville Cameron, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Newcastle – 1877

William Murphy, Second Coxswain – 1942

Robert Agnew, Mechanic – 1942

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Patrick Murphy, Coxswain – 1941

Patrick Murphy, Coxswain – 1941 (Second-Service clasp)

Robert Agnew, Mechanic – 1941

William Lenaghan, crew member – 1942

Thomas McClelland, crew member – 1942

Patrick McClelland, crew member – 1942

Patrick Rooney, crew member – 1942

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Patrick McClelland, Coxswain – 1955

John Lowry, Helm – 1998

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Mark Poland, crew member – 1998

Brendan Rooney, crew member – 1998

Mr Ian Williamson – 1998

Newcastle Lifeboat Station – 2005

• Royal Humane Society Bravery Award

Gerald Murphy, Motor Mechanic – 1966

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Hugh Patrick Paul, Boathouse Manager – 2006NYH ^[24]

John Francis Morgan, Coxswain – 2010NYH ^[25]

Newcastle lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON [a]	Name	On Station [26]	Class	Comments
Pre-123	Unnamed	1830–1833	24-foot Norfolk and Suffolk	[Note 1]
Pre-279	Unnamed	1854–1855	27-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 2]
Pre-296	Unnamed	1855–1859	26-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 3]
Pre-331	Unnamed, Reigate	1858–1868 1868–1881	30-foot Peake Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 4] Named Reigate in 1868
283	Farnley	1881–1906	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 5]
556	Marianne	1906–1917	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 6]
660	John Cleland	1917–1932	35-foot Self-righting Rubie (P&S)	[Note 7]
553	John	1933–1937	35-foot Liverpool (P&S)	[Note 8]

All-weather lifeboats

ON [a]	Op. No. [b]	Name	Built	On Station [27]	Class	Comments
703	–	L. P. and St Helen	1927	1937–1949	35-foot Self-righting (motor)	[Note 9]
870	–	William and Laura	1949	1949–1980	Liverpool	[Note 10]
974	37-07	Jane Hay	1964	1980–1992	Oakley	[Note 11]
942	37-01	J. G. Graves of Sheffield	1958	1992–1993	Oakley	[Note 12]
1188	12-29	Eleanor and Bryant Girling	1992	1993–2022	Mersey	[Note 13]
1177	12-20	Leonard Kent	1991	2022–	Mersey	[Note 14]

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats

Op.No. [b]	Name	On Station [28]	Class	Comments
D-333	Unnamed	1994	D-class (EA16)
D-478	Aldergrove	1995–2005	D-class (EA16)
D-637	Aldergrove II	2005–2014	D-class (IB1)
D-775	Eliza	2014–	D-class (IB1)

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No. [b]	Reg. No.	Type	On Station [29]	Comments
T7	AF 4215	Clayton	1924–1932
T44	KGJ 57	Case LA	1949–1958
T45	KGJ 58	Case LA	1958–1963
T53	KXT 421	Case LA	1963–1967
T44	KGJ 57	Case LA	1967–1969
T50	KLA 84	Case LA	1969–1977
T59	OJJ 866	Fowler Challenger III	1977–1985
T61	PLA 561	Fowler Challenger III	1985–1988
T104	E269 YUJ	Talus MB-H Crawler	1988–1999
T119	N470 XAW	Talus MB-H Crawler	1999–2006
T118	M224 SNT	Talus MB-H Crawler	2006–2022
T120	P514 HAW	Talus MB-H Crawler	2022–2023
T121	DX04 YZG	Talus MB-H Crawler	2023–

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

1. 24-foot (8-oared) non-self-righting Norfolk and Suffolk-class lifeboat, built by William Plenty of Newbury, Berkshire, costing £130.
2. 27-foot x 7-foot 6 in (8-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £135.
3. 26-foot x 6-foot (6-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
4. 30-foot x 6-foot 3in (6-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
5. 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
6. 35-foot x 8-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
7. 35-foot Self-righting Dungeness-class Rubie (P&S) lifeboat.
8. 35-foot Liverpool-class (P&S) lifeboat.
9. 35-foot Self-righting (motor) lifeboat, built by S.E. Saunders of Cowes.
10. 35-foot 6in Liverpool-class lifeboat, built in 1949 by Groves & Guttridge.
11. 37-foot Oakley-class lifeboat, built in 1964 by William Osborne of Littlehampton..
12. 37-foot Oakley-class lifeboat, built in 1958 by William Osborne of Littlehampton.
13. 12-metre Mersey-class lifeboat.
14. 12-metre Mersey-class lifeboat.

References

1. Morris, Jeff (June 1987). The Story of the Arklow Lifeboats. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 1–26.
2. "Newcastle's station history". Newcastle Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
3. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 66, 98.
4. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0907605893.
5. "Ship News". The Morning Post. No. 17151. 8 December 1825.
6. "From the brink of disaster: Richard Lewis and the making of the modern RNLI". RNLI. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
7. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 6.
8. "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. II (22): 195. 1 October 1856. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
9. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. IV (31): 123. 1 January 1859. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
10. "Shipwreck on the Irish Coast". The Times. No. 27937. London. 27 February 1874. col F, p. 11.
11. "Foreign Governments and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution". The Lifeboat. XIX (221): 811. 1 August 1906. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
12. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 44.
13. "Thirty-seven Medals for Gallantry". The Lifeboat. War Years (1941): 2. 1941. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
14. "Thirty-eight Medals for Gallantry". The Lifeboat. War Years (1942): 2. 1942. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
15. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 68.
16. "Eugenie Boucher - RNLI "Penza" building". Waymarking.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
17. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 94.
18. "Ceremonies". The Lifeboat. 54 (533): 50. Autumn 1995. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
19. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 107.
20. Stephenson, Niamh (9 April 2025). "RNLI Lifesaving Effect Review ushers in new era of lifesaving". RNLI. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
21. Rush, Danielle (5 February 2025). "Douglas RNLI temporarily allocated a Trent class all-weather lifeboat". RNLI. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
22. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 66–69.
23. "Patrick Murphy". The Lifeboat. XL (427): 541. March 1969. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
24. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". London Gazette. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
25. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". London Gazette. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
26. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 2–38.
27. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 44–66.
28. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 91–98.
29. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 103–107.

External links

• Newcastle RNLI Lifeboat Station