The lifeboats of Dundrum Bay

Name: The lifeboats of Dundrum Bay
Start: 2025-11-05T19:00:00+00:00
Location: Down County Museum, BT30 6AH Downpatrick, United Kingdom

Schedule

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025 at 07:00 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Down County Museum, BT30 6AH Downpatrick, United Kingdom | Downpatrick, NI

Join us at Down County Museum as we mark the 200th anniversary of Newcastle Lifeboat Station with a FREE talk by theauthor of 'The Forgotten Lifeboats of Tyrella', Barbara Lomas.
In 1824 the fledgling RNLI was created by a consortium of 3 men, led by Sir William Hillary who were appalled at the loss of life and property from shipwreck on the coasts of the UK. Having failed to convince the Admiralty of the need to set up means to help protect victims of shipwreck, they established an institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck. The RNIPLS, as it was, depended entirely on voluntary donations and its founding principles remain the same today.
One of the first lifeboats established in Ireland was commissioned and paid for by the gentry of the Lecale region around Dundrum Bay led by the Marquis of Downshire. The first lifeboat was accordingly sent to Rossglass in 1825; in 1836 a lifeboat was sent by Dombrain from Dublin to the coastguard station at Tyrella; the renamed and remodelled RNLI established stations at Newcastle in 1856 and Tyrella in 1860.
Between them these lifeboat stations rescued over 200 before the Tyrella station was stood down in 1899, leaving the Newcastle Station to carry the proud tradition into the 20th and 21st centuries. The presentation will look at the early lifeboats and their rescues before homing in on the unbroken service of the Newcastle lifeboats.