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Duke of Gloucester visits Donaghadee RNLI to mark charity's 200th anniversary

Lifeboats News Release

The Duke of Gloucester recognised the outstanding bravery and commitment of local staff and volunteers serving at Donaghadee Lifeboat Station during a special visit to the town on Tuesday19 November.

The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI

Ards and North Down Borough Council

The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI

The Duke of Gloucester recognised the outstanding bravery and commitment of local staff and volunteers serving at Donaghadee Lifeboat Station during a special visit to the town on Tuesday19 November. Accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of County Down, Gawn Rowan Hamilton, and the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, His Royal Highness also toured the Sir Samuel Kelly Lifeboat Restoration Project and Donaghadee Moat – two important heritage attractions helping to preserve and share Donaghadee's history and culture.

2024 is the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI. Powered primarily by donations, the search and rescue service rescues hundreds of people at sea and on inland waters every year. The majority of RNLI people are volunteers - ordinary people doing extraordinary things - supported by expert staff, all working together to help communities at home and abroad. Donaghadee has had a lifeboat station since 1910, and the crews have been presented with three awards for gallantry. Since records began, Donaghadee RNLI have launched 1,221 times and saved 374 lives.

The Duke toured Donaghadee Station with Brian McLawrence, Donaghadee Lifeboat Operations Manager. He met the lifeboat crew, the local RNLI fundraising team and representatives of the wider RNLI family locally. A highlight of the afternoon was an opportunity to board the Trent class lifeboat to view the technology and conditions that the crew work under, as well as a short tour on the water.

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian McLawrence said: ‘It is a huge honour to welcome The Duke of Gloucester to our station, to meet our lifesaving team and to share our work in saving lives at sea and keeping our communities safe. Donaghadee has a proud sea faring history, and we take great pride in our people and our place here. None of the work we do would be possible without the support of the public. It’s been wonderful to see the RNLI recognised for 200 years of lifesaving and we hope to be doing it for 200 more!”

The Duke then met with the Board and volunteers of Donaghadee Heritage Preservation Company, who are responsible for the Sir Samuel Kelly Lifeboat conservation project in the town. The Sir Samuel Kelly was built in 1948 and on station at Donaghadee from 1950 until 1976. On 31 January 1953 the cross-channel ferry MV Princess Victoria foundered in storm force conditions off the Copeland Islands. The Sir Samuel Kelly rescued 33 of the 44 survivors of the disaster. Owned, but not displayed, by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum for many years, the Sir Samuel Kelly was transferred to the ownership of North Down Museum in 2017 and licensed to the Company for 25 years in 2018. The company has constructed a shelter to house the vessel and a hub for visitors, and with support from the Heritage Fund and other donors is developing it into a visitor and heritage centre for Donaghadee.

Welcoming The Duke, Vice Chair Wesley Martin said: “Donaghadee Heritage is greatly honoured by this visit. This is a project for the whole community: we receive visits from primary school children, and we take the story out to care homes. We already have thousands of visitors passing through each year, and we are developing all the time. This visit will confirm the standing of the project and help us to take it forward.”

The Duke unveiled a plaque in commemoration of those who lost their lives in MV Princess Victoria and of the crew of Sir Samuel Kelly and others who played a part in the rescue.

The visit also included a tour of Donaghadee Moat. Recently restored by Ards and North Down Borough Council, the Moat was constructed by the Anglo-Normans in the late 12th century. It is one of the largest in Ulster. Circa 1821 a picturesque castle, the Gunpowder Store, was built on top of the Motte to store explosives during the construction of the ‘new’ harbour. The Gunpowder Store is now home to the only accessible Camera Obscura on the island of Ireland. Camera Obscura is an ancient optical device, that lets light in through a small opening on one side and projects a reversed and invested image on the other.

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, accompanied The Duke of Gloucester throughout the visit and said: “It was a pleasure to welcome The Duke to Donaghadee today. The RNLI was greatly honoured by the visit in their 200th year and to have the opportunity to take The Duke on a trip around the Harbour in our local lifeboat. The excellent work done by Donaghadee Heritage Preservation Company around the Sir Samuel Kelly Restoration was commended and a new plaque unveiled to those who died in the MV Princess Victoria. It was a pleasure to host The Duke, a qualified architect, on the tour of Donaghadee Moat and Camera Obscura – which was restored by the Council two years ago and is proving popular with both residents and visitors. Donaghadee was a winner in Ulster in Bloom awards a couple of weeks ago and it was excellent to be able to showcase the town and some of its key assets during this visit.”

Ends

The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI

Ards and North Down Borough Council

The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI
The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI

Ards and North Down Borough Council

The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI
The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI

Ards and North Down Borough Council

The Duke of Gloucester meeting members of Donaghadee RNLI

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.