Kilkeel RNLI names Shannon class lifeboat in memory of donor’s brother

The lifeboat, which went on service in June of this year, has been largely funded by the donor Margaret Cameron and was named in memory of her beloved brother Bobby. Margaret and her brother were brought up, along with two older brothers, on a farm at Gracehill in Ballymena, during the Second World War and came from an Ulster Scots background. Bobby followed a career in joinery and construction and became a skilled City & Guilds craftsman in the construction industry. He also held a teaching post in the College of Technology, Belfast and subsequently worked in the Department of Economic Development, setting up and organising the training of apprentices and unskilled workers.

Bobby was happily married to Betty for 20 years and was devastated when she died in 1998. He remained a widower for the next 26 years until his death two years ago, aged 90 years. Neither Bobby nor Margaret had any connection with the RNLI other than a shared admiration for the lifesaving work they perform.

At the start of the ceremony, Margaret Cameron handed the lifeboat into the care of the RNLI, through Peter Sparkes, the charity’s Chief Executive. John Fisher, Kilkeel Lifeboat Operations Manager then accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station.

Speaking during the ceremony, John said, ‘Today is a very special occasion for us. It marks 40 years since Robert Grimason, a local businessman, started the RNLI in Kilkeel. During those 40 years, we’ve answered 598 calls, aided over 400 people and saved 43 lives. The commitment, courage and dedication of our people is what the RNLI is all about. Today is another milestone in our history. I cannot thank the Cameron family enough for making this possible. Their generosity has provided us with an exceptional lifeboat that will help us to continue our mission of saving lives for many years to come.’

The Rev Rodney Cameron, nephew of Margaret and Bobby Cameron, led the Service of Dedication that followed. Then, before the gathered crowd of well-wishers, including family and friends of the station, Margaret Cameron named the lifeboat in memory of her brother, while lifeboat crew poured a bottle of champagne over the side of the boat before it was launched.

Speaking as she named the lifeboat, Margaret Cameron said, ‘Today is the fulfilment of all my dreams. I am so glad that I was able to do this for Bobby. I miss him very much and this lifeboat is really a tribute to his memory, as a brother and an uncle.’

In a touching gesture in memory of her brother, Margaret presented John Fisher with Bobby’s old Sunday School bible, which she asked be kept onboard the lifeboat.

The Shannon is the latest class of all-weather lifeboat to join the RNLI fleet. She’s the first modern all-weather lifeboat to be propelled by waterjets instead of traditional propellers, making her our most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat yet.

The lifeboat was also partly funded by generous bequests from Edna Joyce Burgess and Hazel Mills, lifelong supporters of the RNLI. The vessel is also a legacy lifeboat and carries the names of generous supporters who appear within the letters and numbers that make up the lifeboat’s identifying number.

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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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