Kilkeel Lifeboat Station

Kilkeel Lifeboat Station sits on the northern side of the harbour at Kilkeel, a town approximately 18 miles (29 km) south-east of Newry, home to the largest fishing fleet in Northern Ireland, located on the south-east coast of County Down, Northern Ireland. A lifeboat was first stationed at Kilkeel on 10 October 1986 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The station currently operates the Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, 13-57 Bobby Cameron (ON 1364), on station since 2026. History After a summer of extensive training with a 16-foot D-class (Zodiac III) Inshore lifeboat, (D-241), the new RNLI lifeboat station at Kilkeel was declared operational on 10 October 1986, and a D-class (RFD PB16) (D-308) was placed on station. An old boathouse on the southern quay, built for Francis Needham, 3rd Earl of Kilmorey in the 1800s, was put into use as the RNLI boathouse. Initially operating during the summer months for the holiday season, it quickly became clear that the small D-class wasn't suited to the tasks required, especially being based in the most active fishing harbour in Northern Ireland. At a meeting of the committee of management in June 1990, it was decided to withdraw the D-class, and place a B-class (Atlantic 21) at the station. Major changes commenced in 1992. Work began on the construction of a new boathouse, on the northern side of the Kilkeel river, to house the much larger Atlantic-class lifeboat. With no slipway possible, a new Schat davit was constructed on the quay in July, used to lower the lifeboat into the water. On 21 September, the Atlantic 21-class (B-533) from the relief fleet was sent to the station for training, and in November, the boathouse with modern crew facilities and a workshop was completed, and the D-class lifeboat was withdrawn. A dual ceremony was held on 8 May 1993. First, Cecil Baxter, president of the branch, declared the boathouse officially open. A new B-class (Atlantic 21), one of the last three to be manufactured, had arrived on station, funded by the legacy of Mrs Margaret Campbell Hull. Her nephew Derek Hull then handed the lifeboat to the care of Robert Grimason, Honorary Secretary for Kilkeel lifeboat station, and after a service of dedication, Wendy Austin of BBC Northern Ireland named the lifeboat Valerie Hull (B-593). In 2006, works costing £212,862 were carried out to the boathouse and the davit, to accommodate a newer larger boat. Kilkeel would receive their new B-class (Atlantic 85) on Tuesday 28 November 2006. At a ceremony in September 2007, the £130,000 lifeboat was named Frank William Walton (B-812) following the bequest received from the late RNLI Life Governor. Between 1986, when Kilkeel lifeboat station was established, and 2006, the lifeboat had been launched 305 times, and rescued 187 people. On 9 April 2025, it was announced that a new Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat will be placed at Kilkeel by the end of the year, replacing the 34-year-old Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat at Newcastle, which will be retired. Kilkeel's new Shannon-class lifeboat arrived at Kilkeel on Wednesday 17 December following her passage from RNLI headquarters in Poole. The following day, she was visited by her donor, Margaret Cameron. After a period of training, the new lifeboat was formally declared a search and rescue asset by Belfast Coastguard, at 19:00 on Friday 5 June. The boat will be formally named after the donor's late brother Robert, at a ceremony in August 2026. Station honours The following are awards made at Kilkeel, Co. Down: Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Merwyn Chambers Hanna, president of Kilkeel lifeboat station – 2005NYH Kilkeel lifeboats D-class lifeboats B-class lifeboats All-weather lifeboats See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats References External links Kilkeel RNLI Lifeboat Station