Newcastle History
1825 A station was established at Rossglass by the County Down District Association.
The lifeboat later moved to St John’s Point Coastguard Station where it remained until 1843.
Twelve Silver Medals and three Gold Medals were awarded between 1826 and 1852 for rescues to the many wrecks which occurred in severe weather conditions.
1854 The RNLI established a lifeboat station and a boathouse was built.
1860 A Silver Medal was awarded to Henry Boyd for rescuing the eight crew from the brigantine Water Lily.
A Silver Medal was awarded to Captain G Ridge RN for wading into the surf to rescue a man from a capsized boat.
1874 Silver Medals were awarded to Captain C Grey Jones and Coxswain James Hill for rescuing four crew from the schooner Rose.
1877 A Silver Medal was awarded to Commander OS Cameron RN for rescuing four crew from the brigantine Fame.
1881 A new lifeboat house was built at Downs Road.
1906 The French Government awarded Coxswain Foland a Gold Medal for rescuing 10 people from the barque Cannebiere.
1936 A new boathouse was built for the station’s first motor lifeboat.
1941 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Patrick Murphy for a service to the Hoperidge.
Bronze Medals were awarded to Coxswain Patrick Murphy and Mechanic Robert Agnew for rescuing 14 men from the Sandhill, which had been badly damaged by a mine off the English coast and had been carried across the Irish Sea by the weather.
1942 A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Patrick Murphy; Silver Medals to Second Coxswain William Murphy and Mechanic Robert Agnew; and Bronze Medals to William Leneghan, Thomas McClelland, Patrick McClelland and Patrick Rooney for rescuing 39 people from the Browning, one of seven ships of a convoy that had been blown ashore. The British Empire Medal was also awarded to Coxswain Murphy for this service.
1955 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Patrick McClelland when the lifeboat rescued four crew from the sinking fishing boat Georgina Hutton.
1966 A Royal Humane Society bravery award was presented to Mechanic Gerald Murphy for saving a boy who had fallen into Newcastle Harbour.
1975 A celebration 150th Anniversary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1993 A new boathouse and slipway were completed for the station’s new Mersey class lifeboat, Eleanor & Bryant Girling, which arrived at the station in September.
1995 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was permanently established with a new D class lifeboat.
1998 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman John Lowry and Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to Crew Members Mark Poland and Brendan Rooney for rescuing five people off Maggy’s Leap. Ian Williamson, who had entered the water to assist one of the anglers who was drowning, also received a Framed Letter of Thanks.
2005 A collective Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to the crew of the ILB and shore helpers for long and complex searches carried out over two days in January 2004 for a teenage boy who had fallen into the water at Killough.
The new D class lifeboat Aldergrove II arrived on station.
2006 Boathouse Manager Hugh Paul was awarded the title of MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Station honours
At Newcastle lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 4
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 2
Bronze Medal 7
Silver Medal 19
Gold Medal 4
