Portrush History
1842 A Silver Medal was awarded to William Richardson for rescuing one man from a fishing boat.
1860 An RNLI lifeboat station was established and a boathouse was built in Kerr Street.
1862 A new slipway was built after the old one had been washed away.
1876 The boathouse was rebuilt at a new site.
1889 Three lifeboat crew members, G Grills, James McAllister and William McNeill, tragically lost their lives when the lifeboat was capsized by an exceptionally heavy wave.
1891 Silver Medals were awarded to Captain F Watt, Coxswain John Hopkins and William McAllister for a service to the schooner Ellen Myvanwy.
Silver Medals were awarded to Mr John Boyd and Mr David Patton for rescuing a boy from a capsized boat.
1900 A new boathouse and slipway were built at Lansdowne on the east side of Portrush.
1916 A Silver Medal was awarded to Robert Lemon for a service to the steamship Corsewell.
1924 The first motor lifeboat arrived at the station.
1928 A new boathouse and slipway were built on the west side of the town for launching into the harbour.
1935 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Coxswain James Martin and Mechanic K D Chambers for rescuing Crew Member John Fleming after he was washed out of the lifeboat.
1960 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1961 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Samuel Cunningham, Bronze Medal to Second Coxswain Robert McMullan and five Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded for the rescue of 14 crew from the Argo Delos.
1965 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to the Coxswain and to seven crew members when five men were lost overboard from the Norwegian frigate Bergen.
1981 A new ‘fast afloat’ lifeboat Richard Evans arrived at the station and was kept at moorings in the harbour.
A special Doctor's Vellum was awarded to Dr William Hill and a Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Crew Member Albert McQuilken for carrying out first aid on two patients on board the trawlers Junella and St Jasper.
1990 Improved crew facilities were built.
1991 Framed Letters of Thanks were presented to Crew Members Trevor Creelman and Trevor McMullan for taking 22 people to safety during the floods at Ballycastle in October 1990.
1993 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) was evaluated for one season. The slipway was extended and a launching trolley provided for the D class lifeboat.
1994 The ILB station was officially established on 26 February.
2000 The Severn class lifeboat Katie Hannan arrived at the station.
2001 Honorary Secretary John Scott was honoured by Her Majesty The Queen, becoming a Member, Order of the British Empire.
2002 The D class Ken and Mary arrived at the station.
2003 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Damian Rohdich for saving a boy’s life.
2006 Boathouse repairs were completed.
2007 The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Crew Member Conchur Dickinson for his part in saving the lives of three surfers. Crew member Liam Smith got a Framed Letter of Thanks from the Chairman for his part in the same service.
Station honours
2008 During a service on 29 January 2008, to rescue three men in a RIB, ON1247 Katie Hannan was grounded on rocks near the entrance to Rathlin Harbour. There was a heavy swell running at the time and the lifeboat was operating close to the breakwater. The men on the RIB were assisted ashore by the local coastguard team and all the lifeboat crew were recovered safely. Because of the adverse weather conditions the lifeboat was not removed from the rocks until 15 February and was taken, on a barge, to Devonport dockyard for a final assessment.
2009 The Trustees voted the award of a 150 year Vellum to be awarded in 2010 to the station.
2010 Bronze Medal awarded to Mechanic Anthony Chambers for saving two boys cut off by the tide in a cave on 5 August 2009. The inshore lifeboat made several unsuccessful attempts to enter the cave before Mechanic Chambers entered the water and rescued both boys.
Inshore lifeboat D-738 David Roulston placed on service 9 September. The lifeboat was funded by the lifeboat fund and the upkeep and maintenance of this lifeboat is generous funded in memory of David Roulston from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
MEDAL RECORD
Eight Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal have been awarded to the men of Portrush, the last being voted in 1961.
