Kilkeel RNLI's New All-Weather Lifeboat Enters Operational Service
- Robert Stone
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
Monday 8 June 2026
KILKEEL, COUNTY DOWN - A new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat has officially entered service at Kilkeel RNLI, marking a significant milestone for the station and its volunteer crew after months of intensive training and preparation.
The lifeboat, Bobby Cameron, was declared an operational search and rescue asset by Belfast Coastguard at 7pm on Friday, 5 June. Within hours of entering service, the new vessel responded to its first emergency call, rescuing a lone sailor later that same night.
The achievement follows an extensive training programme undertaken by Kilkeel RNLI’s volunteer crew as the station transitioned from operating an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat to the larger and more capable Shannon class all-weather lifeboat.
The Shannon has been generously funded by Miss Margaret Cameron and named in memory of her late brother, Robert. As a legacy lifeboat, Bobby Cameron also carries the names of numerous other supporters whose donations have contributed to RNLI lifesaving operations across the UK and Ireland through the vessel’s identifying number.
The lifeboat will be formally named during a special naming ceremony and service of dedication scheduled to take place in August.
Reflecting on the milestone, Kilkeel RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager John Fisher praised the dedication shown by the station’s volunteers throughout the transition process.
“This is a major achievement for the station and marks the culmination of months of training by our selfless and dedicated crew,” he said.
“We want to sincerely thank everyone who got us to this point – our crew for their commitment to training, our wider team of volunteers for their support and our staff team who facilitated the training and supported our journey as we transitioned from an inshore to an all-weather lifeboat.”
The arrival of the Shannon class lifeboat also signals the end of service for the station’s Atlantic 85 class lifeboat, Frank William Walton, which has served the local community and one of the region’s largest fishing fleets for the past two decades.
“During that time, the lifeboat launched 266 times, with our volunteer crews rescuing 207 people, 11 of whom were lives saved,” Fisher added.
RNLI Area Operations Manager Martin Phillips commended the Kilkeel team for the commitment required to complete the transition.
“This day has come after an immense amount of time and commitment from the station since the end of last year,” he said. “The volume of training and assessments that the station has achieved and the dedication to get to this day is something I cannot underestimate.”
He added: “The transition from an inshore Atlantic 85 class to a Shannon is a complex, demanding and far from quick process. It requires resilience, teamwork and often time spent away from families and jobs. I want to wish the team well as they now embark on this new era of lifesaving.”
The commissioning of Bobby Cameron significantly enhances Kilkeel RNLI’s operational capability, providing the station with an all-weather search and rescue asset capable of responding further offshore and in more challenging conditions, strengthening lifesaving coverage along the County Down coastline and surrounding waters.
