West Cork town to celebrate 200 years of the first lifeboat in Courtmacsherry
A host of events to mark the 200th anniversary of the first lifeboat in Courtmacsherry will take place over the June bank holiday weekend, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin set to be in attendance.
Courtmacsherry has a proud tradition within the RNLI, with a great spirit of volunteerism spanning centuries. The first RNLI lifeboat in Ireland, named The Plenty, arrived in Courtmacsherry in 1825.
On Sunday, the Taoiseach will unveil a special 200th anniversary plaque at 1.30pm on the pier, against the backdrop of the all-weather state-of-the-art Shannon class lifeboat, the Val Adnams.
Other first response agencies, such as the Irish Coast Guard and Civil Defence, will also be present on Sunday, and there will be a display of model lifeboats on the pier.
The weekend celebrations will begin on Friday night in the Courtmacsherry Community Hall, with a historical talk on the 200 years of the lifeboats in the village.
Former lifeboat mechanic Micheál Hurley will be one of those who will recount the station's history and the many journeys of the lifeboats, including the Fastnet Race tragedy in 1979 when the crew of the Courtmacsherry relief RNLI lifeboat spent 21 hours at sea.
An open day will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm and the Courtmacsherry lifeboat Val Adnams will be open to the public for guided tours. In addition, the Courtmacsherry RNLI station house will also be open to the public.
The weekend celebrations conclude with the performance of Courtmacsherry Rhythms in the Sacred Heart Church, Courtmacsherry, beginning at 6pm.
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