Portaferry Lifeboat Station owes its origins to a former lifeboat station which was located in the village of Cloughey, Co. Down.

On the East Coast of Northern Ireland there are many hazards between Burr Island and Killard Point. They include the South and North Rocks, the Rig, the Butter Pladdy and half-tide rocks off Ballyquinton Point.

As a result of the large number of shipwrecks in the 19th Century it was decided to establish a lifeboat station at Cloughey which was a small coastal village on the Ards Peninsula, Co. Down.

The Cloughey Lifeboat Station was established by the RNLI in 1884 and its first lifeboat was called 'The Faith' and was commissioned in 1885.

The crew of the Cloughey Lifeboat, 1908, after the rescue of the 26 crew of the Croisset. Front row: Jonny Young, George Drysdale, John Young, Davy John Young, Robert Young. Second row: Andy Young, Bob Young, Andy ( Lame ) Young. Third row: E Cupman ( Coastguard Captain) Robbie Young (Coxswain) John Beggs. Back Row: Unidentified Coastguards (Note the four horse shafts for towing the lifeboat on her carriage)

In 1906 'The Faith' (ON94) was replaced by the 'John'(ON 553) which remained on service until 1931 when she was moved to the Newcastle Lifeboat Station, Co. Down.

Both vessels were sailing and pulling (rowing) lifeboats and had no engine. They were launched from the beach at Cloughey with the aid of horses.

In 1931 a self-righting motor vessel, the 'William Maynard' (ON746) was sent to the station. The 'Herbert John' (ON825) replaced her in 1939 and she remained on service until 1952 when Cloughey Lifeboat Station received its last lifeboat, the 'Constance Calverley' (ON902).

The 'Constance Calverley' remained in Cloughey until the station closed in 1965.

Portavogie harbour then became the anchorage for a new lifeboat 'Glencoe Glasgow' (ON857) where she remained on service until 1978.

The Cloughey/Portavogie Lifeboat Station was officially closed in 1981.

Between 1884 and 1978 the Cloughey Lifeboat was called out on 152 rescue missions and saved no less than 311 lives.

The service record boards of Cloughey Lifeboat Station have been preserved and are on display in Portaferry Lifeboat Station.

The Crew of the Cloughey Lifeboat in 1950 following the rescue of the seven crew members of the South Rock Lightship. From Left: David Thompson (Hon. Sec.), Alex McNamara, Hugh Palmer, Jonny Gibson, Billy Bell, George M Young (Coxwain), George Coffey and Sam Adair. Photograph taken at the door to the station with the Herbert John in the background

7th March 1962 - The Cloughey Lifeboat, Constance Calverley, returning to rescue the captain of the Dutch coaster 'Frida Blokzijl' after bringing four of the vessel's crew safely ashore.

With the introduction of fast inshore lifeboats which were capable of making way against strong tides, (such as tides of up to 8 knots experienced locally in the Strangford Narrows) it was decided in 1979 to place a single-engined 'C' class lifeboat in Portaferry for evaluation.

The lifeboat quickly proved to be a success and a twin engine 'D' class was commissioned on 1st May 1980. The station was upgraded to 24 hour all year operation in 1982.

1980 - Honorary Secretary, Dr Billy Brown (centre) and Chief Helmsman, Desmond (Dessie) Rodgers (far right) with visiting RNLI officials in the old boat house

The casualty was a yacht, aground at Jane's Rock, Strangford Lough. One of the crew was rescued and a search for the second crew member was carried out amongst the pladdies in appalling weather condition.

For their bravery that night, Chief Helmsman, Desmond Rodgers, was awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal and his crew members, Billy Ellison and Frank Rogers, the RNLI's 'Thanks on Vellum'.

1982 Portaferry 's "D" class, braving the weather in Strangford Lough

In December 1986 an Atlantic 21 fast inshore lifeboat was presented to the station by 'Blue Peter' a British Broadcasting Corporation children's television programme.

Children from throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland raised the monies to provide this and other 'Blue Peter lifeboats'.

15th May 1984 Her Majesty The Queen Mother presents the Institution's Bronze Medal to Chief Helmsman, Desmond Rogers, at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

1984 - Sir John Andrews, first President of Portaferry Lifeboat station, congratulates RNLI award winners Desmond Rogers, Frank Rogers and William (Billy) Ellison

Paula was chosen to launch 'Blue Peter V' as she was a descendant of the 'Young family' of Cloughey who had provided so many coxswains and crew members for the Cloughey lifeboat over many decades.

December 1986, Paula Trainor ( 10) launched the first Portaferry 'Blue Peter' lifeboat, an Atlantic 21 named 'Blue Peter V'. Paula is shown holding the RNLI Bronze Medal (1924) of her great, great, grand uncle, Andrew Young and the RNLI Bronze Medal (1939) her great grand uncle, George M Young.

During the following years the station helped to pioneer the use of Decca and GPS navigation on inshore lifeboats as an aid to casualty location in poor visibility conditions and put this experience to practical use on several rescue missions.

1994 - Tim Vincent of Blue Peter who handed over' Blue Peter V' was presented with a photograph of Blue Peter V's crew.

Our Atlantic 75, 'Blue Peter V', is the lifeboat currently on station at Portaferry .

'Blue Peter V' on exercise