#lusitania – Courtmacsherry RNLI Lusitania Centenary Committee is appealing for artefacts, stories and memorabilia to be part of a major exhibition to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania off the Cork coast in 1915. They are also calling on any family members of those lost or saved in the Lusitania tragedy to contact them to share their stories, which will then be compiled and included in the exhibition.
The commemoration will be held on the May Bank holiday weekend 2015 with the centrepiece being a Lusitania Exhibition in Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Station and other local venues. Courtmacsherry lifeboat responded to the tragedy in 1915 and to coincide with the exhibition, the lifeboat crew will re-enact the call to service and row out to the site of the disaster.
Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Brian O Dwyer said "This is an important event in our stations history. On the centenary of the tragic sinking of the Lusitania, the lifeboat crew will lay a wreath at the site of the disaster to commemorate the event and to remember those who lost their lives. The planned exhibition will be a special one for Courtmacsherry RNLI, as it is the sole remaining lifeboat station that responded to the sinking (Queenstown lifeboat crew also responded but the station was since closed). We are making this call early so that people can see if they have any Lusitania memorabilia or stories that they would like to be part of this exhibition."
The Lusitania was a British ocean liner, launched in 1907 by the Cunard line, a holder of the Blue Riband and briefly the world's biggest ship. On May 7th 1915 on passage from New York, she was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat South of Courtmacsherry Bay, West Cork, Ireland with the loss of over 1200 lives. Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat, Ketzia Gwilt, which was then stationed at Barry's Point under the command of Coxswain Timothy Keohane (father of Antarctic explorer Patrick Keohane) and his crew of 14 men was tasked to respond to reports of a large four funnel steamer in distress South West of the Seven Heads. Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat was launched, but in calm conditions, the sails were of no use so the entire distance of over 12 nautical miles to the casualty had to be rowed.
Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat station has taken part in a major BBC documentary to be presented by renowned journalist, author and broadcaster Jeremy Paxman which will commemorate the centenary of World War 1. The sinking of the Lusitania was a significant event in drawing America into the war. The documentary is due to be aired in spring 2014.
Anyone with information or memorabilia for the exhibition is requested to please contact the Coxswain at Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Station at [email protected]. All memorabilia loaned for the exhibition will be returned.
