#lusitania – The Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Lusitania Centenary Committee is appealing to anyone or any organisation that may have Lusitania artefacts, stories and memorabilia or know of any family members of those lost or saved in the tragedy to get in contact.
Next Wednesday 7 May, marks the 99th anniversary since the sinking of the Lusitania and Courtmacsherry RNLI's lifeboat will be visiting her resting place to lay a wreath to remember those lost.
The RMS 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 7 May 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 tragic loss of over 1,200 lives.
Shortly after she was hit, Courtmacsherry RNLI's lifeboat, Ketzia Gwilt which was then stationed at Barry's Point under the command of Coxswain Timothy Keohane and his crew of 14 men, was requested to respond to reports of a large four funnel steamer in distress south east of the Seven Heads.
Courtmacsherry's lifeboat was launched, but in calm conditions without any wind, the sails were of no use so the entire distance of over 12 nautical miles to the casualty had to be rowed by the lifeboat crew.
Next year, to commemorate the centenary of the sinking, the crew of Courtmacsherry RNLI will perform a re-enactment of their call to service on that tragic day in 1915 and will row out to the site of the disaster in a restored original pulling and sailing lifeboat from 1900.
This commemoration event will be held during the May Bank holiday weekend and will be accompanied by a Lusitania exhibition in the lifeboat station and other related events at local venues.
Tadgh MacCarthy, Courtmacsherry RNLI second mechanic and committee member said: 'My ambition to join the lifeboat crew came at a very young age, shaped by the stories that my grandmother told me of watching the Lusitania sinking from the school yard in Butlerstown. As I grew older this enthusiasm also grew so eventually I followed in my grandfather and grand uncle's footsteps and joined the lifeboat crew to keep the tradition of providing help to those in need at sea.'
Dara Gannon from the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Lusitania Centenary Committee added: 'The loss of the Lusitania is a huge part of Courtmacsherry history and it's not long since some retired lifeboat crew from that day in 1915 were around to recall it. Every Courtmacsherry crew member today holds admiration for all the hardy crewmen of long ago that responded in the attempts to rescue life that tragic day and hope that this centenary commemoration not only makes people think of the loss of life but also the gallant efforts made to save it.'
Anyone with information, questions or contributions are asked to email [email protected] or contact the station at +353 23 8846600. If you would like to learn more about Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat's call to the sinking of the Lusitania, please visit our website at www.lusitaniacentenary.ie