March 17th 2019 will mark 50 years since the Longhope Lifeboat Tragedy.
It was on a dreadful night in 1969 that the Longhope lifeboat was launched to go to the aid of the Liberian vessel ‘Irene’ . All eight of the lifeboat crew were lost.
The local community on Hoy is now trying to raise funds for the Longhope Lifeboat museum and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragedy that devastated the small close knit community.
” Built in 1906, the principle aim of this maritime museum, is to tell the historical story of the old lifeboat station, the powerful events and rescues at sea and to remember former crew members. “
A go fund me page has been set up : Longhope Lifeboat Museum Appeal with a target of £30,000.
The men who died on that fateful night were:
Coxswain Daniel Kirkpatrick
Second Coxswain James Johnston (son of Mechanic)
Bowman Daniel R Kirkpatrick (son of Coxswain)
Mechanic Robert R. Johnston
Assistant Mechanic James Swanson
Crew Member Robert Johnston (son of Mechanic)
Crew Member John T Kirkpatrick (son of Coxswain)
Crew Member Eric McFadyen
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I remember this tragedy well as my fiancee and myself were visiting her aunt and uncle Dod and Molly Cowie, at Scappa Distillery where Dod was the ‘master brewer’. We went to the cliffs overlooking the wreck to have a look and pay our own tribute to the ‘Men of Longhope’ . I recall being particularly disgusted as at the time there was a strong suggestion that the wreck was all part of an insurance scam. Living in the south of England at the time I never did hear of whether or not it was a scam and like many things slipped into memory.