Veterans to share history of Lough Neagh torpedo boat
Antrim and Newtownabbey Council has teamed up with a group of veterans to share the history of a wartime boat which has been returned to the borough.
The Joyce, a torpedo retrieval boat, which operated on Lough Neagh during World War II, is on display at a site adjacent to The Gateway Visitor Centre at Antrim’s Loughshore Park.
The restored 40-ft vessel was unveiled as part of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s VE Day 80 commemorations in May of last year.
The council’s Community Development Committee, which met at Mossley Mill, on Monday evening, was told of the development of a partnership with local veterans.
A committee report said that the veterans’ group will participate in educational tours and talks at the Gateway and Lough Neagh during weekends this summer.
The report indicated that they will engage with visitors and provide information on the history of the Joyce and Royal Navy activity on Lough Neagh and highlight maintenance issues to council officers to assist with the ongoing physical restoration.
Veterans will also be invited to work with officers on a ‘Historic Borough’ programme, particularly in relation to a heritage trail exploring Antrim and Newtownabbey during both World Wars.
Built for the Royal Navy in 1943, The Joyce played a vital role during the Second World War as a torpedo recovery vessel. Operating from a test platform still standing on Lough Neagh, the boat was instrumental in retrieving Mk VIII torpedoes that were produced at the torpedo factory at Randalstown Road, Antrim. It was designed and built by the Admiralty for use during test- firing.
After decommissioning by the Royal Navy and sale in 1960, The Joyce spent decades in use as a working boat in Weymouth, England and has since been fully refurbished and preserved.
It was made available to the council through Silvery Light Sailing, a Northern Ireland-based charity, which promotes maritime heritage in association with the Lough Neagh Partnership, after the owner wished to “gift the vessel to a good home” where it will continue to be preserved. The council acquired the boat in 2021.
The vessel’s return was progressed thanks to £10,000 funding from the Heritage Environment Division of the Department for Communities.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter