April 6th each year is the anniversary of the sinking of the Mary Stoddart in 1858. A disaster that has resonated through the ages an example of heroric bravery from the people of Blackrock and surrounding coasts of Dundalk Bay who tried to save the lives of its crew who were caught up in a monstrous 5 day storm. The ship which struck ground in Dundalk Bay after being blown of course in its efforts to reach her port in Scotland. Originally from Scarborough she had sailed from Alexandria in Egypt with a crew of 18 under the stewardship of Captain Hill and had been making her way to Carlingford Louth when blown onto the sand of the bay overlooking Blackrock. What unfolded over the next 5 days was a tale of epic bravery on a life and death struggle from simple fishermen folk who tried and ultimately succeed in rescuing some of the crew but at a great cost to those aboard and on shore.

As a direct result of the tragedy the first lifeboat station in Louth was established in Blackrock along with 2 lifeboats “The General R Dudley Blake” being stationed a the The Boathouse. A restoration project is underway to restore this lifeboat and to put on display somewhere in Blackrock as a tourist attraction.