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MBE for Irish port superintendent
Published: 04 January, 2011
ALEX Slater, who heads the fishermen's mission at Kilkeel, has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours.
He has been RNMDSF senior superintendent at the busy Northern Ireland fishing port since 1997, assisting fishermen and their families in a variety of different roles.
In one of the most poignant Northern Ireland fishing tragedies, he was involved in the effort to retrieve the remaining bodies from a fishing boat which sank in the Irish Sea in 2002. There was an intensive search for the wreckage of the Tullaghmurry Lass, which went down with three generations of the Greene family, all called Michael. Divers found the wreckage lying in 140ft of water seven miles off the fishing village of Kilkeel in Co Down - the family's home. Mr Slater, who has been in constant contact with the Greene family, said at the time: "It has been a long wait and the family will welcome this news."
Over the last 15 years he has been working with his wife, Trish, helping to deliver Christian pastoral care across the sectarian divide. The couple are held in high esteem by all sections of the local fishing community. Kilkeel is close to some of Europe's busiest shipping lanes which pose a hazard for trawlers and Alex has helped a number of families affected by tragedy at sea. There has also been a decline in the Northern Ireland fishing industry which has hit many families hard and much of his work has been helping people cope with the economic impact. Over the years, the local Kilkeel Mission has earned a good reputation for quality service provision and commitment to the fishing (and seafaring) communities of Northern Ireland and has established a good working relationship with the fishing community of Killybegs in the Republic of Ireland.
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