Family plans fundraiser in memory of tragic teen
the RNLI brought Mr McAllister to the scene of the sinking at the mouth of Belfast Lough, where he was able to finally lay a wreath in memory of all those who perished.
Last year a special service in Larne commemorated the 63rd anniversary of the disaster. Twenty-seven of the victims were from the Co Antrim port.
Among the 133 who died were Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Maynard Sinclair, and Sir Walter Smiles, MP for North Down.
None of the women and children aboard the stricken vessel survived. At last year’s poignant commemoration ceremony, Mr McAllister spoke movingly to the Larne Times about his ordeal.
“I got up at six o’clock that morning and the ship was due to set sail at seven,” he recalled.
“When we got out to the open sea, the ship was hammered about by large waves, and the stern gates to the car deck burst open.
“The crew couldn’t get them shut. Water flooded into the ship and, as the cargo shifted, the ferry listed onto her side.”
Billy was eventually rescued by RNLI lifeboat the Sir Samuel Kelly from Donaghadee.
The same lifeboat is now preserved for posterity in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra.
“The memories of that day are as fresh in my mind today as they were in the days after the sinking,” Mr McAllister told the newspaper in 2016.
“These commemoration services are very poignant for me, but they are important as they help to keep alive the memory of those who died that day.
Mr McAllister’s remains will be removed on Monday at 9.30am from his son Kieran’s home at Curran Road in Larne to arrive at St MacNissi’s Church for Requiem Mass at 10am.
He will then be laid to rest afterwards in nearby Larne Cemetery. THE parents of a schoolgirl who passed away after an asthma attack have set a date for a 16k event in her memory.
Rachel Williamson, a fifth year student from Portavogie in Co Down, passed away on July 5, having been diagnosed with the condition at the age of six.
The 16-year-old had been described as a popular and well-loved teenager who made friends right across the generations.
The walk on September 23 will cover a kilometre for each year of Rachel’s life.
The schoolgirl was described by classmates as someone who would “always look out for you”.
Her parents said they hope to spare other families the heartache of losing someone to asthma. They want to remember Rachel by raising money and awareness to fight the condition which took her life.
Rachel’s father, Simon Williamson, is campaigning for better ambulance coverage and community training for such emergencies.
The nearest hospital to Portavogie, on the Ards Peninsula, is the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald — more than 20 miles away and a 40-minute journey along poor country roads. Other areas of the Ards Peninsula are even more remote.
Mr Williamson wants to include first aid training focusing on asthma response as part of the 16k event.
Rachel had just finished her GCSE exams and would have been due to start a college course in childcare this September.
Her father said: “Everyone has heard of asthma, but what most people are unaware of is that it can kill.
“Three people die every day of asthma-related illnesses in the UK.
“Our aim is to give back through Rachel; we want her to be the leading light in this.
“We came up with the idea initially for a sponsored walk — the 16k to represent the 16 years of her life — and then we wanted to turn it into an event day and to have professionals teach CPR and first aid.”