THE HISTORY
After a successful maritime exhibition held at Holyhead in 1982 and 1983, feedback from the public showed potential to create a permanent display in the form of a museum.  Consequently a group of Trustees founded the Holyhead Maritime Museum Ltd on the 24th September 1984.
A nine year lease was obtained from the Church in Wales in September 1984 on a redundant church St Elbods, and the museum was opened to the public in June 1985.  His Grace the Duke of Westminster officially opened it in March 1986.
Because of the back street location it was difficult to attract tourist visitors, but it encouraged the deposit of material of local historical value which otherwise would have been lost. 
It was hoped that when the lease expired in 1983 that the museum could be located i the redundant Marine Yard, which was at the time being planned as a tourist and heritage centre.  This fell through and because of a large increase in rent and the time scale for an extension of the lease of St. Elbods it was decided to close the museum and place and artefacts in store.
Stena Line then offered the Trustees the lease of the old Lifeboat house on Newry Beach at a peppercorn rent, the main shell of the building had to be renovated before we took it over.
When the Trustees took over the building in 1997 it was decided to seek Heritage Lottery funding for building an annex which would contain visitor facilities and the design and fitting out of the exhibition area.  The grant was successful but due to a request to increase the lease from thirty years to ninety-nine years this delayed us twelve months.
The museum is housed in what is said to be the oldest lifeboat house in Wales (circa 1858).  The first lifeboat that was stationed in the house was un-named it was launched 18 times and saved 128 persons.  The second boat was the PRINCE OF WALES, launched 38 times and rescued 128 persons.  In 1875, the house was enlarged to take the THOMAS FIELDEN which was donated by Joshua Fielden MP and his brothers Samuel and John.  In 1890 the house was extended to accommodate a second lifeboat which would be launched from the landward end of the building by way of a carriage drawn by horses.