Unveiled as part of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s VE Day 80 commemorations, the restored 40-foot torpedo recovery boat is now mounted on land in pride of place at The Gateway Visitor Centre at Antrim Lough Shore Park.
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, she was instrumental in retrieving Mk VIII torpedoes that were produced at the nearby torpedo factory on Randalstown Road, Antrim. After her decommissioning and sale in 1960, The Joyce spent decades in use as a working boat in Weymouth, England—until her wartime significance was rediscovered.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly said, “The Joyce is an incredible piece of Lough Neagh's history. She was built for a very specific and important task during the war and now, decades later, she’s returned home not to the water, but to be proudly displayed where locals and visitors can learn about her story and the lough’s unique wartime role.”
Now fully refurbished and preserved, Joyce has been carefully mounted at The Gateway Centre in Antrim, where she will be accessible to the public as a key exhibit. Her placement at the Lough Shore ensures she remains close to the waters where she once served, standing as a powerful reminder of the region’s contribution to wartime innovation and naval history.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Neil Kelly, Deputy Mayor Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM and Councillor Leah Smyth unveiling the new position of The Joyce at Antrim Lough Shore.