Shortly after the arrival of the RNLI on Anglesey in 1855, the Admiralty agreed to pay £410 to construct a permanent lifeboat station on Holyhead’s Newry Beach. The building was modified and extended over the next four decades to accommodate subsequent generations of lifeboats.

However, in 1897, Holyhead acquired the 'Duke of Northumberland', the island’s first steam-powered lifeboat. As it was too big for the current building, it was moored alongside the harbour dockside. Later a further lifeboat station was constructed on Salt Island to house more modern motor-driven craft. The building on Newry Beach continued to serve as an auxiliary station until it was finally closed in 1930.

Today, the lifeboat station houses the volunteer-run Holyhead Maritime Museum. Its collection celebrates the town’s rich naval and maritime history.