'It runs in the family - we've almost 300 years in the fire service between us'

For almost 150 years, Newry Fire Station has rarely been without a McClelland on duty.

With 10 members across multiple generations, they have clocked up almost 300 years of combined service.

Brothers Stephen and Raymond said their "childhood hero growing up was our father and our brothers" - the men who ran out the door whenever the siren sounded.

Now the latest generation are still answering the call, with one McClelland urging others to join as the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) recruits more on-call firefighters.

The family's firefighting history goes back to the 19th century, when volunteers started a fire brigade in Newry. First Officer Alexander McClelland was a founding member, in 1877.

In total, 10 McClellands - brothers, sons, nephews and cousins - have worn the uniform.

Kieran McClelland retired in 2025 after 30 years of service at the Newry station.

His grandfather Jackie McClelland started at the station in 1940.

Five of Jackie's sons also joined, including John McClelland who was Northern Ireland's chief fire officer from 1996 until 2002.

Kieran was part of the third generation of servicemen, whose contribution brought the family's tally to over 300 years of combined service.

For the McClelland children, the fire service wasn't just a job - it was a constant in everyday life.

Stephen and Raymond, two out of five siblings that joined the service, described pagers sounding in the middle of the night, boots left ready at the stairs and cars parked facing out in case of a call.

Stephen explained: "Everything was geared up to the beeper going off and you being ready."

"When the fire siren or pager went off in the middle of the night - everybody in the house was waking up, whether you were in the fire brigade or not at the time," said Raymond.

"You knew you had your brothers, and your father who were responding to whatever was happening at the time, that was always sort of in the back of your head."

Stephen remembers watching their father responding during the Troubles.

"Our childhood hero was our father and our brothers," he added.

Both the brothers acknowledged the family legacy wasn't just about those who wore the uniform.

"The women were the true heroes because when anything went wrong, they were the ones holding hands... particularly in the early days of the Troubles."

Raymond also acknowledged the importance of all members of the family during their time on call: "They were the unsung heroes, the partners of the firefighters.

"Many a holiday was cancelled because you were going away and all of a sudden the beeper went off."

Despite the long record of family history in the service, Raymond insisted they never felt any pressure in pursuing firefighting as a career.

"Everybody just wanted to be firemen because we were brought up with it all the time... everything was involved around the fire brigade."

Looking back on their time in the service, Stephen noted he felt an immense sense of pride in giving back to their community.

"It's a privilege to be in the fire brigade," he added.

"We were lucky to be able to serve the community in this way... that's the opportunity that the fire brigade gives you."

Now the next generation is on hand to respond to calls in the local area.

Colum McClelland joined last year as an on-call firefighter in Warrenpoint - just seven miles from Newry.

He committs up to 90 hours a week to respond from home or work when his pager sounds.

"For smaller towns and villages, we're the backbone of the community," he said. "We need more on-call firefighters and I'd encourage anyone who's interested to give it a go."

While larger towns and cities have full-time firefighters, the rest of Northern Ireland relies on on-call firefighters like Colum.

The NIFRS have launched a new campaign to recruit more on-call firefighters in 26 stations across Northern Ireland.

The recruitment drive opened on 23 Feb and runs for three weeks.

After 150 years of service, the McClellands are keen for the next generation to continue the tradition.

"It's about protecting the public," says Kieran. "That's always been the ethos."

"It's not just about our name. When the fire service started in Newry, it was like someone's starting to write a book, but this book doesn't have an ending.

"It's just going to be chapter after chapter after chapter, we've just been fortunate enough over the years to play a part in some of those chapters."

Kieran added: "The book's going to remain open forever for other people to add their little piece to this story as well."