The Boy Alex was built by Jones, Buckie in about 1935 and was brought to Kilkeel in 1945 by Tom Newell who paid £18,000 for her. She was registered as N19. Mr Newell named the boat after his brother who was killed in the War. 

In 1948 she was bought by a Howth man with a hire purchase agreement from the Sea Fisheries Association, and a deposit of £2,000 by the buyer. This owner was a citizen of the Republic but happened to be in the Royal Air Force. Because of his connection with the ‘Brits’, Fine Gael T.D. Eamonn Rooney asked a Dail question as to how such a man could ‘get a boat from the SFA’.

The Boy Alex next appeared in Killybegs in the summer of 1952, and worked out of the port as a seiner.  She was skippered by the late Ned Heraghty.  She was a troublesome vessel, and spent a lot of time having her machinery repaired. Eventually she gave up the ghost, and was taken around to Port na Croise by, I believe, Peter Murrin and others.