RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

File image of Aran Islands RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

Aran Islands Lifeboat Launches for Double Medevac from Inis Mór

16th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Aran Islands RNLI was tasked for a medevac from Inis Mór as a scheduled patient transfer by air was cancelled due to poor visibility yesterday morning, Monday 15 March. Due to poor visibility, a scheduled patient transfer by air was…

Larne RNLI bring 17 fishermen to safety after Spanish trawler breaks down

Red Bay & Larne RNLI Bring 17 Fishermen to Safety After Spanish Trawler Gets into Difficulty

12th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Red Bay and Larne RNLI came to the aid of 17 fisherman last night (Thursday 11 March) after their 35m Spanish trawler got into difficulty 11 miles east of Cushendall. The volunteer crews at both stations were requested to launch…

Skerries RNLI approaching the survey vessel

Skerries Lifeboat Carries Out Medevac from Survey Vessel

11th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI carried out a medical evacuation of a crewman from a survey vessel six miles north of Skerries last night, Wednesday 10 March. Shortly after 8pm, the lifeboat crew were tasked by Dublin Coast Guard following a call from…

Arklow RNLI’s newly appointed station mechanic James Russell

Arklow Lifeboat Launches to Assist After Fishing Vessel Loses Propulsion

11th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Arklow RNLI’s new station mechanic responded to his first callout yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 10 March) when the lifeboat was tasked to assist a fishing vessel off Arklow Pier. The volunteer crew left their lunch and were under way aboard the…

Michael Fitzgerald with his retirement gifts

Arklow RNLI Mechanic Michael Fitzgerald Retires After 40 Years

9th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Arklow RNLI marked the end of an era last Friday 5 March when Michael Fitzgerald, the station’s full-time mechanic retired after 40 years of dedicated service to the charity. Michael, who grew up on Harbour Road in Arklow, first joined…

Dr Christine O’Malley took up the new position in January

Dr Christine O’Malley Appointed Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Derg RNLI

9th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI have announced the appointment of Dr Christine O’Malley as lifeboat operations manager. Dr O’Malley, who took up the post on 8 January this year after the retirement of Liam Maloney, is now responsible for all activities at…

Arranmore RNLI crew member Erin McCafferty with station president Majella O’Donnell

Celebrating the Women of Arranmore RNLI on International Women’s Day

8th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Since Sir William Hillary founded the RNLI in 1824, women have had a role in the service — initially working in the background by helping to launch and recover the lifeboats, fundraising for the voluntary service and supporting their husbands…

Jude Kilmartin (left) and Tony McCarth of Lough Ree RNLI

Lough Ree RNLI Welcomes New Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager

8th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI begins 2021 with the appointment of Jude Kilmartin as the station’s new volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager. He succeeds Tony McCarth who held the post since 2017. During his tenure, Tony McCarth led the volunteer crew of one…

Carrybridge Atlantic 85 and the RNLI Rescue Water Craft

RNLI Carrybridge Tows Vessel with Engine Difficulties on Lough Erne

8th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Only a few days after Carrybridge RNLI which operates on Upper Lough Erne, received a generous donation from the Enniskillen Royal Boat Club, its Atlantic 85 Inshore lifeboat answered a shout yesterday (7th) to help a vessel with two people onboard…

Tim Murphy (right) and Shannon Clawson (left) handed over cheques to Rosie Maguire, Action Mental Health and Stephen Scott (second left) from the RNLI

Enniskillen Royal Boat Club Rowers Donate to Carrybridge RNLI on Lough Erne

7th March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

It’s 580 km from Malin Head to Mizen Head and this was the distance covered by members of the Enniskillen Royal Boat Club in a fund-raising virtual row in aid of the Carrybridge RNLI on Lough Erne and Action Mental…

Fethard RNLI lifeboat crew begin the search for the stranded walkers

Fethard RNLI Respond to Call to Help Stranded Walkers Cut off by the Tide off Bannow Island

1st March 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteer lifeboat crew at Fethard RNLI were requested by the Irish Coast Guard on Sunday evening (28 February) at 5.15 pm to reports of three walkers who had become cut off by the incoming tide with no way of getting…

The RNLI collection box that now sits in McCarthy’s Bar in San Francisco

Irish Diaspora in US Donate $5,000 to Kinsale RNLI for Lifesaving Efforts

28th February 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Like every other RNLI station, lifeboat volunteers at Kinsale RNLI have been unable to pursue their normal fundraising activities due to Covid-19 restrictions. So they were surprised and delighted to receive a cheque recently for over $5,000 from a group…

Clifden RNLI involved in the search operation

Clifden RNLI Lifeboat Involved in Search Operation after EPIRB is Accidentally Activated off Connemara Coast

26th February 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Clifden RNLI launched both its Shannon class all-weather and Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboats this morning (Friday 26 February) after an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was accidentally activated, giving a position west of Turbot Island. The volunteer crews were…

Members of the Old Head/Seven Heads coastguard team abseil into the sinkhole to reach the casualty

Woman Trapped in West Cork Sea Inlet Rescued By Coastguard & Lifeboat Crew

26th February 2021 West Cork

A woman was rescued from a sea inlet in West Cork after a more than 90-minute ordeal yesterday evening, Thursday 25 February. The casualty had got caught in the swelling tide just off the slipway at Dunworley Beach near Butlerstown…

Megan Roantree with her late father, Sean

10,000 Names to be Inscribed on Clifden's New RNLI Lifeboat

25th February 2021 Wavelength Podcast

Lee Early, deputy coxswain of the RNLI’s Arranmore lifeboat in Donegal lost his life in 2019, but his name is one of 10,000 which will be inscribed on the hull of the new Shannon class lifeboat bound for Clifden, Co…

RNLI are Recruiting Lifeguards for the Causeways Coast & County Down Beaches

25th February 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

RNLI Portrush has posted that RNLI Lifeguards are recruiting and applications are open for 2021. If you have a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard qualification and are interested in joining a dynamic, well-trained team responsible for keeping beach users safe around…

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Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

Which is Ireland's busiest lifeboat station?

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Do the RNLI get paid?

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

How many RNLI Lifeboat stations in Ireland?

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

How many lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions?

How many people are rescued by the RNLI?

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

What type of boats does the RNLI have?

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

How are lifeboats called out?

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

What is the relationship between the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI in Ireland?

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

What is a coxswain?

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

What training do RNLI lifeboat crews get?

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset