#rnli – Howth RNLI has announced its Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM), Rupert Jeffares will be retiring from his post after over 50 years of tireless dedication to Howth RNLI.

Mr. Jeffares has contributed to saving hundreds of lives at sea, since he joined as a volunteer crew member in the 1960's and in more recent years as he authorised the launch of Howth's lifeboats and assisted with the efficient management of the lifeboat station.

Last year, at the RNLI awards ceremony in the Barbican Centre in London, Rupert received a Bar to the Gold Badge, the second highest accolade awarded by the lifesaving institution in acknowledgement of his commitment to the charity.

Commenting on the announcement, Russell Rafter the Chairman of Howth RNLI said, 'He is a much loved, greatly respected and valued member of Howth RNLI, and will be sorely missed. We would like to invite all his friends, family and RNLI colleagues to mark Rupert's contribution to Howth RNLI with a reception and presentation in Howth Yacht Club at 8pm on Thursday 23 April'.

The new Lifeboat Operations Manager for Howth RNLI, Colm Newport, will take up his post at the start of May.

#Lifeboats - Yesterday evening (Monday 6 April), the volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI were requested by the Irish Coast Guard at Malin Head to launch to a surfer in difficulty.

Shortly after 8pm, a passer-by noticed a female surfer in difficulty off Tullan Strand in Bundoran and immediately dialled 999.

Moments later the lifeboat crew were paged and within four minutes the Atlantic 85 lifeboat was launched from the pier, arriving on scene in under three minutes.



The crew brought the surfer and her surfboard on to the lifeboat and performed a quick medical check finding she was shaken but uninjured. The crew then returned to the station. 



Speaking after their return, lifeboat helm Brian Gillespie said: "We are thankful to the member of the public who did the right thing by calling the coastguard.

"Darkness was beginning to fall and had it been any later the situation may have turned more dangerous. Thankfully the surfer is OK.

"As the weather is getting better, we want people to enjoy themselves but we would urge water users to exercise common sense and heed basic water safety principles.”

#RNLI - Roy Teggarty has retired as lifeboat operations manager at Kilkeel RNLI in Co Down.

At a social evening in the local British Legion on Friday 27 March, Teggarty was pleased to greet fellow Kilkeel RNLI colleagues as well as staff and volunteers from neighbouring stations.

Coming from a fishing and nautical background, Teggarty was an obvious choice when in 1994 the lifeboat crew in Kilkeel were looking for a deputy landing authority (DLA).

He brought hard work, dedication and excellent organisational skills to the station ensuring, with the help of others in management, that the building and the equipment were always up to the required tasks.

In the year 2000, all his experiences were recognised when he was appointed as lifeboat operations manager (LOM). Over the years he has ensured that the crew have maintained the high professional standards they have always set for themselves.

Commenting on his years of service, Teggarty stated that the majority of callouts have been routine but, as always with this role, some have been very very dark tragic days.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as DLA and LOM of Kilkeel RNLI, working with a dedicated team of volunteers, not only on the operational side but also with the excellent team of fundraisers," he said.

"Although I am standing down as LOM, I am sure that the station will continue to provide an excellent and professional service under the leadership of their new LOM John Fisher. I wish them all the best for the future in continuing to save lives at sea."

Thanking him for his many years of service, Leslie Campbell, Kilkeel RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer, said: "The crew and fundraisers would like to wish Roy a long and rewarding retirement free from early morning alarm calls and thanks for your dedication, loyalty and years of faithful service."

#MarineWildlife - On Friday morning (3 April) Arklow RNLI was made aware of a seal apparently caught in fishing gear close to the Arklow Harbour entrance.

Two of Arklow RNLI’s team went to the area to ascertain if it was feasible to launch the lifeboat to rescue the weary marine mammal, identified locally as Sammy - the subject of a previous rescue some 18 months ago when still a pup.

Due to conditions in the area and due to the proximity of the shoreline and an ebbing tide at the location, it was decided it was inadvisable to launch the Ger Tigchelaar.

Because of the trapped animal's proximity to the shore, and to eliminate the further risk of any members of the public entering the water to save the seal, it was decided instead to try to rescue the animal from a smaller rescue craft.

Two of Arklow RNLI’s volunteers, station mechanic Michael Fitzgerald, and Brian Heaney, went to sea to the aid of the tiring animal.

After hauling in the fishing gear, the exhausted and stressed seal was moved to an area where it could make for the shore to rest and was then cut loose from the fishing gear. 

The seal had a short break on the lower rocks of the shoreline before making for open water.

Speaking following the incident, Fitzgerald said: “Luckily we were able to get to the seal in time to save it.

"When members of the pubic come across injured or stressed animals like this trapped in fishing gear or injured, they should inform the authorities immediately, they should never enter the water to try to save the animal.

"They should always leave this to persons who are experienced and have the right equipment to carry out the rescue safely. Always respect the water.”

#RNLI - The RNLI’s first permanent inland lifeboat station is now complete and fully operational on Upper Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh.

After been housed in temporary accommodation for 13 years, Enniskilllen RNLI volunteers were handed the keys to their new building in Carrybridge this week. 



The modern purpose-built lifeboat station is located close to the lough to allow for an efficient launch of its inshore lifeboat and rescue water craft.

The station, which also houses the associated launching tractor and equipment, full crew changing facilities, a workshop, office and training room, will be officially opened later this year.



First announced nearly two years ago, the build took little over a year to complete was carried out by the Omagh based Woodvale Construction Company and handed over to the RNLI last Wednesday 25 March.



The building is designed with a heating system which allows the heat to be drawn from the ground and produced inside, keeping the temperature at an ambient 15 degrees Celsius. The excess is used to heat the water for showering, washing-up and cleaning the vessels. Solar panels on the roof will also generate electricity for the station's needs.



In order to facilitate the project, the local community helped the charity raise £60,000 towards the cost, which will now help the RNLI’s 40 volunteers based at Enniskillen to continue to save lives on Lough Erne.



In 2001, Enniskillen became home to the RNLI’s first inland lifeboat station based on Lower Lough Erne. 

Due to the overall size and complexity of the lough and its high leisure usage, the decision was taken by the RNLI in 2002 to base a second lifeboat on the Upper Lough at Carrybridge that would work in conjunction with the original lifeboat station on the Lower Lough at Killadeas.



With two bases, two inshore lifeboats and two rescue water craft, the station has since proved to be one of the busiest in Ireland.



Last year alone, Enniskillen RNLI launched 59 times, bringing 57 people to safety. Some 32 of those services were carried out in the dark while the crew spent 262 service hours on the water.



Speaking following the handover of the new building, RNLI divisional technical manager Derek Potter said he was delighted that the station was now complete.

"From the outset, we wanted to build a modern station with full crew facilities with areas for the crew to change and train and space to keep their lifeboat and rescue water craft and lifesaving kit safe," he said.

"We now have those facilities and are very happy to be in a position to take over the new lifeboat station and are delighted with both the design and quality of the building."



Enniskillen lifeboat operations manager Davey Robinson added that the new station was what the crew deserved.

"The new station is a testament to the RNLI’s commitment and dedication to the community here locally and a credit to our crews efforts in continuing to bring people to safety on Lough Erne," he said.

"Our volunteers had an opportunity to be shown around their new station this week and they are overwhelmed with the structure and facilities that they now have when they come together for callouts and training.

"We would like to thank everyone who has helped us to get to this stage including all those who donated, organised or participated in any fundraising activity."

#RNLI - Fethard-on-Sea RNLI were diverted from a planned exercise last weekend following a report of a young man in extreme difficulty after he launched a kayak near Baginbun Head to rescue his dog from a steep gully.

The young man and his girlfriend, both from Co Wexford, were walking with their dog near Baginbun Headland on the afternoon of Sunday 22 March when the dog fell into the gully while following a seagull.

The man, in concern for his dog, tried to rescue it by getting his kayak, launching it, and going into the gully. Sea conditions were calm at the time and the man was an accomplished boatman with a good knowledge of the seas around Baginbun.  



However, as he entered the gully he realised that the sea was rougher than he anticipated. His kayak overturned and he realised that he was going to have difficulty getting out to open water.

Conditions inside the gully were worsening as the tide started to come in. The man alerted his girlfriend who remained on top of the gully to raise the alarm. 



Fethard-on-Sea RNLI were on a planned training exercise in the area when the call came through. Lifeboat helm Hugh Burke immediately had the boat launched at Fethard Harbour and went to Baginbun.

The RNLI lifeboat crew established contact with the trapped man and assessed the situation. The lifeboat helm decided to manoeuvre the lifeboat into the gully stern first. 

The man was rescued by the lifeboat crew but sadly his dog died as a result of the fall.

A coastguard helicopter was on standby in the vicinity in case the man required hospitalisation but this was not necessary.


The RNLI would like to remind the public of the danger of trying to rescue dogs that get into difficulty in the sea or on cliffs and advised the public to contact the Irish Coast Guard. 

#rnli – Lifeboat crew from Lough Swilly RNLI are currently onboard the station's new €2.4 million Shannon class lifeboat and en route to its permanent home in Donegal from the charity's headquarters in Poole. As Afloat reported earlier, he new lifeboat is the first of its class to be put on service in Ireland and the first to be named after an Irish river, the previous classes are all called after UK rivers. 

The lifeboat crew are being accompanied on the journey by RNLI staff coxswain Martin Philips, who is using the long passage home as an opportunity to continue with the training programme for the state of the art lifeboat. On the last leg of the passage the crew will be joined by RNLI Divisional Operations Manager Darren Byers but the honour of taking the lifeboat into Lough Swilly will fall to the station Coxswain, Mark Barnett. The crew got a preview of the boat in build last November.

The station is hoping for a large turnout at the Buncrana pier as the new lifeboat arrives into the harbour at noon on Friday 10 April, to take up residence on the Donegal coastline. The lifeboat is named Derek Bullivant and has been largely funded through a legacy from Mr Bullivant who hailed from Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK and who passed away in September 2011.

The Shannon is the latest class of all-weather lifeboat to join the RNLI fleet and the first to be propelled by waterjets instead of traditional propellers, making it the most agile and manoeuvrable all-weather lifeboat in the fleet. Waterjets allow the vessel to operate in shallow waters and be intentionally beached.

The new lifeboat was developed to operate in the worst of sea conditions and is self-righting, automatically turning the right side up in the event of a capsize. Its unique hull is designed to minimise slamming of the boat in heavy seas and the shock-absorbing seats further protect the crew from impact when powering through the waves. The lifeboat has a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles, which makes it ideal for offshore searches and rescues in calm and rough seas.

Commenting from onboard the Shannon lifeboat, Lough Swilly RNLI Coxswain Mark Barnett said, 'This day has been a long time coming for our lifeboat station and it is one that is very emotional for all of us. The arrival of a new lifeboat is a huge investment in the community by the RNLI. It's not just a financial investment but it is also an investment in our lifeboat crew, the people who live here and the people who use the waters around our station, whether locally based or just passing through.

This will be its home for many years to come and it will be launched on countless rescues and save many lives. We would also like to express our gratitude to the late Mr Derek Bullivant, whose name is proudly displayed on our lifeboat and whose generosity made this possible.'

Once the lifeboat is on station, training will continue for the remaining volunteer lifeboat crew at Lough Swilly RNLI before the lifeboat is officially put on service and the previous one is retired into the relief fleet.

#rnli – On Monday broadcaster Gay Byrne officially opened the Howth Horizons exhibition of photographs taken by John McColgan, the multi-award winning director and producer of Riverdance. The exhibition runs until 20th April at The House restaurant in Howth. All proceeds from the sale of the photographs will go to Howth RNLI.

John McColgan commented,'Photography is a long-held passion of mine. This is my first photographic exhibition, and I feel deeply gratified and grateful for the positive response I've received for my work. I knew that my family and friends would be supportive, and it means a lot that others appreciate the images I've created too. I'm delighted that the sale of the photographs will benefit Howth's lifeboat crew in their efforts to save lives at sea.'

McColgan was joined by friends and family to celebrate the opening of the exhibition, including his partner Moya Doherty, Gay Byrne, Kathleen Watkins, Ian Dempsey, Joe Duffy, Gary Cooke, Eamonn Quinn and Karla Elliot.

Opening the exhibition, Gay Byrne talked about his happiness at being back in Howth where he had lived for 35 years and said, 'Nobody who lives in a fishing village anywhere in Ireland can have anything other than huge admiration and pride in the people who run the lifeboats. There is a memorial on the pier to those who sadly lost their lives at sea, but there is no list of all the many people rescued who owe their lives to those who man the lifeboats. When myself and Kathleen lived here we often heard the impressive sound of the lifeboat going out on exercise or on a rescue.'

A keen photographer himself, Byrne also praised McColgan's talent as a photographer saying,' John has taken photography to the next stage. He has the eye of a true artist, he has the ability to see things in a different way. You don't have to travel very far to capture beautiful pictures if you have the ability and the creativity.'

Joe Duffy and John McColgan

David and Terry Boyle

Stephen Harris, Russell Rafter and Fred Connolly

Rose Michael, Howth RNLI Fundraising Chairperson said, 'We are honoured that someone of John's calibre would choose to donate the proceeds of his very first photographic exhibition to Howth lifeboat. As a charity we are totally dependent on the generosity of people like John, to raise funds to pay for the continued training of our volunteer crew, their kit and the upkeep of our lifeboats. We greatly appreciate the time, thought and effort that has gone in to these beautiful photographs. We hope that they will be treasured and passed down through families as heirlooms for generations to come.'

For more information click here

#RNLI - Red Bay RNLI's lifeboat crew went to the aid of a lone yachtsman some 1.5 miles off Glenarm in Co Antrim yesterday evening (Sunday 29 March).

The volunteer lifeboat crew launched at 6.10pm to assist the 25-foot yacht, which was requiring assistance due to adverse weather conditions and strong winds.

1. One member of the lifeboat crew was placed on board the vessel to assist the yachtsman.

The boat was towed to Glenarm Marina by the lifeboat crew. No one was injured in the incident.

#WaterSafety - RNLI lifeguards will be making a welcome return to a number of selected beaches on the Causeway Coast and in Co Down next weekend ahead of the Easter holidays.

After undergoing intensive training in preparation, the charity’s lifeguards will be keeping visitors safe on Tyrella Beach in Co Down and on Benone Strand, Portstewart Strand, East and West Strands in Portrush and Whiterocks on the Causeway Coast.



Lifeguards will begin their patrols on Good Friday (3 April) between 11am and 7pm on the Causeway Coast and between 10am and 6pm in Co Down and continue daily to Sunday 12 April.



Cover will be provided every weekend until the end of June ahead of the summer season, when a daily duty will get underway on all 10 RNLI lifeguarded beaches in Northern Ireland.

"Our lifeguards are looking forward to going on patrol and meeting people who come to the beach," said RNLi lifeguard manager Mick Grocott. "We would encourage visitors to speak to our lifeguards, ask for safety advice, and most importantly call on them should they find themselves in difficulty." 



Ahead of Easter, the RNLI has reiterated its advice to people planning a beach trip to stay well away from dangerous cliff edges which have been impacted by recent weather conditions.



Winter storms changed the profile of all the beaches with extensive damage at Whiterocks, Portrush East and Portstewart where there are high and unstable sand cliffs.



The RNLI’s advice for anyone planning a trip to the beach is to: check weather and tide times before you go and if planning to go into the water; only go swimming at a lifeguarded beach, between the red and yellow flags; and avoid using inflatables in strong winds or rough seas.

If you get into trouble, stick your hand in the air and shout for help and if you see someone else in trouble, tell a lifeguard. If you can’t see a lifeguard, call 909 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.



For more safety information on the beach you plan to visit, you can download the RNLI’s Beachfinder app to find lifeguarded beaches and more information.