Displaying items by tag: RNLB Anna Livia

17th March 2012

St. Patrick's Day Dalkey Island Snorkel Raises Funds for RNLI

#DALKEY ISLAND SNORKEL - More than 100 participants took part in the St. Patrick's Day Dalkey Island snorkel fundraiser event in aid of the RNLI, where the local Dun Laoghaire lifeboat RNLB Anna Livia was hove to off Coliemore Harbour, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Some two hours after high-tide this morning the snorkelers set off from the harbour through Dalkey Sound and made an anti-clockwise circuit of the island.

The circuit took up to an hour to complete and their progress was monitored by a fleet of safety RIBS, with the last participants returning to the harbour around noon.

A crowd gathered overlooking the harbour where fundraising activities took place and it was hoped that the event would raise between €4,000 - €5,000.

The fundraiser was organised by the Marlin Sub Aqua Club on behalf of Comhairle Fó Thuinn (CFT) the Irish Underwater Council. The club was established in 1980 and operates from the Clondalkin Community Sports Centre in west Dublin.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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Dun Laoghaire Replaces Malahide as Relief Lifeboat Base

Dun Laoghaire Harbour has replaced Malahide as the new location for a relief lifeboat base which is to serve the RNLI's Irish Division, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The RNLI had signed a one-year contract with Dun Laoghaire Marina Marketing & Management Ltd which operates the 800-plus berth facility. The voluntary lifeboat organisation's contract in the harbour started in January and has an option to renew the contract after that timeframe.

Dun Laoghaire was chosen because of the strategic central location on the Irish Sea. The base benefits the service in providing improved emergency response times and savings on fuel costs. The Severn-class lifeboat RNLB Osier (17-34) has been one of the designated relief lifeboats to be based in the marina.

An added attraction in choosing Dun Laoghaire is the ability to haul lifeboats out of the water for maintenance and repairs. The boat-lift hoist and transport trailer facility is operated by MGM Boats Ltd and is conveniently sited within the boundary of the marina. In addition the RNLI also operate the lifeboat station beside the Carlisle Pier. The station is served by the Trent-class RNLB Anna Livia and a new inshore-lifeboat (ILB) the Realt Na Mara which entered service during the summer.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.