Rosslare Harbour RNLI came to the aid of a man after his 16 ft inflatable fishing boat got into difficulty off Ballytrent Beach on Tuesday, 2 May.

The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat by the Irish Coast Guard shortly before 6 pm. The lifeboat under Coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke and six crew members onboard, launched at 6 pm and made its way to the scene.

Weather conditions at the time were described as fine and dry with a slight wind and calm seas.

Once on scene, the crew observed that the man was safe and well. Having assessed the situation, a decision was made to tow the vessel to the nearest safe port at St Helen’s Harbour.

Speaking following the call out, Jamie Ryan, Rosslare Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: ‘We were delighted to be of assistance this evening and bring the man safely back to shore. We would remind anyone planning a trip to sea always to wear a lifejacket and always carry a means of communication such as a mobile phone or VHF radio. Always let someone on the shore know where you are going and when you are due back. Should you get into difficulty or see someone in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’

The lifeboat crew on this call out were Coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke, Mechanic Michael Nicholas and crew members Keith Miller, Padraig Quirke, Keith Morris, Seamus Macdonald and Paul McCormack.

On Thursday, February 9, Rosslare Harbour RNLI responded to a call early in the morning and helped two sailors.

The Irish Coast Guard called the volunteer crew at 3.20 a.m. to deploy their all-weather lifeboat and rescue two yachtsmen after their 10-metre yacht encountered trouble off the coast of Rosslare.

Six crew members were on board the lifeboat, which was coxswain by Eamonn O'Rourke. It launched immediately and headed to the incident at South Blackwater Buoy, about 12 nautical miles north of Rosslare Harbour.

The night time weather conditions were described as good, with a Force 3 wind and a calm sea.

Arriving on scene, the lifeboat crew observed that the two male sailors were safe and well. The yacht had got into difficulty when it experienced engine problems.

Having assessed the situation, a decision was made to tow the yacht and her crew safely back to Rosslare Europort, where the operation ended successfully at 6.40 am.

Former Rosslare RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, David Maloney has been awarded a Commendation from the Operations Director of the RNLI for his role in a rescue in September 2016, where his actions saved the life of a woman trapped in a cabin on a yacht which had been dashed on rocks in the harbour.

As Afloat reported at the time, in the early hours of 14 September 2016, during a strong north-west gale, a small yacht owned and crewed by a Swedish couple entered Rosslare Harbour. On arrival, the engine stalled, and the yacht was blown onto on the rock armour, where it was pummelled by waves.

A call for help was raised, and Rosslare lifeboat was launched. However, due to the location of the casualty vessel, the lifeboat was unable to reach the yacht from the water. Rosslare RNLI volunteer Jamie Ryan arrived at the scene with the station Lifeboat Operations Manager David Maloney and found a man standing on the quay wall looking at the yacht, clearly in shock. In sympathising with the man on what they thought to be the loss of his vessel, they discovered that his partner was still onboard.

The stricken yacht damaged by rock armour in Rosslare Harbour

With the yacht being broken up by the waves, Jamie discussed the option of using a rope which could be put around Dave’s waist, to reach the woman, but they both realised there would be no time for this. The woman was in immediate risk of being pulled out to sea and lost. Using his skill and lifeboating knowledge and with the waves pummelling the vessel, Dave manoeuvred across the rocks and into the cabin of the yacht. Once there, he took hold of the woman and pulled her out of the cabin and up to the safety of the quay wall.

Dave never sought recognition for his action that night, but the station put him forward for his role in the rescue and during a recent Coast Review visit by the RNLI, the Operations Director, Mr. John Payne, presented Dave with the RNLI commendation. In doing so, the charity wished to acknowledge his brave actions that night and recognise it as a life saved by an RNLI volunteer.

Commenting on the honour, Rosslare RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Jamie Ryan, who succeeded David in the role, said, ‘we are delighted that David has been officially recognised by the RNLI for his incredibly brave action that night five years ago, which saved a life. It was a split-second decision but one that was made with years of experience and knowledge of lifesaving behind it. It could have easily been a tragedy, and I’m sure was a traumatic experience for the couple. David embodies the best of our lifesaving ethos, and we are very proud of him and his role at our station.’

Lifeboat crew at Rosslare Harbour RNLI, who carried out a rescue on 16 October 2017 during ‘Storm Ophelia’ that saw three lives saved in hurricane conditions, will receive an award from the RNLI for the service. The Coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke will receive the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and the lifeboat crew involved will each receive Vellum Service Certificates.

The rescue took place in conditions described by the lifeboat crew involved as some of the worst they had ever witnessed as they battled 10-metre seas in force 12 conditions. In announcing this award, the RNLI recognised the Coxswain for his boat handling and exemplary leadership in hurricane-force weather conditions and the lifeboat crew involved for their teamwork, courage and collective efforts in the rescue of the crew and the yacht.

The award was decided at a recent RNLI Trustees meeting and is the second recognition for Rosslare Harbour RNLI, following the Gallantry Award for the rescue of the Lily B off Hook Head, which saw nine lives saved and averted an environmental disaster when the 4,000-tonne cargo vessel was prevented from getting dashed on the rocks.

The full lifeboat crew for the callout were, Coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke, Mechanic Michael Nicholas and lifeboat crew, Art Sheil, Micheal Ferguson, Keith Morris, Padraig Quirke, Stephen Breen and Richard Parish.

As Afloat reported at the time, at 10 am on 16 October 2017 a ‘Mayday’ was received by the Irish Coast Guard from the skipper of Second Love, a 10-metre Dehler yacht, in serious trouble en route from the UK to Malahide. With conditions deteriorating rapidly the crew were struggling to keep control of the yacht. They had planned to berth in Rosslare but decided to head to Arklow in a bid to outrun the weather. Rosslare Harbour RNLI lifeboat was launched, and the rescue lasted four hours in severe weather and sea conditions.

In what proved a vital course of action on the day, a decision was made to pass a drogue (a device trailed behind a vessel to slow it down in rough conditions) to the casualty yacht and then establish a tow to bring the vessel to safety. These actions took place in 10-metre seas and required great skill and patience from all involved.

Commenting on the Vellum recognition, Rosslare Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager David Maloney said ‘While no lifeboat crew does any rescue for reward this is a great honour for our station. The conditions that day were terrible but when a Mayday is being broadcast, the lifeboat crew go.’

‘The rescue was a challenging one where skill, good seamanship and patience were needed. We are fortunate to have incredibly dedicated and skilled lifeboat crew in Rosslare where each volunteer would have been ready and willing to go to sea. When the pagers went off for this shout, we had eighteen of our lifeboat crew respond. Without their excellent work, the outcome of this service would have been very different.’

A unique whale-shaped mosaic which is set for permanent public display aims to connect present-day Wexford with its storied maritime past, as RTÉ News reports.

With the help of artist Helen McLean, Wexford Arts Centre has been creating the patterned artwork from shards of Staffordshire pottery — known as ‘chanies’ — collected from the shore at Rosslare over many decades by local woman Ann Borg.

Many of these shards are believed to originate from the wreck of a US-bound ship that went down in Moran’s Bay in the 1850s.

They have now been used to create an impression of the blue whale that famously beached in Wexford in the 1890s — the skeleton of which now hangs inside the entrance of London’s Natural History Museum.

RTÉ News has much more on the story HERE.

The Stena Foreteller is to be redeployed on the direct route to the Continent following border closures between the UK and France.

As Afloat reported earlier, in light of recent international border closures which have seriously impacted freight flows, Stena Line has confirmed that it will bring forward the introduction of its Stena Foreteller ferry on the Rosslare-Cherbourg service to Tuesday 22nd December, ahead of its original date of 4th Jan.

The freight-only Stena Foreteller will join the Stena Horizon which already operates on the route, doubling the freight capacity as well as the frequency of sailings between Ireland and the Continent.

Stena Foreteller will provide an additional 3, 000 lane metres of freight capacity per trip and can accommodate a mix of accompanied and unaccompanied traffic with onboard facilities for up to 12 freight drivers.

Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line said: “The developments of the last few days in terms of border closures have put enormous strains on the logistics industry. Our Rosslare-Cherbourg service is the shortest direct crossing between Ireland and France, and I’m delighted to see that our operational team on the Irish Sea have been able to ‘fast-track’ the introduction of the Stena Foreteller, providing vital additional capacity in the run up to Christmas.”

“We have developed a reputation for keeping vital supply lines open for food and medical supplies throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and once more we have shown our flexibility and expertise in being able to react swiftly to market demands. We are currently experiencing huge demand for our direct services to the Continent with our North Sea vessels (ex Killingholme and Harwich) being oversubscribed by a multiple of three.”

“From tomorrow (18:00 hrs ex Rosslare) we will provide 12 weekly crossings connecting Rosslare and Cherbourg and up to 240 sailings per week throughout the Irish Sea region, offering transport organisations and their customers the flexibility, availability and reliability they require at this time.”Glenn Carr, General Manager, Rosslare Europort said: “This is obviously a critical time for Irish industry, and as Port Authority, we are determined, working in partnership with Stena Line, to offer alternatives to those whose supply chains are impacted by the newly introduced restrictions to the landbridge. We welcome Stena Line’s response in quickly arranging additional capacity on the Rosslare Europort to Cherbourg route, and we will continue our efforts to respond effectively as COVID-19 measures impact Irish business.”

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, with the biggest fleet offering the widest choice of routes including, combined passenger and freight services from Belfast to Cairnryan, Heysham and Liverpool, Dublin to Holyhead, Rosslare to Fishguard and the direct service from Rosslare to Cherbourg.

TUG drivers and hauliers using Rosslare Europort have created a “stay home” message which has been captured by drone photography.

The formation of trailers and tugs into the words “Stay Home” is intended to appeal to non-essential travellers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Rosslare Europort says.

Over 20,000 trailers and trade cars have been handled through Rosslare Europort and the ports of Bilboa, Fishguard, Cherbourg, Pembroke and Zeebrugge over the last number of weeks, it says.

“While we greatly miss our passengers using the port, we thank you for staying at home during these very challenging times and look forward to seeing you again in the near future,” the port says in an appeal issued through Iarnród Éireann.

It says its current focus is on continuing to “ remain fully operational through the dedication of our frontline team”, working in conjunction with the shipping lines and haulage industry to deliver essential goods throughout Ireland.

“We are working hard and ask that you stay home,” the port says.

Rosslare Harbour RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched this afternoon (1 January) at 1.15pm to go to the assistance of a surfer caught in a dangerous rip current.

Two surfers had got caught in the rip current off Curracloe beach in Wexford. One of the surfers managed to get back to the beach where she quickly raised the alarm. With a strong south westerly force six to seven wind, the stranded surfer was soon a mile off shore.

Launched in minutes, the Rosslare Harbour lifeboat was joined on scene by Rescue 117, who located the lone surfer from the air and directed the lifeboat crew to the young man.

RNLI volunteer crew lifted the surfer to safety on board the lifeboat and provided warm and dry clothing for him on the return to the lifeboat station. He was met there by ambulance personnel who provided additional care.

Speaking after the incident Rosslare Harbour RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Jamie Ryan said, ‘It is wonderful to start the year with a successful rescue and thanks to the quick action of the surfer who made it safety ashore, we were on scene with the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 in minutes and were able to bring the young man to safety.’

Volunteer lifeboat crew with Rosslare RNLI launched this morning (Monday 16 October) during Storm Ophelia to rescue three men onboard a 10m yacht after they issued a Mayday. The crew had been trying to get to safety since the early hours and had attempted to gain entry to a few harbours but were constantly pushed back by winds and tides. Ten miles offshore from Rosslare and getting battered by the worsening weather they issued a Mayday before being rescued by the lifeboat crew.

Rosslare Harbour lifeboat, under the command of Coxswain Eamon O’Rourke launched with six volunteer crew and made the journey out to help the three men. Conditions were extremely challenging with force nine winds with a six metre sea swell. The lifeboat had to be carefully manoureved alongside the yacht by Coxswain O’Rourke to establish a tow.

The lifeboat crew made slow progress in the heavy weather but brought all three men safely ashore after 2pm at Rosslare Harbour.

Commenting on the call out, Dave Maloney, Rosslare RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘I am extremely proud of our crew. When the pagers went off this morning, as the storm was beginning to take hold, we had seven lifeboat crew down immediately to the station with a further six in reserve. Conditions were very unpleasant out there and we needed to get those three men to safety as quickly as possible.’

‘The crew of the yacht had been trying to come ashore since the early hours but were pushed back and ultimately unsuccessful. When the lifeboat crew reached them they were side on to the weather, taking a ferocious pounding and in danger of getting overwhelmed. I think if another hour had passed this story may not have had such a successful outcome.’

Rosslare Harbour RNLI has responded to two call outs off the Wexford coast today.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was first requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat shortly after 9am this morning following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to go the assistance of a yacht which had sustained engine failure due to fuel problems.

The Swedish yacht with a man and woman onboard had been on passage from Arklow to Kinsale when it got into difficulty off Blackwater Bank.

The lifeboat under Coxswain Eamon O’Rourke and with seven crew members onboard launched at 9.15am and made its way to the scene.

Weather conditions at the time were good with a south westerly Force 4 wind.

The vessel which had a head wind down from Arklow had fuel problems causing the engine to fail. However, the sailors managed to start it again before the lifeboat arrived. To ensure it continued safely on passage, the lifeboat accompanied the sailors for an hour as the vessel made its way to Rosslare Europort.

The lifeboat was requested to launch for a second time today at approximately 3.30pm, this time following a report from the Irish Coast Guard that a small 2.5m rigid inflatable boat, thought to be unmanned was drifting out to sea from Rosslare Strand.

The lifeboat under Coxswain Eamon O’Rourke launched at 3.38pm. Weather conditions were good with sunny skies and a brisk south westerly Force 5-6 wind blowing.

Once on scene, the lifeboat crew set up a tow line and brought the vessel safely back to its moorings.

Speaking following the call out, Jamie Ryan, Rosslare Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer said: ‘It has been a busy day for the crew but our volunteers are always happy to help. We would remind anyone going to sea to respect the water. Always wear a lifejacket and harness where appropriate. Always have a means for calling and signalling for help and ensure everyone onboard knows how to use it. Always check the weather forecast and tide times. Make sure someone ashore knows where you are going and who to call if you don’t return on time. Learn how to start, run and maintain your engine and always carry tools and spares.’