Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Trinity

The Gannon Cup Committee have announced the arrangements for the 2014 Dublin University Boat Races between Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. The Colours rowing races will this year take place on Sunday,  March 16th, in association with the official St Patrick’s Festival. The races  will be contested on  the River Liffey from O’Connell Bridge to St James’ Gate Brewery. The senior men's race (The Gannon Cup) is set for 11 o'clock and  the senior women's race (Corcoran Cup) 10.30. The programme will commence at 9:30am with the novice women racing for the Sally Moorhead Trophy, followed by the novice men’s race for the Dan Quinn Shield at 10am.
A winter of extreme weather conditions has led to the cancellation of the majority of Rowing Ireland events, making it hard to predict the outcome of what promises to be a very exciting series of races.
 For Susannah Cass, who will row in the seven seat of Trinity's Corcoran Cup crew, this is just the first test in a summer of rowing adventures. Susannah will be racing across the Irish Sea in the Celtic Challenge race in May, before competing in the world’s first Pacific Ocean rowing race – a 2,400 mile challenge from California to Hawaii. Meanwhile, in the UCD crew, the Gilligan sisters will be hoping to keep the Corcoran Cup in the family, as Aoife enlists her sister Ruth’s help in defending the title.
 The senior men's race will have its 66th staging on Sunday. The Gannon Cup was founded in 1947 in memory of former UCD captain Ciarán Gannon, who lost his life serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Burma in 1944. There were no races in 1957 and 1958. UCD have dominated the event in recent years and will be hoping to make this their 7th consecutive win with the help of a strong crew of promising young athletes including World Under-23 silver medallist Niall Kenny. Trinity hope the return of coach Nick Dunlop, whose record includes a number of convincing Gannon Cup wins, turns the UCD tide.
Trinity won the coin toss hosted at Leinster House by Taoiseach Enda Kenny. They chose to race on the north station in both the men’s and women’s races.
The university boat races are an annual event on the River Liffey echoing the world famous Oxford/Cambridge University Boat Race in London. In 1980 Trinity were presented with the Corcoran Cup as winners of the inaugural women’s boat race; however, UCD responded strongly to this initial defeat and currently lead the series by 21 wins to Trinity’s 13. Races for novice men and women were introduced in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Spectator buses will follow the races and depart from the O’Connell Bridge.
Program of events:
9:30am The Moorhead Trophy – Novice Women (holder Trinity)
10:00am The Dan Quinn Perpetual Shield – Novice Men (holder UCD)
10:30am The Corcoran Cup – Senior Women (holder UCD)
11:00am The Gannon Cup – Senior Men (holder UCD)

Published in Rowing

#teamracing – On the 20th-22nd of February, the Irish University Sailing Association Inter-Varsities Championships took place in Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club. 25 teams from 9 colleges around the country, including 2 teams from Scotland competed for the annual trophy. The team racing took place in Firefly dinghies, with 3 on 3 racing. After a day of racing in random pools, the teams were separated into Gold Silver and Bronze fleets for the second day. Round robins took place on the Friday to decide on the layout of the finals on Saturday.
Early favourites of UL (last year's winners), UCC, Trinity and UCD made the quarter finals, but unfortunately Trinity and UL didn't make it past this stage.UCD1 met UCD3 in the quarter-finals on Saturday, and while UCD's third team put up a good fight against the eventual champions, they lost 2-0 in a best of 3 round. UCD 2 met a very strong UCC2 team, and the Cork side emerged victors, advancing to the semis to face their newest enemies UCC1. TCD met the Scottish representatives SUSA in their quarter final, and in close racing the Scots came out on top. Last year's winners UL faced UCC1 in their quarter-final, but couldn't get past the very strong Cork side.
UCD1 went on to face SUSA in their semi, while a Cork showdown happened in the other half of the draw with UCC 1 and UCC 2. UCD1 won their races 2-0, but the Cork battle was a much more intense affair, with Cork's first team winning 2-1.
The best of 5 final was raced in gusty conditions with storm sails up, and sailors at maximum hike for all the beats. The balcony on the clubhouse facing the racing was split, half UCD and the other UCC, each side shouting for their team. The first race went to UCD in a 1, 2 formation. The second race went to UCC winning with a 1, 2, 6. The third race brought great excitement for the spectators gathered on land with a UCC boat capsizing on the starting line, letting UCD get into a winning formation by the first mark. UCD's lead was strengthened by another UCC boat capsizing on the downwind leg. UCC had a boat in first but he was unable to help his team-mates recover the ground they had lost. The score was 2-1 to UCD. In the 4th race UCC had a good start, and kept a winning combination for the duration of the race, setting up a winner-takes-all final race. Race 5 brought a big lead for UCD as they took first place at the first mark and extended the race. They held this lead while UCC tried to break apart the winning combination around the course. Simon of UCD held his 3rd place and Philip pulled a UCC boat back with him, leaving the fleet spread out on the final leg. Simon kept his 3rd place, and with Conor's 1st, this was enough to crown UCD1 winners of the 2014 Varsities. It was Simon's 4th Varsities final, and younger brother Philip's first, a fitting passing of the torch.

varsitiesucd1

The winning UCD team celebrate their Varsity title

The winning UCD team was Simon Doran & Jen Dolan, Philip Doran & Bella Morehead and Conor Murphy & Eimear McIvor. UCC2 won their petite final to come 3rd, a very strong finish for UCC in 2nd and 3rd place. SUSA 2 were Silver fleet champions, beating UCD 4 in their close final. Bronze fleet glory went to TCD 2. The college team racing circuit is one of the most active and competitive groups in the country, with many of Ireland's top student sailors representing their colleges there.
The college team racing circuit is now finished for the year, with the exception of the annual Colours races between UCD and Trinity which will be held in April. The students now look to the Student Yachting Nationals over the next few weeks, the winners of which will qualify to represent Ireland at the Student Yachting World Cup in France next Autumn.

Published in Team Racing

#RowingHenley: UCD’s Temple Cup eight and Trinity’s coxed four in the Prince Albert Cup were both beaten at Henley Royal Regatta today. Trinity gained the lead in their race against Isis and held them off manfully until the enclosures, when Isis pushed and gained control before the finish. UCD were less competitive against the bigger crew from St Petersburg in Russia, who were a stone heavier per man. The pattern of the race was established early as the Russians took the lead by the end of the Island. They had a commanding lead by Fawley and won by four lengths.

Henley Royal Regatta, Day Two (Irish interest)

Temple Cup (Eights, Student): St Petersburg University, Russia bt University College, Dublin 2 ½ l 6:51

Prince Albert (Coxed Fours, Student): Isis Boat Club bt Trinity College, Dublin 1 ¼ l, 7:27

Published in Rowing
Tagged under

#UNIVERSITY ROWING: UCD took the Wylie Cup for men and the Bank of Ireland Cup for women at the rescheduled Irish University Championships at Blessington Lakes tonight. Trinity won the novice eight categories for both women and men, but UCD won both intermediate and senior eights races. In senior men’s eights, NUIG took second, while UCD vanquished their only rivals, Trinity, in the women’s senior eights.

The weather had forced the postponement of the Championships originally and winds were again a factor tonight, with all but these six races stripped from the programme.    

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: UCD produced an exact repeat of last year in the Colours Races on the Liffey today by winning the senior men’s and women’s events and also taking the novice men’s race. Trinity again won the women’s novice eights race with a dominant performance.

The senior men’s race was won in the first 20 metres: UCD’s big crew gained a crucial advantage and exploited it so competently that they had the race in the bag by the Four Courts. The win gave Dave Neale a record sixth Gannon Cup crown.

The UCD senior women also started well and established a good lead, but Trinity nipped away at them down the course and lost by only a half length.

The men’s novice eight race ended before the line, as Trinity crashed into the wall after Watling Street Bridge due to a snapped steering line. UCD had taken the furthest south arch in Winetavern Street bridge, prompting a Trinity objection, but the race umpire said that he had told the crew to avoid the marked centre lane due to a possible hindrance there.

Colours Races 2013

Men – Eight, Senior (Gannon Cup): UCD (L McCarthy, M Bailey, P Moore, A Sheehan, D Neale, J Nihotte, G Duane, P Grogan; cox: K Joyce) bt Trinity 4l

Eight, Novice (Dan Quinn Shield): UCD bt Trinity not rowed out

Women – Eight, Senior (Corcoran Cup) UCD (A O’Riordan, K Joy, O Finnegan, S Bennett, C Ni Reachtagain, G Collins, A Gilligan, B Lait; cox C McGowan) bt Trinity ½ l

Eight, Novice (Sally Moorhead Trophy): Trinity bt UCD easily.

Published in Rowing

# ROWING: Galway and Dublin crews dominated the rankings at the Carrick-on-Shannon Head of the River yesterday. Trinity’s senior eight won the second head in 11 minutes 45.3 seconds, and their senior quadruple held off NUIG’s senior four for second.

101 Dublin University BC mens Senior 8+25:47.237:32.4 11:45.3
102 Dublin University BC mens senior 4X-26:15.438:47.0 12:31.6
103 NUI Galway BC mens senior 4-26:38.939:12.2 12:33.3
105 Colaiste Iognaid RC mens J18A 8+27:34.640:20.9 12:46.3
111 Dublin University BC Bmens novice 8+30:08.242:57.3 12:49.1
108 Dublin University BC mens novice 8+28:52.841:46.8 12:54.0
112 NUI Galway BC mens intermediate 4+30:41.143:51.8 13:10.6
114 NUI Galway BC Bmens intermediate 4+31:34.444:49.4 13:15.0
104 St. Josephs College RC mens J18A 8+26:04.239:22.3 13:18.1
107 Commercial RC mens J18A 4X-28:24.441:47.0 13:22.6
113 Dublin University BC mens intermediate 4+31:09.644:37.7 13:28.1
120 NUI Galway BC womens intermediate 8+35:46.549:41.3 13:54.8
106 Colaiste Iognaid RC mens J18A 4X-28:06.242:06.7 14:00.6
132 Commercial RC Cmens masters 4+36:47.551:03.0time only14:15.5
119 Commercial RC womens intermediate 8+35:10.049:27.6 14:17.6
130 Carrick-on-Shannon RC mens novice 4X+41:58.856:28.6 14:29.8
129 Dublin University BC mens novice 4X+41:43.956:24.4 14:40.6
117 Commercial RC Bmens intermediate 2X33:42.548:43.0 15:00.4
137 Athlone BC B (Munnelly)mens J18A 1X44:26.759:30.8 15:04.1
42 NUI Galway BC (Egan)mens intermediate 1X37:15.352:19.6time only15:04.2
116 Commercial RC mens intermediate 2X33:17.448:23.3 15:05.9
110 St. Josephs College RC mens novice 8+29:37.844:55.3 15:17.5
138 Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Griffin)mens novice 1X45:00.600:18.6 15:18.0
136 Commercial RC (Yeomans)mens J18A 1X43:53.459:12.5 15:19.1
148 Commercial RC mens J16 2X48:59.604:31.1 15:31.5
149 Carrick-on-Shannon RC mens J16 2X49:24.104:57.2 15:33.1
133 Commercial RC B (Gleeson)mens senior 1X42:43.558:19.4 15:35.9
131 Sligo RC mens novice 4X+42:28.458:05.7 15:37.3
123 Athlone BC mens J15 8+37:41.553:23.7 15:42.2
126 Carrick-on-Shannon RC womens J18A 2X39:47.055:32.9 15:45.9
125 Commercial RC womens J18A 2X39:29.055:15.4 15:46.4
115 St. Josephs College RC mens J18 2X32:28.548:17.6time only15:49.1
151 Sligo RC mens Novice 1X50:31.906:25.7 15:53.7
134 Athlone BC A (Egan) mens J18A 1X43:11.959:22.0 16:10.1
154 NUI Galway BC A (Hurst) womens intermediate 1X52:23.908:36.3 16:12.4
150 Colaiste Iognaid RC mens J16 2X50:06.106:24.1 16:18.1
169 Commercial RC B (Baskerville)mens J15 1X59:53.816:16.5 16:22.7
155 Commercial RC A (Foley) womens intermediate 1X52:56.209:21.8 16:25.6
147City of Derry (Durso) (e)mens masters 1X48:28.504:55.014:47.516:26.5
143 Colaiste Iognaid RC womens J16 4X+46:47.103:17.8 16:30.7
167 Commercial RC A (Beggan) mens J15 1X59:26.116:02.0 16:35.8
146 Belfast BC (Lockwood) (f 61)mens masters 1X47:57.004:37.114:25.016:40.0
144 Sligo RC womens J16 4X+47:18.004:01.8 16:43.8
174 Commercial RC (Rooney)womens J16 1X02:12.819:01.0 16:48.2
71Commercial RC C (Keogh)mens J161X00:37.717:26.1time only16:48.4
157 NUI Galway BC B (Keogh)womens intermediate 1X53:26.310:14.7 16:48.4
142 Carrick-on-Shannon RC womens J16 4X+46:09.903:01.1 16:51.2
164 Garda Siochana BC Bwomens novice 4+56:48.713:40.6 16:51.9
173 Commercial RC E (Phelan)mens J15 1X01:38.018:40.9 17:02.9
162 Commercial RC womens novice 4+56:09.813:12.9 17:03.1
160 Athlone BC womens J15 4X+54:42.211:46.4 17:04.2
121 Lady Victoria BC (e 234)mens masters 4+36:24.553:42.715:59.217:18.2
170 Commercial RC C (Beggan)mens J15 1X00:00.917:36.0 17:35.1
176 Athlone BC womens J14 4X+03:01.520:44.6 17:43.1
127 Colaiste Iognaid RC womens J18A 2X40:28.158:28.7 18:00.6
152 Commercial RC womens J18A 2-51:15.009:28.3 18:13.3
118 Dublin University BC mens intermediate 2X34:17.352:33.6 18:16.4
153 Commercial RC Bwomens J18A 2-51:48.010:13.6 18:25.6
172 Commercial RC D (Byrne)mens J15 1X01:11.919:46.5 18:34.6
141 Sligo RC (Patterson)mens j16 2X45:53.904:30.4 18:36.5
166 NUI Galway BC Bwomens novice 4+58:53.517:47.1 18:53.6
124 St. Josephs College RC mens J15 8+39:02.457:57.2 18:54.8
158 Belfast BC (Lockwood)womens intermediate 1X53:57.413:02.7 19:05.3
161 Sligo RC womens J15 4X+55:26.614:33.6 19:07.0
128 Commercial RC Bwomens J18A 2X40:54.200:34.8 19:40.6
165 NUI Galway BC womens novice 4+58:01.019:16.8 21:15.9
175Commercial (Rooneywomens J16 1X02:37.925:06.0 22:28.2
Published in Rowing

# ROWING: Trinity’s intermediate eight were the fastest crew in the first head at the Carrick-on-Shannon Head of the River today. They had almost eight seconds to spare over the second-placed NUIG intermediate eight.

CARRICK-ON-SHANNON HEAD, SATURDAY
1 Dublin University BC mens intermediate 8+12:48.624:23.5 11:34.9 
2 NUI Galway BC mens intermediate 8+13:12.924:55.6 11:42.7 
6 St. Josephs College RC mens intermediate 8+15:21.527:25.4 12:03.9 
5 Dublin University BC Cmens intermediate 8+15:01.927:36.6 12:34.7 
26 Bann RC mens J16 8+28:55.441:38.9 12:43.5
3 NUI Galway BC mens senior 4-13:42.026:31.0 12:48.9
7 Dublin University BC Dmens intermediate 8+16:05.129:00.2 12:55.1
27 Colaiste Iognaid RC mens J16 8+29:42.042:49.6 13:07.6
4 Dublin University BC mens senior 4-14:04.927:25.8 13:21.0
38 Commercial RC mens J16 4X+36:05.549:31.5 13:25.9
12 Athlone BC - Athlone BC/City of Derry BC (e 457)mens masters 8+19:13.732:43.012:16.313:29.3
30 NUI Galway BC mens novice 4+31:49.245:34.0 13:44.8
9 Colaiste Iognaid RC mens J18A 4+18:10.432:00.8 13:50.4
28 St. Josephs College RC mens J16 8+30:15.944:10.4 13:54.5
13 Lady Victoria BC (f 486)mens masters 8+19:37.133:56.412:40.314:19.3
25 Athlone BC mens J16 8+28:21.242:45.2 14:24.0
15 Athlone BC mens J18A 2X20:52.735:21.2 14:28.4
18 Bann RC mens senior 2-23:16.737:45.3 14:28.6
31 Dublin University BC mens novice 4+32:30.447:03.8 14:33.3
14 Commercial RC mens J18A 2X20:15.234:49.5 14:34.3
34 Commercial RC womens intermediate 4+34:09.048:49.7 14:40.8 
37 NUI Galway BC womens intermediate 2X35:34.450:19.8 14:45.4 
52 Dublin University BC B (Jacques)mens intermediate 1X42:14.757:01.3 14:46.6 
51 Commercial RC B (Yeomans)mens intermediate 1X41:36.156:26.6 14:50.6 
56 Dublin University BC D (Acheson)mens intermediate 1X43:46.958:38.8 14:51.9 
50 Three Castles Rowing Club (Corcoran)mens intermediate 1X41:08.156:00.3 14:52.3 
33 NUI Galway BC womens intermediate 4+33:39.648:37.1 14:57.5 
20 Commercial RC mens senior 2-24:16.039:15.8 14:59.8 
21 Commercial RC Bmens senior 2-24:53.539:55.7 15:02.2 
58 Dublin University BC E (Hughes)mens intermediate 1X44:33.159:45.7 15:12.6 
32 NUI Galway BC Bmens novice 4+33:13.248:27.9 15:14.7Boat tipped
35 NUI Galway BC Bwomens intermediate 4+34:36.449:53.0 15:16.7 
44 Carrick-on-Shannon RC B (Leyden)mens intermediate 1X38:49.854:10.9 15:21.1 
23 Commercial RC womens J18A 4X-26:08.041:30.8 15:22.7 
77 Commercial RC mens J15 2X51:02.906:30.0 15:27.1 
16 Colaiste Iognaid RC mens J18A 2X21:39.637:10.8 15:31.2 
48 Carrick-on-Shannon RC A (Cox) mens intermediate 1X40:10.555:41.7 15:31.2 
8 St. Josephs College RC mens J18A 2X22:16.137:47.7 15:31.7 
17 Commercial RC Bmens J18A 2X22:57.138:33.6 15:36.5 
40 Commercial RC womens novice 8+37:21.352:59.1 15:37.9 
22 Colaiste Iognaid RC womens J18A 4X-25:20.740:59.1 15:38.4 
39 Sligo RC mens J16 4X+36:41.852:27.7 15:45.9 
55 Commercial RC D (Carroll)mens intermediate 1X43:21.859:11.5 15:49.7 
64 Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Carthy)mens J18A 1x46:25.902:15.6 15:49.7 
47 Bann RC (Whoriskey)mens intermediate 1X39:40.955:32.9 15:52.0 
60 Dublin University BC G (Pounch)mens intermediate 1X45:21.901:22.1 16:00.2 
61 Athlone BC mens J15 4X+45:54.201:55.7 16:01.5 
75 Lagan Scullers Club B (b 79)mens masters 2X50:09.506:11.915:54.316:02.3 
24 Athlone BC womens J18A 4X-26:49.342:55.3 16:06.0 
122 St. Michaels Rowing Club (e 230)mens masters 4+27:18.743:32.714:55.016:14.0 
72 Carrick-on-Shannon RC womens J16 2X48:51.805:08.8 16:17.0 
57 Commercial RC E (D'Estelle-Roe)mens intermediate 1X44:08.000:28.9 16:20.9 
59 Dublin University BC F (Mc Cormick)mens intermediate 1X44:55.201:17.7 16:22.4
67 Carrick-on-Shannon RC A (Hartigan) mens J16 1X47:39.004:08.7 16:29.7
41 NUI Galway BC womens novice 8+38:10.754:55.3 16:44.6
73 Colaiste Iognaid RC womens J16 2X49:12.405:57.6 16:45.2
65 Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Kelly)womens J18A 1X46:49.803:43.0 16:53.3
29 St. Josephs College RC Bmens J16 8+31:08.348:14.5 17:06.2
49 Belfast BC (Lockwood)mens intermediate 1X40:35.157:46.3 17:11.2
46 Athlone BC (Molloy)mens intermediate 1X39:16.456:40.8 17:24.4
177 Athlone BC womens J15 2X53:03.310:48.0 17:44.7
69 Commercial RC B (O Rourke)mens J16 1X48:06.505:57.1 17:50.6
74 Sligo RC womens J16 2X49:42.707:36.6 17:53.8
54 Dublin University BC C (Dolan)mens intermediate 1X43:04.701:10.7 18:06.0
70 Carrick-on-Shannon RC B (Jordan)mens J16 1X48:27.406:45.8 18:18.4
76 Lagan Scullers Club A - Belfast RC/Lagan Scullers Club (h 146)mens masters 2X50:39.509:00.614:55.118:21.1
66 Commercial RC A (Byrne) mens J16 1X47:21.005:46.9 18:25.9
10 Dublin University BC mens senior 2X18:21.237:01.2 18:40.0
163 Garda Siochana BC womens novice 4+52:42.611:23.0 18:40.4 
80 Belfast BC (Lockwood) (f 62)womens masters 1X51:53.410:52.116:34.718:58.7Time Only
78 Carrick-on-Shannon RC (Brogan)womens J15 1X51:27.110:44.8 19:17.7
Published in Rowing

UCD beat Trinity by four and a half lengths in the Gannon Rowing Cup for senior men on the river Liffey in Dublin yesterday. It was their fourth consecutive Gannon and it headed up a clean sweep of colours titles in the new St Patrick’s Day slot. The Corcoran Cup for senior women was a close race, with UCD winning by three-quarters of a length, but Trinity’s novice women and novice men were well beaten.

Colours Races, River Liffey, Dublin

Gannon Cup (Senior Men): UCD (C Pierce, R Murray, S O’Neill, D Neal, F Manning, S Jacob, G Duane, P Grogan; cox: J Lynch) bt Trinity 4½l. Dan Quinn Shield (Novice): UCD bt Trinity 4l.

Corcoran Cup (Senior Women): UCD (C Tanner, K Joy, C Ni Reachtagain, A Bulman, S Bennett, A Gilligan, L Reid, B Lait; cox: C McGowan) bt Trinity ¾l. Moorhead Trophy (Novice Women): UCD bt Trinity 5l.

Click this link for Irish Rowing details

Click this link for the Latest Rowing News

Published in Rowing
Page 9 of 9

The Irish Coast Guard

The Irish Coast Guard is Ireland's fourth 'Blue Light' service (along with An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service and the Fire Service). It provides a nationwide maritime emergency organisation as well as a variety of services to shipping and other government agencies.

The purpose of the Irish Coast Guard is to promote safety and security standards, and by doing so, prevent as far as possible, the loss of life at sea, and on inland waters, mountains and caves, and to provide effective emergency response services and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

The Irish Coast Guard has responsibility for Ireland's system of marine communications, surveillance and emergency management in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and certain inland waterways.

It is responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue and counter-pollution and ship casualty operations. It also has responsibility for vessel traffic monitoring.

Operations in respect of maritime security, illegal drug trafficking, illegal migration and fisheries enforcement are co-ordinated by other bodies within the Irish Government.

On average, each year, the Irish Coast Guard is expected to:

  • handle 3,000 marine emergencies
  • assist 4,500 people and save about 200 lives
  • task Coast Guard helicopters on missions

The Coast Guard has been around in some form in Ireland since 1908.

Coast Guard helicopters

The Irish Coast Guard has contracted five medium-lift Sikorsky Search and Rescue helicopters deployed at bases in Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo.

The helicopters are designated wheels up from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours and 45 minutes at night. One aircraft is fitted and its crew trained for under slung cargo operations up to 3000kgs and is available on short notice based at Waterford.

These aircraft respond to emergencies at sea, inland waterways, offshore islands and mountains of Ireland (32 counties).

They can also be used for assistance in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and aerial surveillance during daylight hours, lifting and passenger operations and other operations as authorised by the Coast Guard within appropriate regulations.

Irish Coastguard FAQs

The Irish Coast Guard provides nationwide maritime emergency response, while also promoting safety and security standards. It aims to prevent the loss of life at sea, on inland waters, on mountains and in caves; and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

The main role of the Irish Coast Guard is to rescue people from danger at sea or on land, to organise immediate medical transport and to assist boats and ships within the country's jurisdiction. It has three marine rescue centres in Dublin, Malin Head, Co Donegal, and Valentia Island, Co Kerry. The Dublin National Maritime Operations centre provides marine search and rescue responses and coordinates the response to marine casualty incidents with the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Yes, effectively, it is the fourth "blue light" service. The Marine Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) Valentia is the contact point for the coastal area between Ballycotton, Co Cork and Clifden, Co Galway. At the same time, the MRSC Malin Head covers the area between Clifden and Lough Foyle. Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Dublin covers Carlingford Lough, Co Louth to Ballycotton, Co Cork. Each MRCC/MRSC also broadcasts maritime safety information on VHF and MF radio, including navigational and gale warnings, shipping forecasts, local inshore forecasts, strong wind warnings and small craft warnings.

The Irish Coast Guard handles about 3,000 marine emergencies annually, and assists 4,500 people - saving an estimated 200 lives, according to the Department of Transport. In 2016, Irish Coast Guard helicopters completed 1,000 missions in a single year for the first time.

Yes, Irish Coast Guard helicopters evacuate medical patients from offshore islands to hospital on average about 100 times a year. In September 2017, the Department of Health announced that search and rescue pilots who work 24-hour duties would not be expected to perform any inter-hospital patient transfers. The Air Corps flies the Emergency Aeromedical Service, established in 2012 and using an AW139 twin-engine helicopter. Known by its call sign "Air Corps 112", it airlifted its 3,000th patient in autumn 2020.

The Irish Coast Guard works closely with the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which is responsible for the Northern Irish coast.

The Irish Coast Guard is a State-funded service, with both paid management personnel and volunteers, and is under the auspices of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is allocated approximately 74 million euro annually in funding, some 85 per cent of which pays for a helicopter contract that costs 60 million euro annually. The overall funding figure is "variable", an Oireachtas committee was told in 2019. Other significant expenditure items include volunteer training exercises, equipment, maintenance, renewal, and information technology.

The Irish Coast Guard has four search and rescue helicopter bases at Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo, run on a contract worth 50 million euro annually with an additional 10 million euro in costs by CHC Ireland. It provides five medium-lift Sikorsky S-92 helicopters and trained crew. The 44 Irish Coast Guard coastal units with 1,000 volunteers are classed as onshore search units, with 23 of the 44 units having rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) and 17 units having cliff rescue capability. The Irish Coast Guard has 60 buildings in total around the coast, and units have search vehicles fitted with blue lights, all-terrain vehicles or quads, first aid equipment, generators and area lighting, search equipment, marine radios, pyrotechnics and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Community Rescue Boats Ireland also provide lifeboats and crews to assist in search and rescue. The Irish Coast Guard works closely with the Garda Siochána, National Ambulance Service, Naval Service and Air Corps, Civil Defence, while fishing vessels, ships and other craft at sea offer assistance in search operations.

The helicopters are designated as airborne from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours, and 45 minutes at night. The aircraft respond to emergencies at sea, on inland waterways, offshore islands and mountains and cover the 32 counties. They can also assist in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and can transport offshore firefighters and ambulance teams. The Irish Coast Guard volunteers units are expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time of departing from the station house in ten minutes from notification during daylight and 20 minutes at night. They are also expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time to the scene of the incident in less than 60 minutes from notification by day and 75 minutes at night, subject to geographical limitations.

Units are managed by an officer-in-charge (three stripes on the uniform) and a deputy officer in charge (two stripes). Each team is trained in search skills, first aid, setting up helicopter landing sites and a range of maritime skills, while certain units are also trained in cliff rescue.

Volunteers receive an allowance for time spent on exercises and call-outs. What is the difference between the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI? The RNLI is a registered charity which has been saving lives at sea since 1824, and runs a 24/7 volunteer lifeboat service around the British and Irish coasts. It is a declared asset of the British Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and the Irish Coast Guard. Community Rescue Boats Ireland is a community rescue network of volunteers under the auspices of Water Safety Ireland.

No, it does not charge for rescue and nor do the RNLI or Community Rescue Boats Ireland.

The marine rescue centres maintain 19 VHF voice and DSC radio sites around the Irish coastline and a digital paging system. There are two VHF repeater test sites, four MF radio sites and two NAVTEX transmitter sites. Does Ireland have a national search and rescue plan? The first national search and rescue plan was published in July, 2019. It establishes the national framework for the overall development, deployment and improvement of search and rescue services within the Irish Search and Rescue Region and to meet domestic and international commitments. The purpose of the national search and rescue plan is to promote a planned and nationally coordinated search and rescue response to persons in distress at sea, in the air or on land.

Yes, the Irish Coast Guard is responsible for responding to spills of oil and other hazardous substances with the Irish pollution responsibility zone, along with providing an effective response to marine casualties and monitoring or intervening in marine salvage operations. It provides and maintains a 24-hour marine pollution notification at the three marine rescue centres. It coordinates exercises and tests of national and local pollution response plans.

The first Irish Coast Guard volunteer to die on duty was Caitriona Lucas, a highly trained member of the Doolin Coast Guard unit, while assisting in a search for a missing man by the Kilkee unit in September 2016. Six months later, four Irish Coast Guard helicopter crew – Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith -died when their Sikorsky S-92 struck Blackrock island off the Mayo coast on March 14, 2017. The Dublin-based Rescue 116 crew were providing "top cover" or communications for a medical emergency off the west coast and had been approaching Blacksod to refuel. Up until the five fatalities, the Irish Coast Guard recorded that more than a million "man hours" had been spent on more than 30,000 rescue missions since 1991.

Several investigations were initiated into each incident. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board was critical of the Irish Coast Guard in its final report into the death of Caitriona Lucas, while a separate Health and Safety Authority investigation has been completed, but not published. The Air Accident Investigation Unit final report into the Rescue 116 helicopter crash has not yet been published.

The Irish Coast Guard in its present form dates back to 1991, when the Irish Marine Emergency Service was formed after a campaign initiated by Dr Joan McGinley to improve air/sea rescue services on the west Irish coast. Before Irish independence, the British Admiralty was responsible for a Coast Guard (formerly the Water Guard or Preventative Boat Service) dating back to 1809. The West Coast Search and Rescue Action Committee was initiated with a public meeting in Killybegs, Co Donegal, in 1988 and the group was so effective that a Government report was commissioned, which recommended setting up a new division of the Department of the Marine to run the Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC), then based at Shannon, along with the existing coast radio service, and coast and cliff rescue. A medium-range helicopter base was established at Shannon within two years. Initially, the base was served by the Air Corps.

The first director of what was then IMES was Capt Liam Kirwan, who had spent 20 years at sea and latterly worked with the Marine Survey Office. Capt Kirwan transformed a poorly funded voluntary coast and cliff rescue service into a trained network of cliff and sea rescue units – largely voluntary, but with paid management. The MRCC was relocated from Shannon to an IMES headquarters at the then Department of the Marine (now Department of Transport) in Leeson Lane, Dublin. The coast radio stations at Valentia, Co Kerry, and Malin Head, Co Donegal, became marine rescue-sub-centres.

The current director is Chris Reynolds, who has been in place since August 2007 and was formerly with the Naval Service. He has been seconded to the head of mission with the EUCAP Somalia - which has a mandate to enhance Somalia's maritime civilian law enforcement capacity – since January 2019.

  • Achill, Co. Mayo
  • Ardmore, Co. Waterford
  • Arklow, Co. Wicklow
  • Ballybunion, Co. Kerry
  • Ballycotton, Co. Cork
  • Ballyglass, Co. Mayo
  • Bonmahon, Co. Waterford
  • Bunbeg, Co. Donegal
  • Carnsore, Co. Wexford
  • Castlefreake, Co. Cork
  • Castletownbere, Co. Cork
  • Cleggan, Co. Galway
  • Clogherhead, Co. Louth
  • Costelloe Bay, Co. Galway
  • Courtown, Co. Wexford
  • Crosshaven, Co. Cork
  • Curracloe, Co. Wexford
  • Dingle, Co. Kerry
  • Doolin, Co. Clare
  • Drogheda, Co. Louth
  • Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
  • Dunmore East, Co. Waterford
  • Fethard, Co. Wexford
  • Glandore, Co. Cork
  • Glenderry, Co. Kerry
  • Goleen, Co. Cork
  • Greencastle, Co. Donegal
  • Greenore, Co. Louth
  • Greystones, Co. Wicklow
  • Guileen, Co. Cork
  • Howth, Co. Dublin
  • Kilkee, Co. Clare
  • Killala, Co. Mayo
  • Killybegs, Co. Donegal
  • Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford
  • Knightstown, Co. Kerry
  • Mulroy, Co. Donegal
  • North Aran, Co. Galway
  • Old Head Of Kinsale, Co. Cork
  • Oysterhaven, Co. Cork
  • Rosslare, Co. Wexford
  • Seven Heads, Co. Cork
  • Skerries, Co. Dublin Summercove, Co. Cork
  • Toe Head, Co. Cork
  • Tory Island, Co. Donegal
  • Tramore, Co. Waterford
  • Waterville, Co. Kerry
  • Westport, Co. Mayo
  • Wicklow
  • Youghal, Co. Cork

Sources: Department of Transport © Afloat 2020