RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat crew under Coxswain Mark John Gannon after arriving back from the call this afternoon with Duty Launch Authority Philip White

Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat in Callout to Kayaker in Difficulties off the Old Head of Kinsale in West Cork

25th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat “Frederick Storey Cockburn” was called out this afternoon at 3.15 pm, by the Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, when a lone kayaker got into difficulties on the western side of the Old…

Portrush RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was launched to escort the 13m motorboat from inside The Skerries rocks

Portrush RNLI Assists Eight People after Motorboats Get into Difficulty off The Skerries

25th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Portrush RNLI in Northern Ireland came to the aid of eight people last night (Tuesday 24 May) after their motorboats got into difficulty off The Skerries. The inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 8.15 pm following a report that…

Baltimore Lifeboat Assists Solo Sailor After Motor Yacht Prop Gets Caught on Pot Line

23rd May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI was called out to provide assistance to a yacht with one person onboard that got into difficulty off the coast of the West Cork town on Saturday evening (21 May). The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat…

Achill Island RNLI Rescue Lone Sailor in 14 Hour Overnight Operation to Broken Down Yacht 40 Miles West of Achill

23rd May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Achill Island RNLI were involved in a 14 hour rescue overnight, (Sunday/Monday 22/23 May), to a lone sailor on board a yacht which had lost power almost 40 nautical miles west of Achill Island. The volunteer crew were requested to…

Donaghadee Lifeboat Station is situated on the northeast coast of County Down. Donaghadee has had a lifeboat station since 1910 and the crews have been presented with three awards for gallantry. The station now operates an all-weather Trent class lifeboat (above).

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Helps Yacht Taking On Water, Second Call Out In A Week

20th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat was launched on Thursday 19 May, to assist a yacht taking water onboard approximately 12 miles North East of Bangor, County Down. The volunteer crew of Donaghadee Lifeboat were requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard on Thursday…

Moate Men's Shed group visit Lough Ree's new RNLI lifeboat station

Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Station Welcomes First Visitors to New Facility

17th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

During a busy first month at the new RNLI lifeboat station at Coosan Point volunteer crew guided visitors from near and far through the state of the art facility in the first public tours of the base. The panoramic view…

For 110 years, the station at Helvick Head operated an all-weather lifeboat until it closed in 1969. After a gap of 28 years, the station re-opened and today operates a B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.

Helvick Head RNLI assists four People in Broken Down Speedboat off Dungarvan

17th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Helvick Head RNLI came to the aid of four sailors on Sunday evening (15 May) after they got into difficulty and needed assistance in the Gold Coast area of Dungarvan. With mild easterly winds and calm seas, the volunteer crew…

The first ‘Launch a Memory’ lifeboat St. Christopher put on service in Ireland came home to an emotional welcome in Clifden, Connemara. The RNLI lifeboat carries the names of 10,000 loved ones on its hull, submitted by members of the public following a special fundraising initiative by the charity

Clifden RNLI Bring Their New ‘Launch a Memory’ Lifeboat St. Christopher Home to an Emotional Welcome

15th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Clifden RNLI’s new all-weather Shannon class lifeboat arrived to an emotional welcome from crowds gathered in the Connemara community to see it complete its week-long voyage home from the charity’s All Weather lifeboat centre in Poole. As Afloat reported earlier,…

New Book on True Stories of Irish Air–Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 is Published

15th May 2022 Book Review

On 13 March 2017, the Rescue 116 crew of Capt. Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt. Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith took off from Dublin airport just after 11 p.m. for a medical evacuation off the west coast of Ireland. The…

Crosshaven RNLI volunteers were tasked by the Coast Guard to a 32’ yacht with suspected electrical fire

Crosshaven RNLI Assist Yacht with Electrical Fire in Cork Harbour

15th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

On Saturday afternoon, 14 May, while on exercise in Cork Harbour, Crosshaven RNLI volunteers were tasked by the Coast Guard to a 32’ yacht with suspected electrical fire on board and mechanical difficulties. The lifeboat with David Venner, Clare Morgan,…

RNLI Lough Derg Lap The Lake 2022 poster

Lough Derg RNLI Celebrates Success of ‘Lap the Lake’ Charity Cycle

14th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI has hailed as a great success its first ‘Lap the Lake’ charity cycle. The local lifesaving charity’s fundraising branch organised the 130km cycle around Lough Derg for last Saturday 8 May, which saw 250 cyclists take part…

The Bundoran Lifeboat, William Henry Liddington

Bundoran RNLI Assist Surfers in Difficulty at Rossnowlagh Beach

14th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer crew of the Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was called into action on Friday afternoon 13th May to assist two male surfers in difficulty at Rossnowlagh Beach in County Donegal. Just after 3:35 pm a number of 999 emergency calls were…

The new RNLI Clifden lifeboat has over 10,000 names of loved ones on its hull

New RNLI Clifden Lifeboat Due with Names of 10,000 Loved Ones On Its Hull

13th May 2022 Wavelength Podcast

A newly built all-weather lifeboat with over 10,000 names on its hull which is due to arrive at the RNLI’s Clifden station in Connemara on Saturday has already recorded its first rescue mission. The Shannon-class lifeboat named St Christopher escorted…

Bangor Lifeboat Assists Six on Yacht After Engine Failure

10th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Bangor RNLI’s volunteers came to the rescue of six women on a yacht after its engine failed during a passage to Glenarm in Co Antrim. The inshore lifeboat Jessie Hillyard was launched on Monday morning (9 May) from Belfast Lough…

Larne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat at Brown’s Bay

Larne Lifeboat Launches to Aid of Paddle Boarders Caught in Breeze Off East Antrim Coast

10th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI in Northern Ireland launched to the aid of a group of paddle boarders who were caught in an offshore breeze at the weekend. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat by Belfast Coastguard at 2.09pm…

Located in Donegal Bay, Bundoran Lifeboat Station has provided search and rescue cover since 1994

Bundoran RNLI Brings Surfer in Difficulty at Rossnowlagh Beach to Safety

9th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

A surfer who got into difficulty at Rossnowlagh Beach yesterday afternoon (Sunday 8 May) was brought to safety by the volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI. The alarm was raised by a passer-by on the beach shortly after 3 pm. The…

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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