Aran Islands RNLI has welcomed a new full-time mechanic to the station. Mairtín Eoin Coyne takes over from Johnny Mulkerrin, who retired after 35 years last month.
Mairtín Eoin, an Aran Islander from birth, is no stranger to the station having served as a volunteer on the all-weather lifeboat for more than 20 years, having joined in 1996.
Mairtin Eoin was part of the crew that undertook training at the RNLI's College in Poole, Dorset, to learn the workings of the current Severn class lifeboat before she came to the Island in 1997.
Through the years, Mairtín Eoin has undertaken other courses to further his education, including lifeboat sea survival and mechanical maintenance of lifeboats.
For the past five to six years, he has regularly served as cover for now-retired mechanic Johnny Mulkerrin when needed.
Michael Hernon, Aran Islands RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, welcomed Mairtín Eoin on behalf of the station: 'We are delighted to welcome Mairtín Eoin who took up his post on the 1 June and we wish him many more safe and happy years at sea. His role as full-time mechanic at Aran Islands RNLI will ensure the operational effectiveness of our station through the operation, maintenance and repair of the lifeboat and its associated machinery and equipment.'