A significant crowd gathered at Courtmacsherry RNLI lifeboat station in West Cork for the naming ceremony of the new Shannon class lifeboat on Saturday. Val Adnams, the principal donor, flew from Idaho, USA, to name the state-of-the-art vessel. Esteemed guests, including the Lord Mayor of County Cork, Tánaiste Michéal Martin, RNLI Head of Region Anna Classon, RNLI Director of Engineering and Supply Jamie Chestnutt, Coast Guard Head of Operations Gerard O’Flynn, and several search and rescue colleagues from local lifeboat stations and Coast Guard Units, were present.
Lifeboat donor Val Adnams pictured with An Tánaiste Michéal Martin and members of Courtmacsherry RNLI at the Naming Ceremony for the station’s Shannon class lifeboat
Val Adnams, a lifelong supporter of the RNLI and an avid sailor and sportsperson, grew up in Preston and Weymouth. She expressed her gratitude and said, "It is worth funding this Shannon class lifeboat. It warms my heart to know that this lifeboat will be helping the crew to keep the waters around Courtmacsherry lifeboat station safe."
The lifeboat has the latest marine propulsion technology, ensuring improved control and manoeuvrability, with safety as the top priority. The vessel has an expected lifespan of fifty years. Brian O’Dywer, the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Operations Manager, received the lifeboat and thanked the donor for her generous gift. He praised the capability of the new lifeboat and expressed his confidence that it will provide a safe environment for their crew and a first-class rescue service for seafarers in need of assistance at sea.
Lifeboat donor Val Adnams pours champagne over the bow of Courtamacsherry’s Shannon class lifeboat at the Naming Ceremony for the station’s Shannon class lifeboat
The lifeboat was displayed in the harbour, followed by a flyover by the Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117. The ceremony concluded with a service of dedication and a heartily sung chorus of the Phil Coulter lifeboat anthem ‘Home from the Sea.'
The new Shannon class lifeboat replaced the station's previous All-Weather lifeboat, Frederick Story Cockburn, which went on 370 callouts during its service. The ceremony was held a day after the death of Gerry Turner, the previous Lifeboat Operations Manager, who was remembered by the current manager in his opening remarks.
The crew and station management had a long day as the lifeboat had been launched at 5.20 am that morning to reports of a swimmer in difficulty off Inchydoney, but the callout ended successfully as Afloat reported here.
