Former president Mary McAleese recalls her close family connections with the lifeboat service in the latest episode of the RNLI “200 Voices” series.
McAleese was born in Belfast, grew up on the shores of Carlingford Lough and now lives close to a lake in the west of Ireland.
The podcast, “Storms and Teacups”, which is released this week as part of the series to mark the RNLI’s bicentenary, notes that Jeremiah O’Connell, her son-in-law’s grandfather, was coxswain of Kerry’s Valentia lifeboat nearly 150 years ago.
McAleese admits to “not being the strongest of swimmers” in the interviews. She also recalls many of the charity events she attended during her term as president, and pays tribute to the RNLI’s volunteering spirit.
The podcast series involves people connected to the RNLI in Ireland, and those whose lives have been touched by the lifesaving charity.
Initiated in August, it has already recorded interviews with Niamh Fitzpatrick, sister of the late Rescue 116 helicopter Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, and Fr Tom Dalton, an RNLI crew member in Courtown, Co Wexford.
Baltimore RNLI’s Kieran Cotter recalled his involvement in responding to the 1979 Fastnet yacht, while the challenge of saving lives in a remote place was the theme of an interview with recently retired Aran islands GP Dr Marion Broderick.
Later in the autumn, the series will also hear from “ambassadors”, including musician Phil Coulter, who speaks about writing the RNLI anthem, “Home from the Sea”.
The RNLI’s 200 Voices is available wherever you get your podcasts or at RNLI.org/200Voices.
To find out more about the RNLI’s bicentenary, visit www.RNLI.org/200.