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Charity Cycle For RNLI and Castletownbere GAA In Memory of Late Coxswain Dave Fenton

8th May 2026
“Cycle
Cycle Tribute — Late RNLI Castletownbere deputy coxswain Dave Fenton will be remembered at a Beara Peninsula charity cycle raising funds for the RNLI and Castletownbere GAA

A charity cycle is taking place next month in West Cork in memory of the late RNLI Castletownbere lifeboat deputy coxswain Dave Fenton.

Dave Fenton, who died unexpectedly in August 2024 at the age of 41, was an experienced Garda who saved lives on both land and sea as a volunteer with the RNLI in West Cork. The father of three from Kerry was an accomplished sportsman and active member of his community, and served as both deputy coxswain and deputy mechanic with the RNLI Castletownbere station. 

During his time with the Castletownbere lifeboat, ten lives were saved in different rescues.  He also played with Castletownbere GAA, contributed to the club both on and off the field, and was part of the team that won the 2012 Cork Intermediate Football Championship. His work and that of his crew were featured on the BBC Saving Lives at Sea television series, and he won two Water Safety Ireland awards.

Cyclists of all levels are encouraged to participate in the cycle on the roads of the Beara Peninsula on Saturday, June 20th 2026. “Whether you’re taking on the 100km challenge or enjoying the 40km route, the focus is on participation, community, and supporting two important local organisations,” the organisers state.

They say that every euro raised will go directly to the two beneficiary organisations- the RNLI Castletownbere station, which continues to provide a vital volunteer search and rescue service off the Beara Peninsula, while Castletownbere GAA remains a central part of parish life, supporting players, families and the wider community.

The Dave Fenton Charity Cycle will start on June 20th from 9.00 am at Castletownbere GAA Pitch, Droum, just outside Castletownbere. 

The day will conclude with a BBQ and live music with Pat Higgins in Castletownbere Square, offering cyclists, families and supporters a chance to come together and celebrate. Registration, payment and donation details are available on the event website below, and organisers are also inviting volunteers to help on the day.

Click here to access the Dave Fenton Charity Cycle, or contact the charity event directly through email: [email protected]

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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.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

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

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.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

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

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

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.

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.

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.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

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

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

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