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Displaying items by tag: Killybegs Harbour

While Killybegs harbour is synonymous with the fisheries sector a new video released by Ronan Renewables shows just how the County Donegal port is increasingly catering to the renewable energy sector.

While home to a large portion of the Irish fishing fleet in the winter months, the port is also ideal for affordable import/export and storage for a range of industries.

With open Atlantic ocean access, Killybegs harbour also offers 24/7 ships agency, stevedoring and storage facilities at its 300m pier of 12m draft.

Ronan Group Renewables, headed by Sligo sailor Conor Ronan, who operate out of Killybegs, are directly and indirectly responsible for 200 MW of installed capacity across its onshore assets.

Check out the video below.

Published in Power From the Sea

#ExploringDonegal - National Geographic Explorer visited Killybegs Harbour yesterday following a voyage along the western seaboard with anchorage calls off Aran Islands and Dingle Peninsula as previously reported here on Afloat, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The call of Lindblad Expeditions /National Geographic's operated 150-passenger cruiseship to Killybegs is the second arrival this season which was opened last week by Le Boreal with a 254 passenger capacity.

A sister of the Companie du Ponant's chic 'boutique' style mega-yacht like vessel, Le Soleal is the next caller due on 24 May. In total 9 cruiseships are scheduled in 2015, surpassing last year itself a record.

More than 6,300 passengers are to visit the town and along this stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. The main attraction of nearby Slieve League, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe that are 601m (1,972 ft) high above the Atlantic Ocean.

Of the P&O Cruises to visit the north-west, they will be made by the 30,000 tonnes Adonia, with a length of 180.45m (592 ft) and the largest cruiseship to Killybegs in 2015 goes to the 69,000 tonnes Oriana with a length of 260.00m (853.02 ft).

Adonia has a capacity for 710 passengers while Oriana is much greater with 1,822 passengers and a crew of almost 800.

Published in Cruise Liners

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.

© Afloat 2020