#RNLI - If ever the importance of a constant state of readiness was underlined then a single 24-hour period, this week has been a reminder of this for the volunteer lifeboat crew at Achill RNLI.

The first of three callouts came on Wednesday night (11 May) at around 10.30pm when the station’s all-weather lifeboat Sam and Ada Moody was requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard to support the evacuation of an elderly patient from Inishturk Island, who was transferred to hospital by coastguard helicopter.

On Thursday afternoon (12 May) at 5.15pm, the lifeboat was called on again, this time to locate and rescue a small cabin boat that encountered engine failure about a mile and a half west of Dooega Head.

The distressed boat, which was crewed by four people, had to be located and then towed to Purteen Harbour, where it was brought safely ashore by a D-class inshore boat from Achill Coast Guard. Excellent weather conditions were a help to the smoothness of the recovery.

Finally, on Thursday evening a local doctor requested the assistance of Achill RNLI to take a patient from Clare Island into Cloughmore, where the patient was transferred by ambulance to hospital.

Speaking following their busy 24 hours, Achill RNLI coxswain Dave Curtis said: :Our volunteers are always on call and ready to respond when needed and we were delighted to be of assistance.

"The response to each call out demonstrated good team work with our colleagues in the coastguard, while the rescue of the cabin boat was a good example of our RNLI training paying off. We would like to wish the patients a speedy recovery."

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI volunteers launched their all-weather lifeboat at 7.30am yesterday morning (Sunday 8 May) to answer a call from the Irish Coast Guard to assist a local fishing boat with engine problems.

A very dense fog was down but the skill of the lifeboat navigators and crew ensured a quick location of the vessel, which was a short distance from Rosslare Burrow point off the Wexford coast.

"With a visibility of less than 200 metres, the lifeboat crew did extremely well to locate the vessel so quickly," said Rosslare Harbour RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Jamie Ryan.

"This type of weather can come in fast and can be extremely challenging when a vessel suffers engine problems. Thankfully it was a successful callout."

Hours later, Newcastle RNLI launched to assist an adult and child safely back to shore just off Newcastle Harbour in Co Down.

Three volunteer lifeboat crew launched the inshore lifeboat to assist a leisure craft which experienced engine failure. Once on scene, the crew established a tow and proceeded to Newcastle Harbour.

Newcastle RNLI Helm Niall McMurray said: "We’re always happy to help where we can and thankfully conditions were calm with no one injured."

#RNLI - Vital funds have been raised for the RNLI following the annual Dunmore East lifeboat 'Dash & Splash' and yellow welly throwing competition.

The event, which took place at Councillor’s Strand in Dunmore East on Sunday 1 May, was run as part of Mayday, the RNLI’s national annual fundraising campaign.

Dunmore East RNLI fundraising branch volunteer Carol McGeary said: "I’d like to thank everyone who came and supported the Dash & Splash and yellow welly throwing competition.

"We were especially delighted to have Senator Grace O’ Sullivan taking part and leading the swimmers into the water.

"We all had great fun with the welly throwing competition and the crew even challenged our supporters to a beach soccer match. The funds raised will help the RNLI continue to save lives at sea’.

McGeary added that RNLI volunteers in Dunmore East and around Ireland "are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers beep.

"Mayday is the RNLI’s own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to continue our lifesaving service, which we operate day and night, 365 days a year."

Many of the Mayday fundraising events that have taken place across the country have had a yellow welly theme, in a nod to the essential kit that the RNLI’s lifeboat crew members wear on their feet when they go out to sea to save lives.

Money raised through the Mayday campaign – which ran from Tuesday 26 April to Monday 2 May – will support the RNLI’s lifesaving work. It could be used to fund crew training, contribute towards the running costs of a lifeboat station or buy new crew kit like the yellow wellies.

There is still time to support Mayday. Visit RNLI.org/Mayday to donate.

The RNLI operates 45 lifeboat stations around Ireland. Last year, RNLI lifeboat crews in Ireland launched 1,098 times bringing 1,244 people to safety.

#RNLI - The eagerly anticipated Bundoran RNLI Soapbox Race makes its return to Bundoran’s Astoria Road on Bank Holiday Sunday 5 June.

Following last year’s cancellation of the event due to unfavourable weather conditions, the volunteer lifeboat crew are this year determined to make the fundraising event even better than ever.

The current holders of the title of soapbox champions are Bundoran’s Ward Automation and they are anxious to retain their title.

Spectators can expect the usual excitement that they have grown to expect since the event began back in 2012 with participants encouraged to begin the build of their soapbox so that it is ready on time.

The €1,000 ball race will also make a welcome return on the day with balls being sold for €5.

Each ball is numbered and then released down the hill. The first ball through the funnel at the end will win the €1,000 which has been donated by local businesses. Balls will be on sale on the day.

The event will kick off at midday with a skate competition as local longboarders display their skills in advance of the soapbox race. The soapbox race will follow with the day coming to a close with the ball race.

Bundoran RNLI event co-ordinator Cormac McGurren is encouraging all budding soapboxers to start building.

"The countdown is on and we want to see as many soapboxes taking part as is possible," he says. "We would love to see all the local businesses involved and competing against each other to have plenty of friendly rivalry on the day.

"We would also encourage locals and visitors alike to come along and enjoy a good day out. All proceeds raised will go to helping our volunteers in Bundoran to continue to save lives at sea."

All the details of the day, including registration forms, can be found online at www.bundoranlifeboatsoapboxrace.com

#RNLI - Lifeboats from Arklow and Bangor were out on the water for separate callouts on May Day yesterday in what made for a busy weekend for the RNLI crews.

In Arklow, RNLI lifeboat volunteers were alerted by pager around 7pm on a fine Sunday evening (1 May) to a call for help from a vintage sailing vessel.

The lifeboat Ger Tigchleaar was launched within minutes to the classic boat, which has suffered engine failure and was stranded just east of Arklow Harbour.

The Arklow RNLI volunteer crew established a tow line and proceeded to tow the vessel safely back into Arklow. The five experienced crew members on the casualty vessel remained aboard during the tow home and all hands came ashore safely at Arklow.

Speaking after the incident, volunteer lifeboat press officer and community safety officer Mark Corcoran said: "On this, the RNLI’s Mayday fundraising weekend, our fundraising team and boats crew have been busy with all kinds of fundraising events.

"Even after a long day of fundraising our dedicated volunteers turned up this evening en masse to go to the aid of the crew of this stricken vessel.

"We’re all very proud to be involved with the RNLI, so please give generously to the Mayday campaign to help keep us doing what we do, which is saving lives at sea."

Elsewhere on the same evening, Bangor RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew launched to the aid of a RIB with engine failure just off Royal North Yacht Club in Belfast Lough.

Although not in immediate danger, a strong breeze was blowing the vessel, with one person on board, offshore. Thankfully the Bangor inshore lifeboat was able to tow the RIB in to Royal North without incident.

Bangor RNLI volunteer helmsman Gareth Whan said: “The crew and I are delighted to have been able to return this vessel safely to shore. Engine failure can happen in the best-maintained boat, and we are pleased to have been able to help.”

This was Bangor RNLI’s second callout of the weekend. On Friday evening (29 April) they were asked by Belfast Coastguard to assist Lagan Search and Rescue and other emergency services in a detailed search of Belfast Harbour for a person in the water.

Sadly, this callout did not have a happy ending. The search was called off after three hours, and resumed on Saturday morning. However, it was only yesterday (Sunday 1 May) when a body was found by police divers.

Bangor RNLI extended its sympathies to the family of the man and all involved in the attempted rescue.

“It is sadly appropriate that both of these launches happened during the May Day weekend, a key fundraising time for the RNLI, and highlight the importance of the work our volunteers do,” said Bangor's deputy launching authority Bryan Lawther.

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI responded to a launch request from the coastguard yesterday morning (Saturday 30 April 2016) to assist two men on board a yacht stranded on rocks in Strangford Lough, Co Down.

Portaferry's inshore Atlantic 85 launched at 9.22am and the volunteer crew were quickly on scene at Long Rock, just off East Down Yacht Club, 10 minutes later.

Weather conditions at the time was cloudy with good visibility, a Force 3 north westerly wind and calm sea.

When the RNLI crew arrived, they fixed a line to the 28ft yacht and towed it off the rocks.

Once their yacht was free, the two men on board proceeded to East Down Yacht Club accompanied by the Portaferry lifeboat crew, who remained with the yacht until it was safely returned to the pontoons at the yacht club.

After the callout, Portaferry RNLI lifeboat operations manager Brian Bailie said: "It has been a busy few months for the crew in Portaferry and we were delighted to have been able to assist these two men who had run into some difficulty.

"We are now entering our most busy time of year and we would urge everyone taking to the water to make sure that they prepare properly and check that all equipment is tested and in good working order."

The RNLI offers sea safety advice online at RNLI.org/RespectTheWater

Ballyglass RNLI has rescued three fishermen off the Mayo coast this morning, following a 10 hour call out.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 7.45pm yesterday evening (Sunday 24 April) after a member of the public who was standing on the shore saw a vessel drifting and raised the alarm.

The fishermen were on a 75ft vessel when they got into difficulty north east of Downpatrick Head.

The lifeboat under Coxswain John Walsh and with four crew members onboard launched within minutes and made its way to the scene some six miles north of Killala.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a north westerly Force 3 wind blowing.

Once on scene, the lifeboat crew observed that no one was in any immediate danger and began to work with the three fishermen to set up a towline.

With a tow in place, the lifeboat began the slow passage towards Killybegs in County Donegal. The weather conditions freshened as the night entered morning.

As the lifeboat approached Killybegs at 3am, it was met by a tug at Rotten Island and the tow was passed over. The tug proceeded to bring the fishing vessel the remaining distance into the harbour at Killybegs.

With all safe and well, the lifeboat crew began their return journey arriving back at Ballyglass at six o’clock this morning (Monday 25 April).

Speaking following the call out, Agatha Hurst, Ballyglass RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said: ‘We would like to commend the member of the public who observed from the shore that the fishing vessel was experiencing some problems. It was a long call out for our volunteers but they were more than happy to work throughout the night to ensure the crew and their vessel was safely returned to shore.’

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 20 April) following concerns that a person may have been missing on the Hook Peninsula in Co Wexford.

The alarm was raised when a man did not return from a walk at Hook Head when expected.

The volunteer lifeboat crew responded quickly to a launch request by the Irish Coast Guard following the report at 4.30pm.

The D-class lifeboat Tradewinds, helmed by John Colfer together with three volunteer lifeboat crew, launched at Slade Harbour within minutes following the pager alert, assisted by five shore crew who began a shoreline search.

At 5.15pm the search was stood down with the notification that the man was found safe and well.

Speaking following the callout, Fethard RNLI deputy launching authority Hugh Burke said: "We would like to commend the member of the public who raised the alarm today when they were concerned. We would always rather launch to a false alarm with good intent than not launch at all.

"Our volunteers responded quickly this afternoon to aid in the search at sea and on the shore but we were stood down quickly on hearing the good news that the man was not missing but overdue and had been located safe and well."

Fethard RNLI is always looking for new volunteers from all walks of life to join their lifesaving team.

If you are aged 17 or over and would like to find out more please contact the lifeboat station or make a visit during its May Bank holiday open weekend.

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI's volunteer crew headed to the West of Ireland this month as they paid a visit to their colleagues in Clifden RNLI.

Once a year the volunteers in Skerries undertake a team-building and fact-finding trip to other rescue services and lifeboat stations.

Despite being located on opposite sides of the country, Skerries RNLI and Clifden RNLI had previously exercised together, along with Clogherhead RNLI, off the East Coast back in 2014.

On that occasion the Clifden crew were being trained on the Mersey-class all-weather lifeboat that the station took on for a 12-month trial.

Last Saturday (16 April), Clifden RNLI launched all three of their lifeboats – a Mersey-class, an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat and a D-class inshore lifeboat – to take the volunteers from Skerries afloat and give them a taste of the challenges they faced on the West Coast and at their own station in particular.

Skerries RNLI would like to thank volunteers Philip Ferguson and Laura Boylan for organising the trip; Irish Rail, who very generously subsidised the travel costs; and most importantly all, the volunteers at Clifden RNLI for giving up their time and extending a warm welcome.

Speaking about the exercise, Skerries RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: "It’s always a great learning experience for our volunteers to see the challenges that face other crews around the coast, and how they deal with them.

"The guys from Clifden RNLI were fantastic and really pulled out all the stops to make sure we went afloat and got a good insight into why they require each of their boats."

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew were called out yesterday afternoon (Sunday 17 April) to assist a 36ft angling vessel which had run into difficulty north of the South Rock Light Buoy near Portaferry, Co Down.

The alarm was raised just before 12.25pm and the lifeboat was dispatched to the scene, some 10 miles east of the lifeboat station.

The angling boat, with three people on board, had developed engine problems in what were described as calm conditions with a Force 3 wind and a slight sea swell.

When on scene, the lifeboat crew checked everyone was okay before taking the vessel under tow to Portavogie, arriving there at 2pm. The lifeboat was back on station at 2.30pm.

Commenting on the callout, Portaferry RNLI lifeboat operations manager Brian Bailie said: "This was a fairly routine callout for the lifeboat crew and we were glad to be able to offer assistance.

"However as we approach the busy season and more people are taking to the water for leisure we would advise the public to make sure they check all their equipment is in proper working order."

The RNLI offers sea safety advice online at RNLI.org/RespectTheWater