RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The fishing vessel with engine failure under tow back to Wicklow

Wicklow Lifeboat Assists Fishing Vessel With Engine Failure

14th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI volunteers were alerted by pager at 1.05pm on Friday afternoon (12 April) following a launch request to assist a fishing boat with engine failure. The all-weather lifeboat Jock and Annie Slater put to sea shortly before 1.15pm under…

Baltimore RNLI on Thursday night’s medevac callout to Sherkin Island

Baltimore Lifeboat In Medical Evacuation From Sherkin Island

13th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - Baltimore RNLI carried out a medevac on Thursday night (11 April) from Sherkin Island off the coast of West Cork. The volunteer crew launched their all-weather lifeboat following a request from the Irish Coast Guard at 9.29pm to…

Volunteer crewmember and comedian PJ Gallagher joined members of Dun Laoghaire RNLI, where he volunteers, to help well-known fundraiser, Mary Nolan Hickey on her way as she cycles around Ireland for Mayday, Pictured with Mary and PJ are Kieran O’Connell (Colley), Coxswain Mark McGibney and Eamon O’Leary of Dun Laoghaire RNLI

RNLI Asks Public to ‘Give it Some Welly’ & Answer Their Mayday Call

11th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI is calling on people to support their volunteer lifeboat crews as Mayday, the charity’s annual fundraising campaign, was launched yesterday. Volunteer crewmember and comedian PJ Gallagher joined members of Dun Laoghaire RNLI, where he volunteers, to help well-known fundraiser,…

Mary Nolan Hickey is heading off on another lap of Ireland for the RNLI

RNLI Round Ireland Runner Sets off on Bike on Another Lifeboat Fundraiser

10th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Mary Nolan Hickey (66) ran around Ireland for the RNLI lifeboat last year, but is now setting off again on her bike for the same cause writes Lorna Siggins. The veteran athlete from Arklow, Co Wicklow with some 57 marathons under…

File photo of Wicklow’s relief all-weather lifeboat Jock and Annie Slater

First Callout For Wicklow’s Relief Shannon Class Lifeboat

10th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI’s relief Shannon class lifeboat Jock and Annie Slater has its first callout yesterday morning (Tuesday 9 April) to go to the aid of a whelk-fishing vessel with engine failure. The lifeboat, under the command of second coxswain Ciaran…

Once the lifeboat volunteer was satisfied that the cruiser was not holed, he set up for the tow.

Lough Derg RNLI Assist 3 Adults & a Child, on a 35ft Cruiser Aground

7th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to assist four people, three adults and a child on a 35ft cruiser aground behind the Corrakeen Islands in Dromineer Bay yesterday. The lifeboat was launched at 5.39pm with helm Eleanor…

Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club Hosts Annual Lifeboat Auction Tonight

5th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Friday night is sure to be a winner on Dublin Bay as Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club hosts its annual auction night in aid of the Howth RNLI lifeboat tonight, Friday 5 April. Gary Sargent and Elaine Ball will host…

Arklow Lifeboat Volunteers Assist Three Onboard Fishing Boat After Breakdown

4th April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - Arklow RNLI launched on Tuesday (2 April) to assist a vessel in distress following a request from the Irish Coast Guard and a pager alert at 3.20pm. The volunteer crew left their jobs and normal workday behind and…

Lough Derg RNLI rescue the grounded cruiser

Lough Derg RNLI Launch to Assist a Person on a 27ft–Cruiser with Engine Failure at Gortmore Point

3rd April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

At 4.54pm yesterday (Tuesday 2 April), Lough Derg RNLI Jean Spier launched following a request by Valentia Coast Guard to assist one person on board a 27ft cruiser grounded on rocks at Gortmore Point. Conditions were rough with North Westerly…

Youghal RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Gordon and Phil

New Youghal Lifeboat Recruits Assist Two On Boat With Engine Trouble

2nd April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Youghal’s latest RNLI recruits followed a training exercise on Sunday (31 March) with a callout to a 10ft open boat experiencing engine trouble just off the old Youghal bridge in the East Cork town. The volunteer crew launched the inshore…

RNLI Benefits from Defence Forces ‘Beaufort Cup’ Win as Generous Crew Donate €5000 from Prize Fund

1st April 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI has received a €5,000 donation from the Irish Defence Forces team that won the Beaufort Cup during Cork Week Regatta. The competition invites sailing teams from the military and emergency services to take part in a series of…

Lough Derg RNLI Assist Nine People on 55ft Vessel Aground Near Drominagh

31st March 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

At 11.30am this morning (Sunday 31 March) Lough Derg RNLI was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to go to the assistance of a cruiser with nine people onboard that had run aground on some rocks near Drominagh. The conditions were…

Siobhan Murray, Kieran Fitzgerald, April Dunne and Ann Murray, organisers of the Ardmore Christmas Day Swim

Ardmore Christmas Day Swim Raises More Than €3,000 For Youghal Lifeboat

31st March 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Youghal’s RNLI volunteers were presented last week with a cheque for €3,439.60 from the organisers of the Ardmore Christmas Day swim. The event was first organised in 1997 and has successfully run every Christmas Day since. The swim is always…

Ballyglass RNLI in Back to Back Call Outs to Assist Crew of Two Fishing Vessels

20th March 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Ballyglass RNLI responded to two back to back call-outs today, first to bring an injured fisherman to safety, and then to assist a 10m fishing vessel that had broken down off the Mayo coast. The volunteer crew launched their all-weather…

Newcastle & Kilkeel Lifeboats Recover Missing Person From Carlingford Lough

19th March 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Lifeboats from Clogherhead, Newcastle and Kilkeel were involved in the search for a woman missing in Carlingford Lough at the weekend, which came to a sad end yesterday afternoon (Monday 18 March) with the discovery of a body in the…

Howth RNLI Rescue Two Sailors & 48-Foot Yacht at Risk of Sinking

18th March 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI launched its all-weather lifeboat this morning to reports of a sailing vessel with 2 people aboard taking on water and starting to sink 7 miles east of Howth. The pagers sounded at 8.24am and the all weather lifeboat…

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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.

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

Which is Ireland's busiest lifeboat station?

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.

Do the RNLI get paid?

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

How many RNLI Lifeboat stations in Ireland?

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

How many lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions?

How many people are rescued by the RNLI?

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

What type of boats does the RNLI have?

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.

How are lifeboats called out?

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.

What is the relationship between the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI in Ireland?

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.

What is a coxswain?

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

What training do RNLI lifeboat crews get?

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