RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Clifden RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat on exercise

Clifden Lifeboat In Medevac After Cycling Incident On Inishbofin

19th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Clifden RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was launched on Tuesday evening (17 July) for the medevac of a young woman who sustained a serious head injury in a cycling accident on Inishbofin. Arriving at the island’s harbour at 8.53pm, lifeboat crew members Joe…

Lough Derg Lifeboat Launches To Cruiser With Electrical Fault

17th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI launched to assist two adults on a 30ft cruiser with electrical failure deep in Youghal Bay off Garrykennedy yesterday afternoon, Monday 16 July. Valentia Coast Guard requested the lifeboat to launch at 2pm to the casualty…

Bundoran RNLI was called by Malin Head Coast Guard

Bundoran RNLI Rescue Three Swimmers From Rip Current

17th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteer lifeboat crew with Bundoran RNLI rescued three swimmers last night (Monday 16 July) from the sea off Bundoran Beach after they got caught in a rip current. Sea conditions changed suddenly when the father and his two sons went…

A yacht went aground near the Fort sandbank at the entrance to Wexford Harbour

Wexford RNLI Launch for Yacht Aground on Sandbank

16th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteer lifeboat crew at Wexford RNLI were called out three times over the weekend. On Saturday (14 July), the crew were launched at 6:25 pm to a motorboat adrift with engine failure in the Slaney Estuary. The second callout came…

The yacht was on passage from Cobh to Baltimore when the call out for assistance was raised with Valentia Radio Coastguard after her prop was fouled

Fouled Yacht Propeller Results in Courtmacsherry RNLI Call Out

15th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was called out at 2.20pm this afternoon to go to the aid of a 41ft–yacht that had got into difficulties and sought help just off the Seven Heads in West Cork. The Courtmacsherry Lifeboat…

The motor cruiser was on a passage from Cahersiveen Marina to Dingle harbour off the County Kerry coast when the engine caught fire

Motor Cruiser on Fire, Three Rescued South of Dingle, County Kerry

15th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Valentia RNLI volunteers launched their all-weather lifeboat yesterday afternoon (Saturday 14 July) to assist a 37ft motor cruiser with three people on board, which had caught fire. At 1.00pm the Valentia Coast Guard requested Valentia RNLI all-weather lifeboat to assist…

Carrybridge RNLI and stricken cruisers setting up a towline

Unlucky Friday The 13th For Cruiser With Engine Trouble On Upper Lough Erne

14th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Friday 13 July was an unlucky one for a 26ft sports cruiser with engine trouble close to Naan Island on Upper Lough Erne. Carrybridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Douglas Euan & Kay Richards launched at 3.23pm yesterday to the cruiser which…

Coastguard rescue team members stretcher the injured cyclist to the lifeboat

Bangor Lifeboat Rescues Cyclist After Coastal Path Fall

8th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Bangor RNLI’s volunteer crew headed to the shore in front of Royal Belfast Golf Club early yesterday afternoon (Saturday 7 July) to assist in the rescue of a young woman who had fallen to the rocks below. Members of…

Enniskillen RNLI crew approaching the casualty vessel that had reported a fire on board

Enniskillen Lifeboat Rescues Two After Boat Fire

6th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI brought two people to safety on Wednesday afternoon (4 July) after their boat they were on showed signs of catching fire. The two people on board quickly used their fire extinguishers while also phoning 999 to ask…

Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Respond to Four Call Outs in Three Days

4th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI’s inshore lifeboat crew have responded to four call outs in three days coming to the aid of 15 people. Between 8am on Sunday last, 1 July and 2.20pm on yesterday, Tuesday 3 July, Lough Ree RNLI came…

Rescue 116 dropping an additional salvage pump on Colt Island

Busy 24 Hours For Skerries Lifeboat Launching To Motorboat & Kayaker In Distress

4th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 3 July) shortly after 1.30pm after a motorboat with two on board called the coastguard via VHF radio to report they were taking on water near Rockabill Lighthouse. The lifeboat was launched…

Fethard RNLI & Community Rescue Effort After Inflatable Drifts Out To Sea

3rd July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI was involved in the rescue of six people yesterday evening (Monday 2 July) after two young girls drifted out to sea on an inflatable lilo. The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch their D class…

Donaghadee RNLI Rescues Grandfather & Grandson after Yacht Runs Aground at Ballywalter Harbour

3rd July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer lifeboat crew of Donaghadee RNLI were paged yesterday (2 July) at 1.51pm by Belfast Coastguard after reports that a 27ft yacht with two people onboard had run aground at the entrance to Ballywalter Harbour and was rapidly taking…

Wicklow RNLI’s all-weather and inshore lifeboats

Wicklow Lifeboats Launch To Father & Son With Dinghy Trouble

2nd July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats were launched yesterday (Sunday 1 July) to assist two people on an inflatable dinghy near Brittas Bay beach. The father and son had set off from the popular tourist beach to fish in a…

Fundraising and Operational volunteers of Fethard RNLI

Fethard RNLI Name Lifeboat Naomh Dubhán in a Ceremony with Strong Emphasis on Community

1st July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteers with Fethard RNLI gathered at the lifeboat station over the weekend (Saturday 30 June) for a naming ceremony and a service of dedication for their new lifeboat Naomh Dubhán. In glorious sunshine, operations crew, fundraisers, station management, friends and…

Donaghadee RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Saxon was on scene to the fishing vessel within five minutes

Donaghadee RNLI Assists Eight People After Lifeboat Launches Three Times in 25 Hours

25th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Donaghadee RNLI volunteer crew were paged three times over the weekend to assist a 24m fishing vessel which had run aground, a 31–ft yacht with three people onboard which had broken down and a small speedboat on the rocks at…

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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