RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The yacht had drifted onto rocks at the base of Howth Head on Dublin Bay

Howth RNLI Rescue Yacht Which Had Lost Steering

25th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat on Sunday 24rd June 2018 to reports of a sailing vessel with three people aboard that had lost steering and drifted onto rocks at the base of Howth Head. A telephone call to Howth…

Fethard RNLI's locally funded inshore lifeboat Naomh Dubhán has been on service since February

Fethard RNLI To Name New Lifeboat ‘Naomh Dubhán’ In Local Ceremony

23rd June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI’s new D class lifeboat is to be officially named Naomh Dubhán during a ceremony next weekend. All are welcome to attend the event next Saturday 30 June from 2pm at the lifeboat station in Fethard, Co Wexford.…

RNLI Coxswain Kevin Young (right) with the solo skipper Rees Hopkins

Solo Round the World Sailor Rescued By Courtmacsherry RNLI

23rd June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was called out at 5.20 pm yesterday to go to the aid of a solo sailor in a 31–ft yacht that had got into difficulties 40 miles off the Seven Heads in West Cork.…

William’s Coates friend Aaron Vance demonstrating the Float to Live survival skill in Bangor marina alongside RNLI lifeguard Charlie Murray, with Bangor RNLI’s inshore lifeboat standing by

RNLI Says 'floating' Saves Lives as Charity Launches 2018 National Drowning Prevention Campaign

22nd June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI has today launched its 2018 national drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, in Northern Ireland. The launch at Bangor Lifeboat Station comes as the RNLI said that seven people claimed floating helped save their life in 2017 after…

Enniskillen Lifeboat Rescues Two After Boat Breaks Free From Jetty During Storm Hector

15th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI rescued two people on Lower Lough Erne after their 42ft cruiser broke free from its jetty during Storm Hector yesterday morning (Thursday 14 June). Belfast Coastguard requested the launch of the inshore lifeboat at 6.42am, with the volunteer…

Arklow Lifeboat Rescues Lone Swimmer In Late Evening Callout

11th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched on Saturday evening (9 June) following a report of a lone swimmer in difficulty and being carried out to sea. A concerned member of the public had been out walking at North Quay…

Carrybridge Lifeboat Rescues Cow In Distress

10th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Just two days before Carrybridge RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat had its naming ceremony, boat and crew launched to assist a cow that had fallen from a steep bank on Upper Lough Erne. The lifeboat and rescue water craft…

The new inshore lifeboat pictured with hew crew which is now located at Carrybridge and which has launched 13 times since going on service, was officially named Douglas, Euan & Kay Richards

Carrybridge RNLI’s New Inshore Atlantic 85 Class Lifeboat Named on Upper Lough Erne

9th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

At a special naming ceremony and service of dedication held today (Saturday 9 June), Carrybridge RNLI officially named its new Atlantic 85 class lifeboat, Douglas, Euan & Kay Richards, at the lifeboat station on Upper Lough Erne. The honour of…

Bundoran Lifeboat Rescues Kayaker In Difficulty

8th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Bundoran RNLI has rescued a kayaker who got into difficulty between Rossnowlagh and Creevy Pier yesterday evening (Thursday 7 June). The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat by Malin Head Coast Guard at 8.11pm following…

The RNLI has created a new video here explaining the five steps to floating

RNLI Joins GAA to Bring National Drowning Campaign ‘Respect the Water’ into Clubs Across Ireland

7th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI, in partnership with the GAA, through their Healthy Club Programme, has this morning (Thursday 7 June), launched its 2018 national drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. The campaign this year will see…

Four people were assisted by Lough Ree RNLI Volunteers when their boat got stuck on rocks

Lough Ree RNLI Rescue Tourists From Boat on Rocks

7th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

At 11am yesterday morning, (6 June 2018), Lough Ree RNLI inshore lifeboat crew were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard in Malin Head to go to the assistance of 4 people whose boat had got stuck on Slate…

Fenit Lifeboats Respond To Five Callouts In One Week

5th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fenit RNLI’s lifeboat volunteer crew responded to a number of calls received from people experiencing difficulties in the sea over the past seven days. The callouts included a person requiring medical assistance, another person getting into difficulty while…

The lifeboat, crewed by Alan Venner, with Georgia Keating, Jenna O’Shea and David Venner arrived with the casualty some 40 minutes later and established a tow to Crosshaven

Crosshaven RNLI Assist Yacht on Passage from UK to Cork Harbour

4th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

At 9.45pm on 2 June, the crew of the Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat in Cork Harbour were paged to assist a 39’ yacht on passage from the UK to Crosshaven. The vessel's given position was in the area of the ‘Power’…

Lough Derg RNLI crew check over the cruiser that ran aground at Tullabeg

Bank Holiday Sunday Lifeboat Shouts In Baltimore, Wicklow & Lough Derg

4th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - A busy Bank Holiday Sunday (3 June) for RNLI lifeboat callouts began just after 9am, when Baltimore RNLI was tasked to a yacht that ran aground upriver from the West Cork village. The vessel, with two on board, got…

Once on scene the lifeboat crew checked that the two onboard were safe and well before attempting to tow the vessel off the rocks

Rosslare Harbour RNLI Rescues Two Onboard 12m French Racing Yacht That Runs Aground

31st May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Rosslare Harbour RNLI rescued a man and woman from a 12m French racing yacht which ran aground last night during the Normandy Channel Race. The yacht which had successfully rounded the Tuskar Rock and was making its way towards the…

Susan Mason and her husband Seamus are Buckingham Palace bound

Youghal RNLI Volunteers Invited To Queen’s Garden Party

31st May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Two long-serving volunteers from Youghal RNLI in East Cork have a royal engagement at Buckingham Palace next week. Former station mechanic Seamus Mason, who has been a lifeboat volunteer with the RNLI for 30 years, and his wife…

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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