RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

File image of Larne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Terry

Larne Lifeboat Rescues Four Kayakers Drifting Out to Sea Off Browns Bay

25th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI rescued four kayakers on Monday afternoon (24 June) after they got pushed out to sea by an offshore wind off Browns Bay and started to drift. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 2.12pm…

Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat waits for the Strangford Lough ferry service to depart before being recovered back to station

Portaferry Lifeboat Responds to Emergency Beacon Alert

25th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Portaferry RNLI’s pagers sounded on Sunday afternoon (23 June) after Belfast Coastguard received an ermergency position indication radio beacon (EPIRB) alert close to Portavogie. The inshore lifeboat launched at 1.05pm amid good conditions on Northern Ireland’s Co Down coast, with…

File image of Aran Islands RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

Aran Islands Lifeboat Launches to Aid of Injured Cyclist

24th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Aran Islands RNLI launched to the aid of an injured cyclist on Inis Oírr on Monday afternoon (24 June). The volunteer crew on Inis Mór were requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat just after 1pm following a report from the…

Skerries RNLI volunteers making their way ashore to assist the man and his dog on Saturday 22 June

Skerries Lifeboat Launches to Rescue Man and His Dog in Loughshinny

23rd June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI volunteers responded to an emergency 999 call reporting that a dog had fallen from a cliff in Loughshinny shortly before 11am on Saturday morning (22 June). The volunteers in Skerries launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson…

File image of Youghal RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Youghal Lifeboat Rescues Kayaker in Difficulty Near Capel Island

21st June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

On Thursday evening (20 June), during his first call-out as lifeboat helm with Youghal RNLI, Jack Nolan and his fellow crew rescued a kayaker who got into difficulty and ended up in the water near Capel Island. The lifeboat was…

Larne RNLI’s proud volunteer crew stand guard with their all-weather and inshore lifeboats

Larne RNLI to Celebrate 30 Years With Open Day This Saturday

19th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI will celebrate 30 years of lifesaving with an open day at the lifeboat station on Northern Ireland’s East Antrim coast this Saturday 22 June from noon to 4pm. Everyone is welcome to join the volunteer crew to celebrate…

Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier speeds to the casualty vessel in Youghal Bay on Monday afternoon 17 June

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Two on Speedboat With Engine Failure

19th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI were requested to launch on Monday afternoon (17 June) to assist two people on a 16ft speed boat that ran aground in Youghal Bay after suffering engine failure. At 1.31pm, the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier launched with…

The Clogherhead RNLI Shannon class all-weather lifeboat

Clogherhead RNLI Comes to the Aid of a Disabled Vessel Near Clogherhead

17th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Clogherhead RNLI volunteers were called upon to assist a disabled vessel off the northeast coast near Clogherhead. Clogherhead Coast Guard requested that Clogherhead RNLI volunteers launch the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat on Sunday, 16th June, at approximately 4.30 p.m. to…

RNLI to Launch ‘Float to Live’ Campaign During National Water Safety Awareness Week

15th June 2024 Water Safety

To mark National Water Safety Awareness Week in Ireland, this Tuesday (18 June) the RNLI will launch its Float to Live campaign at the Forty Foot swimming spot in Sandycove with a demonstration on how to carry out the technique…

File image of Bangor RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Bangor Lifeboat Assists Two on Vessel With Engine Difficulty Near Groomsport

13th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Bangor RNLI launched to the aid of two people on Wednesday evening (12 June) after their boat encountered engine problems near Groomsport. At 8.35pm, Bangor’s RNLI volunteers launched their Atlantic 85 class lifeboat Jessie Hillyard following a request from Belfast Coastguard…

The new currach 'an bideach', built in Kilkenny, will be launched on the River Barrow at Carlow in July

Traditional Currach Built in the Midlands in Aid of Mental Health Services and RNLI

13th June 2024 Currachs

Three Irish men have come together to build a traditional Currach in aid of two charities, Teac Tom Mental Health Services and the RNLI. Pat Comerford of Carlow Rowing Club, along with Pat Sweeney of Achill and Paul Palmer of…

Karol McNern from Ballyshannon, a former helm at Bundoran RNLI, will ride unsupported from Malin to Mizen — a 1,225km route from one end of Ireland to the other — and back

Donegal Cyclist to Attempt World Record Ride From Malin to Mizen and Back in Aid of Bundoran RNLI

12th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

A Donegal cyclist is set to embark on a mammoth world-record cycle attempt, riding unsupported from Malin to Mizen — a 1,225km route from one end of Ireland to the other — and back. The gruelling non-stop ride is set…

Portaferry RNLI volunteer crew assess the second casualty when brought onboard the lifeboat in the man-overboard exercise on Sunday 9 June

Portaferry RNLI Enjoys Joint Training Exercise on Strangford Lough

11th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Portaferry RNLI joined the Strangford ferry service and Portaferry Coastguard on Sunday morning (9 June) for a planned man-overboard exercise on Strangford Lough. The exercise focused on an alert that one, then two people had fallen overboard. There was a…

Galway RNLI return to the dock in Galway Harbour with the capsized vessel in tow

Galway RNLI Rescues Three After Boat Capsizes off Salthill

11th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

In a dramatic rescue operation, the Galway RNLI saved three individuals after their boat capsized off Salthill yesterday evening. The Irish Coast Guard swiftly dispatched the volunteer crew following reports of a small boat in distress off Blackrock in Salthill,…

File image of Enniskillen RNLI’s inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis

Enniskillen Lifeboat Helps Six After Boat Gets Into Difficulty on Lough Erne

10th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

At 10.55pm on Friday evening (7 June), Enniskillen RNLI’s inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard to assess a boat with six people onboard, which had encountered difficulties while making its way from…

Youghal RNLI observes Helvick Head’s inshore lifeboat approaching the 35ft yacht in difficulty

Youghal and Helvick Head Lifeboats Come to Aid of Sailor Onboard 35ft Yacht

10th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Youghal RNLI’s volunteer crew in East Cork were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 4.03pm on Sunday (9 June) to assist a sailor onboard a 35ft yacht that had suffered steering failure some two miles south of Mine Head…

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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