RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Lough Ree RNLI arrive to assist the grounded cruiser west of Beam Island

Lough Ree Lifeboat Rescues Six People on Cruiser Aground East of Hodson Bay

12th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI’s volunteer crew launched this afternoon (Monday 12 July) to assist a lake cruiser with six people onboard which had run aground west of Beam Island, close to the Co Roscommon shoreline. Under helm Kieran Sloyan and with…

Youghal RNLI's Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat

Youghal RNLI Lifeboat Called to a Capsized Kayaker Near Knockadoon

11th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Youghal RNLI was tasked today (Sunday 11 July) by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to reports of a kayaker having capsized and in difficulty in the water 300 metres from the shore at Knockadoon. The Volunteer crew, under the Helm…

Wicklow RNLI’s inshore lifeboat returning to station with the dog owner and his pet

Wicklow Lifeboat Crew Assist Stranded Dog & Owner

11th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launched shortly after 3pm yesterday afternoon (Saturday 10 July) following a report of a man climbing down a cliff to rescue his dog. The lifeboat volunteers located the man and his dog five minutes later near…

Crew on Fethard's D-Class lifeboat lay a wreath

Fethard RNLI Mark 25 years of Saving Lives with an Emotional Ceremony at Sea

11th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Fethard RNLI commemorated an important anniversary on Saturday (10 July 2021). It was 25 years to the exact day (10 July 1996) that the RNLI re-established a lifeboat station at Fethard-On-Sea, following an absence of 82 years. The milestone was…

The lifeboat crew motored the yacht to a safe berth in Castletownbere harbour

Injured Lone Yachtsman Assisted By Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat

11th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Castletownbere RNLI was launched yesterday evening (Saturday 10th July 2021) just after 7.20 pm to go to the immediate assistance of a lone sailor who had become injured on his yacht off Bere Island in West Cork Castletownbere lifeboat was…

Baltimore Lifeboat Crew Fight Blaze on RIB Off Sherkin Island

11th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI’s volunteer crew were called out to reports of a boat on fire off Sherkin Island in West Cork yesterday afternoon (Saturday 10 July). Under coxswain Aidan Bushe, the all-weather lifeboat launched at 3.34pm following a request from the…

Union Hall RNLI's Atlantic 85 Lifeboat; Christine and Raymond Fielding

First Callout for new Union Hall RNLI Atlantic 85 Lifeboat

9th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

The Union Hall RNLI volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat Christine and Raymond Fielding, by the Irish Coast Guard at 3.50pm today (Friday 9th July) to reports of two people in difficulty in the small sound, an…

The new full-time Aran Islands RNLI mechanic, Mairtín Eoin Coyne

Aran Islands RNLI Welcomes New Full-Time Mechanic

7th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Aran Islands RNLI has welcomed a new full-time mechanic to the station. Mairtín Eoin Coyne takes over from Johnny Mulkerrin, who retired after 35 years last month. Mairtín Eoin, an Aran Islander from birth, is no stranger to the station…

The special presentation on shores of Lough Ree at Coosan Point

Model Lifeboat & Painting Presented to Lough Ree RNLI

5th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI’s volunteer crew were the recipients of a number of personalised gifts from a keen lifeboat supporter at a presentation yesterday afternoon (Sunday 4 July). Limerick man Mark Conway (43) visited Coosan Point Athlone with his friend Tommy…

Kinsale RNLI volunteers board the 51ft ketch to assist its solo-sailing skipper

Kinsale RNLI Crew Assists Solo Sailor After 52 Days at Sea

5th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Kinsale RNLI’s lifeboat launched on Saturday 3 July to help a solo yachtsman struggling at sea with damaged sails. The yachtsman had left the Caribbean island of Carriacou on Thursday 13 May en route to the UK. But three weeks…

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

Medevac from Inis Mór for Aran Islands Lifeboat

5th July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer crew at Aran Islands RNLI were asked to launch their all-weather Severn class lifeboat just after 8pm yesterday (Sunday 4 July) to a woman in need of medical attention on Inis Mór, the largest of the Galway Bay…

The 3 people aboard the motorboat were all wearing lifejackets but the 2 younger crew members were suffering from slight seasickness.

Howth RNLI Rescue Family of 3 People in Fishing Boat with Engine Problems

3rd July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI pagers sounded at 6.10 pm Friday 3rd July 2021 to reports of a small fishing vessel with three people on board who were stranded in the vicinity of Lambay Island due to mechanical problems. The Howth RNLI all…

A busy Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew tow a cruiser that had gone aground

Lough Ree RNLI Assist 25 People on Stranded Motor Cruisers This Week

2nd July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew this morning (Friday 2 July) responded to a call-out to a cruiser with eleven people on board which had run aground north of Inch Turk island. This brings to 25 the number of people…

Fethard RNLI Assists Lone Fisherman After 18ft Boat Breaks Down off Hook Head

2nd July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteer lifeboat crew at Fethard RNLI were requested to launch their lifeboat by the Irish Coast Guard yesterday morning (Thursday 1 July) at 11.20 am, to assess the situation where a fisherman reported difficulties with his boat’s outboard engine. Fethard…

Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat crew launch for the medical emergency

Lough Derg RNLI Launched to Assist 'Semi-Conscious' Young Person on Dromineer Bay

1st July 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

On Wednesday afternoon, June 30, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist a young person reported to be semi-conscious on a floating pontoon, by Dromineer Harbour. At 3.43 pm the lifeboat Jean Spier launched with…

Baltimore RNLI Assists to Three Onboard 38ft Yacht in Difficulty

30th June 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI were called out to provide assistance to three people on a yacht in difficulty just before midnight last night (Tuesday 29 June) off the coast of Baltimore, West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at…

Start
Prev
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
Next
End

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