RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

File image of Rosslare Harbour RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

RNLI Issues Water Safety Warning During Lockdowns In Ireland & UK

7th January 2021 Water Safety

The RNLI is urging anyone who is able under Irish or UK government guidelines to visit the coast during lockdown to stay safe and not take any unnecessary risks that may put extra pressure on emergency services. As both the…

File image of the Shannon-based Rescue 115

Teenage Boy Dies in Fall from Co Kerry Coastal Cliff

3rd January 2021 Coastguard

A teenage boy has died in a tragic accident after a fall from a coastal cliff on the Dingle Peninsula, as RTÉ News reports. It’s understood that the 17-year-old slipped and fell while out walking with his family at Cinn…

Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat Launches to Fishing Vessel Requiring Assistance

3rd January 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Lifeboat crew at Castletownbere RNLI were launched yesterday afternoon (Saturday 2nd January) at 15:30 to assist an 11-metre fishing boat which had lost power 18 miles south west of Castletownbere Harbour in West Cork. The lifeboat, under coxswain Aaron O’Boyle,…

The yacht as located off the Old Head of Kinsale by Courtmacsherry lifeboat

Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat in Call Out to 50ft Yacht in Difficulties off the Old Head of Kinsale

3rd January 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry All-Weather Trent Class RNLI Lifeboat was called out at 7 am this Sunday morning to go to the aid of a 50 ft-yacht with three people on board which had got into difficulties four miles east of the…

Kieran Cotter - At age 17, Kieran first became interested in Baltimore Lifeboat and he officially joined the crew on 1st January 1975

Baltimore RNLI Coxswain Kieran Cotter Retires After 45 years of Service

31st December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Yesterday, Wednesday 30 December 2020, marked the end of an era for the Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat with the retirement of Coxswain Kieran Cotter after 45 years of service. At age 17, Kieran first became interested in Baltimore Lifeboat and he…

Howth RNLI launched the all-weather lifeboat off the Baily lighthouse on Dublin Bay

Howth RNLI All-Weather Lifeboat Rescue Fishing Trawler Stranded in Irish Sea

30th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI launched the all-weather lifeboat to rescue a fishing trawler with steering problems just off Skerries in North Dublin. The RNLI pagers sounded at 3.02 am on Wednesday 30th December to reports of a fishing vessel in difficulty south-east…

Coast Guard Helicopter services, provided under contract by CHC Ireland, operate day and night services out of Bases at Sligo, Shannon, Dublin and Waterford

Irish Coastguard Reports Busy Year Despite COVID

29th December 2020 Coastguard

In an end of year commentary, the Coast Guard has highlighted, that despite the impact of Covid-19, 2020 has proven to be a relatively busy year. Overall, the Coast Guard coordinated 2643 incidents in comparison with 2490 incidents in 2019.…

The Name of the Late Don Clarke of Strangford Lough Yacht Club Will be on the New Clifden Lifeboat

27th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

It's a long way from Whiterock on Strangford Lough to Clifden in County Galway where the new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat will be stationed in 2022. It will be the second such vessel to be part of the charity's 'Launch…

Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat launches to go in search of the two kayakers

Lough Ree RNLI Locate Two Kayakers as Storm Bella Approaches

27th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew located two kayakers following a short lake and shoreline search of the inner lakes of Lough Ree yesterday afternoon (Saturday 26 December). The two men had departed Coosan Point at lunchtime and the alarm…

Top safety tips have been issued by the Coast Guard and the RNLI for open water swimming

Irish Coast Guard & RNLI Issue Water Safety Appeal for Christmas & New Year

23rd December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI and the Coast Guard are appealing to the public to exercise caution when participating in any activity on and near the water during the Christmas and New Year period and at all times to be mindful of the…

File image of Bundoran RNLI’s inshore lifeboat William Henry Liddington

Bundoran Lifeboat Assists in Recovery of Sunken Vessel off Killybegs

23rd December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Bundoran RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 22 December) to reports of a 19ft vessel that had sunk off Killybegs. Also tasked to the scene were the Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 as…

Bundoran Lifeboat Crew Help Rescue Man from Boat Aground Off Ballyshannon

21st December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteers from Bundoran RNLI were part of a multi-agency operation to rescue a man whose small boat ran aground on rocks in Ballyshannon yesterday afternoon (Sunday 20 December). The man raised the alarm from his boat which had run aground…

Paul Sheehan has been a dedicated volunteer crew with Dunmore East RNLI for 14 years

Dunmore East Lifeboat Volunteer Receives Community Volunteer Award

17th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Dunmore East RNLI volunteer lifeboat crewman Paul Sheehan was recently recognised for a community volunteer award by his employer after being nominated by his co-workers. Paul is a general operative with Bausch and Lomb in Waterford, which recently held an…

Dun Laoghaire RNLI to remember those who lost their lives at sea during the year online this year

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Christmas Eve Public Ceremony Cancelled Due to Covid-19

16th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Christmas Eve public ceremony to honour the memory of 15 lifeboat volunteers that died on service 125 years ago has been cancelled this year and will be shown online.…

Prints and cards of club president Kieran Faherty’s painting ‘Brewing Up A Storm’ have been quickly selling out

Galway Corinthians RFC Raise Over €8,500 for Galway RNLI & Cancer Care West

16th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

What started as a small fundraiser for Galway RNLI and Cancer Care West has turned into something spectacular as the players and members of Galway Corinthians RFC have raised over €8,500 for both organisations through two fundraising efforts. The first…

New Video Features Five of the Most Dramatic RNLI Rescues

14th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats

A new video featuring five of the most dramatic RNLI rescues of 2020 has been released today as the lifesaving charity braces itself for another busy Christmas: Figures for the last 10 years for the festive period (Christmas Eve to…

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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