RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Liffey “All in a Row” Challenge Raises Funds for RNLI Lifeboats & Irish Underwater Search & Recovery

12th February 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

The “All In A Row 2018” event on the capital’s River Liffey was supported by teams rowing 40 boats including skiffs, kayaks, canoes and currachs to exceed a 1,000km in eight hours, raising €12,000 for these charities. Starting from St.…

Lough Ree’s lifeboat volunteers prepare for their sixth fundraising lap of the lough

Local Lifeboat Crew Launches Latest ‘Lap Of Lough Ree’ To Raise Funds For RNLI

31st January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - RNLI volunteers at Lough Ree have launched their sixth Lap of Lough Ree charity cycle which will take place this year on Sunday 28 April. The annual 85km cycle raising funds for the lifesaving service in Athlone will…

Sir Tim Laurence and fellow RNLI officials with Bangor lifeboat station volunteers

Bangor RNLI Hosts Visit By Sir Tim Laurence

30th January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - Bangor RNLI was delighted yesterday (Tuesday 29 January) Yesterday afternoon, Bangor RNLI was delighted to welcome a delegation led by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Chairman of the RNLI Operations Committee. Sir Tim and other top RNLI officials met…

The crew paid their respects to all those who lost their lives 66 years ago on the 31st January 1953 in the North Channel.

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Lays Floral Tribute to Commemorate Princess Victoria Disaster

29th January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

The crew of Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat put to sea on Sunday (27 January ) morning for their fortnightly exercise and also to lay a floral tribute on behalf of the Sir Samuel Kelly Project. The volunteer crew paid their respects…

Elizabeth and Ronald returns to Dunmore East under the light of Sunday evening’s lunar eclipse

Dunmore East RNLI Lifeboat ‘Elizabeth And Ronald’ Returns To Service

22nd January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - Hundreds gathered on the high wall in Dunmore East on Sunday evening (20 January) to welcome the town’s all-weather lifeboat Elizabeth and Ronald back home after more than a year out of service. On 1 December 2017, Dunmore…

File photo of Courtmacsherry’s all-weather lifeboat

Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Rescues Fishing Vessel With Two Onboard

22nd January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - The RNLI's all-weather lifeboat from Courtmacsherry rescued a fishing vessel which got into difficulty today with two people onboard yesterday afternoon (Monday 21 January). The lifeboat was called out at 1.15pm to go to the aid of the 40ft…

Youghal RNLI To Hold Open Day For New Volunteers In East Cork

21st January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - Youghal RNLI is looking for new volunteer crew members to join its search and rescue service in East Cork. The lifeboat station will be hosting an open day at the lifeboat station in Youghal this coming Sunday 27 January…

Sole Surviving 100-Year-Old Lifeboat Celebrated In DLR LexIcon Exhibition

19th January 2019 Dublin Bay

An important piece of Ireland’s maritime history, the 100-year-old Dunleary Lifeboat, is the subject of a new exhibition in DLR LexIcon from this Monday 21 January to Monday 4 February. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, this exhibition — which has…

Rosslare Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Rescues Windsurfer Drifting Out to Sea

15th January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

Rosslare Harbour RNLI rescued a windsurfer who fell off his board and got into difficulty on Sunday afternoon, ending up in the water for an hour and a half. The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat by…

Crosshaven’s inshore lifeboat approaches the super trawler off Roches Point for Sunday morning’s medevac

Crosshaven Lifeboat In Early-Morning Medevac For Ill Trawlerman

11th January 2019 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - The first callout of 2019 for the RNLI crew at Crosshaven was a medevac for a fisherman taken ill on a large fishing vessel in the early hours of Sunday 6 January. Shortly after 5.30am volunteers from Crosshaven…

We are never too far from the water and Maritime Safety must be uppermost in the public mind

RNLI Safety Message is One That Everyone Should Take to Heart

11th January 2019 Tom MacSweeney

Hello and welcome to my weekly Podcast …. Tom MacSweeney here …. Ireland’s State commitment to maritime safety has been strongly questioned. Safety must not be taken casually and, at the start of a New Year, when most leisure craft…

Lough Ree RNLI & Athlone Sub Aqua Club Respond to Late Night Report of Person in the Water

31st December 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI and Athlone Sub Aqua Club volunteers responded to reports of a person in the water in Athlone town late last night. At 11.25pm on the 30 December 2018 Lough Ree RNLI volunteers were alerted by the Irish…

Some of Bangor's dedicated lifeboat volunteers ready at the crack of dawn on New Year's Eve

Raise A Toast To RNLI Volunteers This New Year’s Eve

31st December 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Bangor RNLI has paid tribute to its dedicated lifeboat volunteers after what’s hoped to be its final callout of 2018. Just after 6.30am this morning (Monday 31 December) the lifeboat was called to assist in the rescue of a vulnerable…

Donaghadee RNLI Fundraising Chair Person Awarded British Empire Medal in the Queens New Year 2019 Honours List

29th December 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Evelyn Bennett, who has been the Chair of the Donaghadee Royal National Lifeboat Institution Fundraising branch since 2005 has been honoured with a British Empire Medal ( BEM ). Evelyn has been instrumental in encouraging the local community to fundraise…

Clifden RNLI rescue the bull in distress after its slip down a steep cliff

Clifden Lifeboat Rescues Bull In Distress After Slip Down Steep Cliff

26th December 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#Lifeboats - Volunteers from Clifden RNLI had a pre-Christmas callout to go to the aid of a bull who fell from a steep cliff near the western Connemara town on Saturday evening (22 December). At 5pm, Clifden RNLI’s deputy launching authority…

Last year’s Christmas Eve wreath-laying at Dun Laoghaire

Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s Annual Christmas Eve Ceremony Takes Place This Monday

22nd December 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s annual Christmas Eve ceremony to remember the 15 volunteer lifeboat crew who died on service in Dublin Bay on 24 December 1895 will take place at noon this coming Monday. The short ceremony at the end of the…

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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