RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Holyhead RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Christopher Pearce

Holyhead Lifeboat Launches To Ill Sailor In Irish Sea

23rd May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Holyhead RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was launched last evening (Monday 22 May) after a man fell ill on board his sailing boat in the Irish Sea. The station’s Severn class Christopher Pearce launched at 6.25pm after the man, who…

Arranmore RNLI operates a Severn class lifeboat like this one, Portrush RNLI’s erstwhile Katie Hannan

Arranmore Lifeboat Assists Two After Boat Breakdown Off Glen Head

22nd May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Arranmore RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was called out to assist two people in a boat with engine failure off the coast of Glen Head in Co Donegal on Saturday evening (20 May). The stricken vessel, which had left Bunbeg…

The injured cyclist is winched from the Strand at Wicklow Harbour to a waiting ambulance

Wicklow Lifeboat In Multi-Agency Rescue Of Cyclist After Quayside Fall

18th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI lifeboat pagers were activated at 12.24pm on Tuesday afternoon (16 May) after a cyclist had fallen from the quayside onto the Strand beach at Wicklow Harbour. The volunteer inshore lifeboat crew were on scene within minutes…

Courtmacsherry RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew

Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Rescues Fishing Vessel Off Old Head Of Kinsale

18th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Courtmacsherry RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was called out at 11.30am yesterday morning (Wednesday 17 May) to go to the aid of a 70ft fishing vessel that sought assistance 10 miles south east of the Old Head of Kinsale in…

The RNLI coxswain brought the Rosslare lifeboat alongside the yacht to fix an accidentally activated EPIRB

Rosslare Harbour RNLI lifeboat Launched For Mayday Alert off East Wexford Coast

17th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

Rosslare Harbour RNLI all weather was launched by the volunteer lifeboat crew yesterday morningat 11.45am to respond to an EPIRB distress signal (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon). The Irish Coast Guard alerted Rosslare Harbour RNLI to immediately launch following an…

One happy dog in the care of Lough Ree RNLI after a cruiser grounded on the Long Shoal on Monday morning

Lough Ree Lifeboat Assists Four People & Dog On Grounded Motor Cruiser

10th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI’s lifeboat crew were alerted by the Irish Coast Guard on Monday morning (8 May) when four people and their dog on board a 40ft motor cruiser ran aground on the Long Shoal near the eastern…

The medical evacuation of a fisherman took place 20 miles south of Ballycotton Lighthouse

Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat Provide Medical Assistance to Ill Fisherman off Cork Coast

10th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

Ballycotton RNLI launched in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday 10 May) to assist in the medical evacuation of a fisherman 20 miles south of Ballycotton Lighthouse. The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat by…

Baltimore RNLI's Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat

Baltimore Lifeboat Launches To Fishing Boat With Engine Trouble

10th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - A week of engine troubles around the Irish coast continued yesterday morning (Tuesday 9 May) when Baltimore RNLI went to the aid of a fishing boat on passage from France to Kerry. The lifeboat launched to the vessel…

Skerries RNLI Launches To Motor Boat In Difficulty

9th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI assisted a motor boat with two men aboard that was experiencing engine difficulties at Rockabill Lighthouse on Sunday afternoon (7 May). Dublin Coast Guard tasked Skerries RNLI shortly after 12.30pm after receiving a call from a…

Pictured on their new D class lifeboat Dennis-Audrey are crew members Connie O’Gara, helm Alan Goucher, Dean Mulvihill and Paul Sillery with donor representative Michelle Gavin, David Delamer, chair of the Irish Council of the RNLI, Des Davitt, Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager and Owen Medland, RNLI Area Lifesaving Manager.

Wicklow D Class Lifeboat Named After Late Couple’s Dream to Fund a Lifeboat is Fulfilled

7th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

At a special ceremony held yesterday (Saturday 6 May), Wicklow RNLI officially named its new D class lifeboat, Dennis-Audrey. David Delamer, chair of the RNLI Council in Ireland, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI before handing her over…

Portaferry RNLI's Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat

Portaferry Lifeboat Launches Twice In Two Days On Strangford Lough

5th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI responded for the second time in 48 hours to a launch request yesterday evening (Thursday 4 May) to go to the aid of five men on board a 7m yacht experiencing…

Rosslare Harbour’s all-weather lifeboat establishes a tow with the troubled yacht off the Wicklow coast

Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat Assists Yacht Off Wicklow Coast

4th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI assisted three men onboard a yacht yesterday evening (Wednesday 3 May) after it got into difficulty off the Wicklow coast. The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke and with six volunteer crew members onboard, launched…

Arklow RNLI was first requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat for a 23ft yacht was in difficulty somewhere near Arklow Bank

Arklow RNLI Responds to Three Consecutive Call Outs Bringing Eight People to Safety

4th May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

Arklow RNLI responded to three consecutive call outs yesterday evening (Wednesday 3 May) bringing three yachts with eight onboard, safely to shore. The volunteer crew who spent six hours at sea, was first requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat shortly…

The lifeboat which went on service in February this year was funded by Gladys Audrey Deakin

Wicklow RNLI to Name New Inshore Lifeboat

3rd May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

A new inshore lifeboat for Wicklow RNLI is to be officially named Dennis-Audrey during a ceremony at the lifeboat station at 4pm this Saturday 6 May. The lifeboat which went on service in February this year was funded by Gladys…

Howth RNLI's all-weather lifeboat prepares to tow the stranded yacht to safety

Stranded Yacht Towed To Safety By Howth Lifeboat

2nd May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Howth RNLI launched its all-weather and inshore lifeboats yesterday (Monday 1 May) to reports of a sailing yacht with steering failure at the entrance to Malahide Estuary. The inshore lifeboat was first on scene and located the casualty…

Lough Ree RNLI’s inshore lifeboat The Eric Rowse

Lough Ree Lifeboat Rescues Cruiser With Seven On Board From Shannon Mud Bank

1st May 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Just hours after attending a grounded barge at the northern end of the lough, the volunteer crew of Lough Ree RNLI were back on the water yesterday morning (Sunday 30 April) to assist a motor cruiser with seven…

Start
Prev
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
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