RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Larne RNLI Launch for Medical Evacuation of Casualty From Bulk Carrier

6th February 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat Dr John McSparron last night (Sunday 5 February) to evacuate a casualty having medical difficulties onboard a 160m bulk carrier vessel. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched the lifeboat at 10pm following a request by…

Red Bay Lifeboat Rescues Three Off Glenarm

6th February 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Red Bay RNLI’s lifeboat was launched yesterday afternoon (Sunday 5 February) to locate and rescue three people on board a 13ft boat off Glenarm Bay. The lifeboat crew located the vessel, which had suffered engine failure, three miles…

Youghal RNLI Assists Two On Fishing Vessel In First 2017 Callout

3rd February 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Youghal RNLI came to the assistance of two people last weekend after their fishing vessel got into difficulty off the Cork coast. The volunteer crew was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat last Saturday (27 January) at 3.55pm…

An RNLI Lifeboat operating in stormy seas

RNLI & Irish Coast Guard Urge Public to ‘Respect the Water’ As Poor Weather Hits the Coast

2nd February 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

The Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI are urging everyone to ‘Be Aware’ and ‘Respect the Water’ in the wake of recent warnings of poor weather hitting the Irish coast. While severe storms and flooding are highlighted nationally, people can…

Larne RNLI winching crew from the deck of their all-weather lifeboat to Rescue 999 from Prestwick

Larne Lifeboat Crew Train Alongside Prestwick Coastguard Helicopter

31st January 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Larne RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat Dr John McSparron and inshore lifeboat Terry on Sunday (29 January) to take part in the exercise to simulate recovery of a casualty to a helicopter in an emergency situation. The joint…

Successful applicants for beach lifeguarding will receive world class training in search and rescue

Recruitment Opens for RNLI’s Best Summer Jobs

9th January 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

Recruitment has opened in Northern Ireland for this summer’s crop of beach lifeguards and face to face fundraisers. Both roles are essential in supporting the RNLI’s aim to keep people safe and prevent tragedies around the North Coast and in…

Achill RNLI volunteers prepping their XP rescue dinghy

Achill Lifeboat Helps Rescue Of Stranded Hill Walkers In Killary Fjord

8th January 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Achill RNLI was requested late on Thursday night (5 January) to help locate and rescue two adult male hill walkers who were in distress in the vicinity of Mweelrea mountain in Killary Fjord, Connemara. The Irish Coast Guard…

Cliona Hagan with volunteer crew members Brian Faulkner, Dessie Daly and Mark Vaughan

Cliona Hagan To Play Bundoran RNLI Annual Dance

8th January 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Country singer and RTÉ’s Best Newcomer 2016 Cliona Hagan is set to perform at the annual Bundoran RNLI dance, which takes place on Friday 27 January at the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran. The event, now in its…

Newcastle Lifeboat Rescues Man Clinging To Kayak

2nd January 2017 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Newcastle RNLI was requested by Belfast Coastgaurd to launch to the aid of what was believed to be a dinghy in trouble a half-mile south of Newcastle Harbour on Saturday afternoon (31 December). However, when the inshore lifeboat…

Wicklow RNLI involved in the search for a missing man in Wicklow this past week

Nothing Found In Search For Man Missing From Wicklow Harbour

31st December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI expressed their concern for the family of a man missing in the Wicklow Harbour area since Tuesday (27 December). As previously reported on Afloat.ie, a multi-agency response was launched on Tuesday morning after the man, said…

Ireland’s Lifeboats In 2016 - In Video

30th December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The RNLI has compiled at video looking back at the work of the lifesaving charity in Ireland during 2016 through the footage taken from its lifeboats’ onboard cameras.

Bangor Lifeboat Saves Swimmer In Ballyholme Bay

28th December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - At 8.10am this morning (Wednesday 28 December), Bangor RNLI’s volunteer crew responded to a request from HM Coastguard to rescue a young man reported to be in difficulty while swimming 200 metres off the shore in Ballyholme Bay.…

Rescuers taking the casualty up the cliff face at Ardglass on Tuesday afternoon 27 December

Portaferry Lifeboat In Multi-Agency Rescue Of Man In Ardglass Cliff Fall

28th December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Volunteers from Portaferry RNLI went to the aid of a man who had fallen down a cliff at Ardglass Golf Club on the Co Down coast yesterday (Tuesday 27 December). The Portaferry lifeboat, an inshore Atlantic 85, launched…

Santa Claus arriving in Clogherhead earlier this month

Clogherhead RNLI Looks Back On Memorable Year For Louth Lifeboat & Volunteers

23rd December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Clogherhead RNLI has looked back on 2016 and paid tribute to all those who made it such a memorable year for the lifeboat station and its volunteers. Throughout the year the station worked with other community groups and…

Cora Walsh, Neville Raethorne (manager of SuperValu Sutton), Ian Sheridan, Aidan Cooney and Howth RNLI coxswain Fred Connolly after the trolley dash on Tuesday 20 December

‘Ireland AM’ Presenter In Trolley Dash For Howth Lifeboat

22nd December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Aidan Cooney, a presenter on TV3’s Ireland AM, took part in a ‘trolley dash’ around SuperValu Sutton this past Tuesday (20 Dec 2016) in an effort to raise much-needed funds for Howth RNLI. As a result, SuperValu Sutton…

Red Bay lifeboat volunteers searching off the Antrim coast on Sunday 18 December

Red Bay Lifeboat Joins Search For Missing Person

19th December 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Volunteers from Red Bay RNLI in Co Antrim joined in the ongoing search for a missing woman yesterday (Sunday 18 December). The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Paddy McLaughlin and with six crew members onboard, launched at 11.30am and…

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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