RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Lough Swilly RNLI rescue a distressed sheep after 200ft cliff fall

Lough Swilly RNLI Lifeboat Rescue Distressed Sheep After 200ft–Cliff Fall

28th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Swilly RNLI lifeboat rescued a sheep this afternoon after it fell approximately 200 feet from a cliff in County Donegal. The alarm was raised at 4.30pm today when three local fishermen spotted the animal stranded on a ledge in…

Injured Fisherman Rescued By Ballycotton Lifeboat

26th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Ballycotton RNLI came to the rescue of an injured fisherman who got his hand cut when attempting to untangle a net this morning (Friday 26 August). The volunteer crew launched their all-weather and inshore lifeboats at 8.30am after…

Geraldine Donnelly visits her rescuers at Bangor RNLI

Ballyholme Beach Faller Thanks Bangor Lifeboat Crew For Her Rescue

25th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Geraldine Donnelly paid a visit to Bangor RNLI earlier today (Thursday 25 August) just weeks after her rescue following a serious fall on Ballyholme beach. On 7 June last, Donnelly fell more than two metres onto rocks and…

Lough Derg lifeboat set a route south, in the direction from which the calls were heard

Early Morning Calls Lead To Lifeboat Launch on Lough Derg

25th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched at 5.20am, following reports to Gardaí of calls for help coming in off the lake. At 05.06am this morning, Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard, following a report to…

Fethard Lifeboat Rescues Man In Difficulty While Moving Between Boats

24th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI assisted a man who got into difficulty off the Wexford coast yesterday evening (Tuesday 23 August) as he attempted to move between two boats. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat at 9.35pm following a…

Donaghadee RNLI launch to the rescue at 25 knots

Three Calls In 24 Hours For Donaghadee Lifeboat Volunteers

22nd August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Donaghadee’s RNLI lifeboat Saxon put to sea three times in 24 hours during a busy weekend keeping aircraft passengers and pleasure sailors safe around the North Down coast. The first call came at 5.30pm on Friday (19 August)…

Seven Callouts In Five Days For Lough Ree Lifeboat

22nd August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew had one of their busiest periods ever in the last week, receiving a total of seven callouts over five days to assist people on and around Lough Ree. The first callout came…

Galway Lifeboat Tows Vessels To Safety At Renville

22nd August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Galway RNLI's lifeboat was launched on Saturday evening (20 August) after two yachts and a half-decker got into difficulty at Renville on Galway Bay. The alarm was raised by the Irish Coast Guard shortly after 6pm after a…

Fethard Launches To Pleasure Boat With Failed Propeller

21st August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI launched last night (Saturday 20 August) on the request of the Irish Coast Guard to a vessel with one person onboard in difficulty a mile from Fethard in Co Wexford. A member of the public raised…

Castletownbere RNLI rescues a lone yachtsman during a 12-hour mission at sea

Castletownbere Lifeboat Rescues Yachtsman In Marathon 12-Hour Mission

21st August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The Castletownbere lifeboat Annette Hutton was launched early yesterday morning (Saturday 20 August) when Valentia Coast Guard Radio requested assistance to a yacht in difficulties 45 miles south of Mizen Head in West Cork. The 8m yacht with…

Union Hall Lifeboat Brings 15 Kayakers To Safety Off Castlehaven

21st August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - A group of kayakers were brought to safety on Thursday night (18 August) by Union Hall RNLI after they got into difficulty during a night-time kayaking expedition off Castlehaven in West Cork. The alarm was raised by one…

Engine breakdown – Nine people were on board, three adults and six children were towed to safety on the cruiser

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Assist Nine on Cruiser With Engine Failure

21st August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

At 3.30pm yesterday, Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard, following a report from people on shore at Mountshannon, that people were seen waving a distress signal on a cruiser outside the bay. The lifeboat…

Crosshaven RNLI Inshore Lifeboat off Roches Point in Cork Harbour

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Rescues Injured Sailor After Falling Overboard

17th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat crew responded to a request from Valentia Coast Guard this evening to a person seen being held onto the side of a moored boat in the Channel at East Ferry. The Crosshaven volunteer crew happened to be near…

Clifden Lifeboat Tows Naval Vessel In Training Exercise

16th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - An unusual training exercise took place on Sunday (14 August) off the Connemara coastline involving the Naval Service vessel LÉ Orla and the volunteer crews of the Clifden RNLI lifeboats. In calm conditions, RNLI volunteers and naval crew…

Loftus Hall present Fethard RNLI with a €12,000 donation towards a new lifeboat

Fethard RNLI Receives Big Donation Towards Lifeboat Appeal

14th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI have received a major boost for their inshore lifeboat appeal after receiving a €12,000 donation from local business Loftus Hall. Ahead of the RNLI Waves Festival at the end of the month, Aidan and Shane Quigley…

Helvick Head RNLI's inshore lifeboat Robert Armstrong

Helvick Head Lifeboat Joins Rescue Of Kayakers In Dungarvan Bay

9th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Three kayakers who got into difficulty in Dungarvan Bay on Sunday evening (7 August) were assisted by the volunteer crew of Helvick Head RNLI. The inshore lifeboat Robert Armstrong launched just after 6.30pm following a report that three…

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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