RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The casualty was removed from the fishing vessel and brought back to Howth to a waiting ambulance. See video below

Howth RNLI Rescue Fisherman Taken Ill Aboard Trawler

16th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI launched at 3.45pm yesterday to reports of a fisherman in need of medical attention on a fishing boat 20 miles north of Lambay Island. The casualty was removed from the fishing vessel and brought back to Howth to…

Fethard volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat following a request from Waterford River Rescue which reported that a 21ft Bayliner pleasure craft with two people onboard had got into difficulty.

Fethard RNLI Assists Two People Onboard Broken Down Pleasure Craft

15th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Fethard RNLI has assisted two people onboard a pleasure craft which got into difficulty off the Wexford coast this afternoon (Sunday 15 May). The volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat at 3.40pm following a request from Waterford River Rescue which…

Achill's all-weather lifeboat Sam and Ada Moody tows a stricken cabin boat Purteen Harbour

Three Callouts In 24 Hours For Achill Lifeboat

14th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - If ever the importance of a constant state of readiness was underlined then a single 24-hour period, this week has been a reminder of this for the volunteer lifeboat crew at Achill RNLI. The first of three callouts…

Off–Duty RNLI Lifeguard Rescues Teenage Bodyboarder Caught In Rip Current

13th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

An off-duty RNLI lifeguard has rescued a teenage boy this afternoon after he got into difficulty when bodyboarding in Portrush. Conard McCullagh, a Senior RNLI Lifeguard on the Causeway Coast was cycling from Portstewart where he had been attending the…

Skerries RNLI Atlantic 85 Louis Simson responded to swimmers in difficulty

Skerries RNLI Lifeboat Rescue Three Men & A Woman Caught in Rip Current

12th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI responded this afternoont to reports of swimmers in difficulty off a local swimming area known as The Springers. The pagers sounded shortly before midday after Dublin Coast Guard received reports that a number of swimmers were caught in…

Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat Launches To Fishing Boat In Dense Fog

9th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI volunteers launched their all-weather lifeboat at 7.30am yesterday morning (Sunday 8 May) to answer a call from the Irish Coast Guard to assist a local fishing boat with engine problems. A very dense fog was…

The Fethard lifeboat was en route to Duncannon beach to be launched when the kitesurfer managed to swim to shore himself

Fethard RNLI Launch to Kitesurfer in Difficulty off Duncannon Fort, Five Months After Similar Callout

8th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

In a callout that was virtually identical to one last January, Fethard RNLI was launched this afternoon (Sunday 8 May) to reports of a kitesurfer in difficulty off Duncannon Fort. As with the previous callout the kitesurfer made it ashore…

An inflatable dinghy which may be okay in a supervised indoor pool is not meant for the sea, say the RNLI

Portaferry RNLI Issue Warning on ‘Dangerous’ Craft After Two People have Lucky Escape on Strangford Lough

8th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Portaferry RNLI have issued a strong warning about the dangers of taking to the sea in unsuitable craft after a callout on Friday evening saw two men rescued from the freezing water after the inflatable dinghy they were in became…

Helvick Lifeboat RNLB Robert Armstrong with crew Alan Kelly at the helm with Dónal Ó Faoláin, Terence Morrissey and Mike Tobin

Helvick Memorial To Those Lost At Sea

4th May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

The annual Mass in remembrance of all those lost at sea, and for their families will be celebrated in Helvick Lifeboat Station on Helvick Pier in Co.Waterford on Friday night of next week, May 13, by RNLI Station Chaplain Fr.…

Senator Grace O’Sullivan giving it welly for the RNLI in Dunmore East

Dunmore East RNLI Raises Vital Mayday Funds

3rd May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Vital funds have been raised for the RNLI following the annual Dunmore East lifeboat 'Dash & Splash' and yellow welly throwing competition. The event, which took place at Councillor’s Strand in Dunmore East on Sunday 1 May, was…

Funds raised from the soapbox race will go towards the upkeep of the lifeboat and the ongoing training of the volunteer crew

Bundoran RNLI Soapbox Race Returns For Fifth Year

2nd May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The eagerly anticipated Bundoran RNLI Soapbox Race makes its return to Bundoran’s Astoria Road on Bank Holiday Sunday 5 June. Following last year’s cancellation of the event due to unfavourable weather conditions, the volunteer lifeboat crew are this…

Arklow RNLI's Ger Tigchlearr arrives to assist the stranded vintage vessel on May Day

Arklow & Bangor Lifeboats Have Busy May Day Weekend

2nd May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lifeboats from Arklow and Bangor were out on the water for separate callouts on May Day yesterday in what made for a busy weekend for the RNLI crews. In Arklow, RNLI lifeboat volunteers were alerted by pager around…

Portaferry Lifeboat Rescues Men From Yacht Stranded On Rocks

1st May 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI responded to a launch request from the coastguard yesterday morning (Saturday 30 April 2016) to assist two men on board a yacht stranded on rocks in Strangford Lough, Co Down. Portaferry's…

Answer the RNLI’s Mayday Call & Help Save Lives at Sea

27th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

People across Ireland are being encouraged to help raise vital funds for the RNLI as part of the charity’s national annual fundraising event, Mayday. The RNLI’s Mayday campaign runs through to the May Day bank holiday next Monday 2 May,…

The tractor to be rebuilt and Union Hall RNLI in action

Union Hall RNLI Raise Funds In Dilapidated Tractor Rebuild Challenge

26th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

A UK Agricultural Engineering lecturer is to travel to Union Hall, Cork this July to undertake a challenge to rebuild a Massey Ferguson tractor in 24-hours, with a little help from colleagues and friends. The tractor will then be raffled…

Portrush RNLI came to the aid of a man in need of emergency medical assistance on Saturday

Portrush RNLI Volunteers & Lifeguard Supervisor Assist Man in Difficulty

25th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Three volunteers from Portrush RNLI came to the aid of a man in need of emergency medical assistance on Saturday afternoon (23 April). Following a routine training exercise on the all-weather and inshore lifeboats, volunteer Karl O’Neill, who is also…

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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