RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Ballyglass RNLI has rescued three fishermen off the Mayo coast this morning, following a 10 hour call out

Ballyglass RNLI in 10–Hour Call Out to Assist Three Fishermen

25th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Ballyglass RNLI has rescued three fishermen off the Mayo coast this morning, following a 10 hour call out. The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 7.45pm yesterday evening (Sunday 24 April) after a member of…

Fethard RNLI's D-class lifeboat in action

Fethard Lifeboat Launches In Search For Missing Person

21st April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 20 April) following concerns that a person may have been missing on the Hook Peninsula in Co Wexford. The alarm was raised when a man did not return from…

Wexford RNLI rescued lone sailor on sandbank

Wexford RNLI Rescues Lone Sailor After Yacht Hits Sandbank

21st April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Wexford RNLI rescued a lone sailor yesterday evening after his yacht hit a sandbank in heavy seas off Rosslare Point. Volunteer lifeboat crews from Wexford and Rosslare Harbour RNLI were launched at 6.35pm following reports that a 26ft yacht had…

Ballyglass RNLI Assist Fishermen on Broken Down Trawler

20th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Ballyglass RNLI is assisting three fishermen this afternoon after their 40ft trawler got into difficulty off the Mayo coast. The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat shortly after 10 o’clock this morning following a report that a…

Clifden RNLI volunteers take their Skerries colleagues out on the water

East Meets West As Skerries Lifeboat Crew Visits Clifden

19th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI's volunteer crew headed to the West of Ireland this month as they paid a visit to their colleagues in Clifden RNLI. Once a year the volunteers in Skerries undertake a team-building and fact-finding trip to other…

Portaferry RNLI's inshore lifeboat on exercise

Portaferry Lifeboat Launches To Angling Boat In Difficulty Off South Rock

18th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew were called out yesterday afternoon (Sunday 17 April) to assist a 36ft angling vessel which had run into difficulty north of the South Rock Light Buoy near Portaferry, Co Down. The alarm was…

Since the new lifeboat went on service on Sligo Bay in November it has launched four times to call outs

Sligo Bay RNLI’s New Inshore Atlantic 85 Lifeboat Named

16th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

At a special ceremony held today Sligo Bay RNLI officially named its new Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Sheila & Dennis Tongue, at its station in Rosses Point. Peter Killen, a member of the Irish Council of the RNLI, accepted the lifeboat…

Youghal RNLI's new Atlantic 85 lifeboat Gordon and Phil

New Atlantic 85 Class Lifeboat Arrives At Youghal RNLI

13th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - A new Atlantic 85 class lifeboat has gone on service at Youghal RNLI. The lifeboat, which arrived at the east Cork lifeboat station on Monday evening (11 April), replaces Patricia Jennings, which has been used to save lives…

Larne RNLI's all-weather lifeboat at Bangor

Larne Lifeboat Crew Trains With Dublin Coastguard Helicopter

11th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew from Larne carried out a training exercise with the Dublin-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 off Ballygally Head yesterday (Sunday 10 April). The Sikorsky S-92 initially visited Larne on 20 March last…

Rosslare RNLI Bid Farewell to Tony Kehoe After Four Decades on the Lifeboat

11th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Lifeboat crew past and present, family, fundraisers and well-wishers galore all gathered this weekend to wish one of Rosslare RNLI’s most well-known and respected lifeboat men, a long and happy retirement. Tony Kehoe spent 42 years volunteering with the RNLI…

lifeboat camera footage of Kinsale RNLI callout to a stricken trawler

Kinsale RNLI Rescue Three Fishermen from Sinking Trawler (Video)

10th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Three fishermen were rescued tonight (Sunday 10 April) in gale force conditions by volunteer lifeboat crew from Kinsale RNLI. The 20 metre beam trawler was forced onto the rocks at Moneypoint, at the entrance to Kinsale harbour, around 1800hrs this…

The lifeboat being recovered at Bundoran pier just before 9pm last night

Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Called To Surfers in Difficulty

10th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI lifeboat were requested to launch yesterday evening (Saturday 9th April) to reports of surfers in difficulty off Tullaghan in County Leitrim. The 999 call was made by a member of the public who noticed…

Bangor Lifeboat Assists In Tow Of Stranded Yacht From North Channel

9th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Bangor RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew launched at 7pm on Tuesday evening (5 April) to help in the rescue of a yacht whose engine had failed on passage from Stranraer to Bangor on Belfast Lough. Bangor RNLI’s lifeboat operations…

Sligo Bay RNLI's new Atlantic 85 Sheila & Dennis Tongue

Sligo RNLI Names New Lifeboat After Devoted Couple Who Loved The Coast

8th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The new Sligo Bay RNLI Atlantic 85 lifeboat is to be officially named Sheila & Dennis Tongue during a ceremony at the lifeboat station at Rosses Point in Sligo next Saturday 16 April 2016 at 3pm. The lifeboat…

Fethard RNLI hopes to raise €65,000 towards the cost of a new D class lifeboat like this one at Littlehampton, West Sussex

Fethard RNLI Quiz Night Raises €3,000 For New Inshore Lifeboat

7th April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Four local towns went head-to-head at a recent quiz night in a bid to raise funds for Fethard RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat appeal. Some 62 tables took on the challenge in four venues in Fethard on-Sea, Duncannon, Campile…

Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Called to Donegal Town

1st April 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI were last night requested to launch by Malin Head Coast Guard to reports of a person in the water at the pier in Donegal Town. Following a 999 call from some passers by, 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