RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat Assists Two On 40ft Yacht In Difficulty

13th May 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI assisted two crew members on board a 40ft yacht which got into difficulty on Sunday night (10 May). The alarm was raised by a member of the public at approximately 8pm who saw a boat…

Kilkeel Lifeboat Aids Stricken Yacht Off Carlingford Lough

11th May 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew Ernest McKee (helm), William Charleton, Suzanne McCullough and Gerry Smyth responded to a call at 8pm last night (Sunday 10 May) to go to the aid of the 25ft yacht Sundancer in difficulty…

Enniskillen Lifeboat Helps Four On Grounded Powerboat

7th May 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer crew from Enniskillen RNLI lifeboat station launched their inshore lifeboat from Carrybridge at 9pm last night (Wednesday 6 May) to go to the assistance of a 32-foot sports cruiser. The powerboat, with four adults on board,…

Galway Lifeboat Rescues Woman Swept Out To Sea

7th May 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - A woman was recovering in hospital in Galway last night (Wednesday 6 May) after being rescued by Galway RNLI lifeboat. The alarm was raised by members of the public who spotted the woman in the River Corrib being…

Giant Yellow Welly Kicks Off RNLI’s Mayday Campaign In Dublin

2nd May 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - An eight-foot-tall yellow welly at the top of Grafton Street in Dublin was unveiled yesterday (Friday 1 May) to mark the launch of the RNLI's Mayday fundraiser. The larger-than-life Wellington boot – which represents the yellow wellies worn…

Portaferry Lifeboat Joins Multi-Agency Search For Missing Woman

30th April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew were called out yesterday (Wednesday 29 April) to help in the search for a woman reported missing to police. The RNLI lifeboat, an Inshore Atlantic 85, was launched at 5.05pm and the volunteer…

RNLI's Final Appeal for Irish Yacht Sailors to Help with Research

27th April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifeboat – The RNLI is appealing for Irish yacht sailors who have not yet taken part in the charity's new research project, which is exploring attitudes towards risk and safety, and the various ways in which yacht sailors participate in…

Newcastle RNLI All Weather Lifeboat Launches to Stranded Speedboat

27th April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifeboat – Just 24 hours after Newcastle RNLI named their new inshore lifeboat, the volunteer crew launched their all weather lifeboat to go the aid of a stranded speedboat. The volunteer lifeboat crew were called out yesterday (Sunday 26 April)…

Daughter Who Lost Father at Sea at Six Weeks Old Lends Support to RNLI's Mayday Campaign

26th April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – A Donegal woman who lost her father in a fishing tragedy when she was just six weeks old is lending her support to Mayday, the RNLI's national fundraising campaign which runs from 1-4 May. Almost 28 years on…

Howth RNLI Lifeboat Tow 32ft–Sailing Vessel to Safety

25th April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifeboat – Howth RNLI all weather lifeboat launched at 4.00pm this evening to reports of a 32ft–sailing vessel with engine problems in the vicinity of the Baily lighthouse. The casualty vessel was located and towed to the safety of Howth…

Coast-To-Coast Cycle To Raise Funds For Achill Island Lifeboat

24th April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - A coast-to-coast cycle starting in England and finishing in Co Mayo next month will raise funds for Achill Island RNLI. Jane McNeela and Ursula Murray from Preston will undertake the Coast to Coast Bicycle Ride as part of…

Galway Lifeboat Assists Teenager Stranded By Rising Tide

23rd April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Clifden RNLI certainly had a busy weekend, but more recently in Galway a 19-year-old man was rescued from an island off Silver Strand yesterday evening (Wednesday 22 April) after he was stranded by the rising tide. A kayaker…

Three Callouts In Four Days For Clifden Lifeboats

23rd April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Volunteer crew members at Clifden RNLI in Co Galway responded to three callouts in four days at the weekend. The busy period from Friday 17 to Monday 20 April involved the crew responding to three incidents including a…

Skerries Lifeboat Saves Man From Drowning

23rd April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI saved a man from drowning yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 22 April) as they responded to an emergency call on their pagers. Volunteer crew member Stephen Crowley was giving one of his fellow volunteers, helm David Knight, a lift…

Busy Sunday Night For Larne Lifeboats

21st April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew with Larne RNLI had a busy Sunday evening (19 April) when both the all-weather and inshore lifeboats were tasked to two separate incidents within minutes of each other. The inshore lifeboat was launched to…

Howth RNLI Lifeboat Rescue Dog on Sandbank From Rising Tide

21st April 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – Howth RNLI inshore lifeboat launched at 9.55pm yesterday evening to reports of a man and his dog in difficulty after being cut off by the rising tide on a sandbank opposite Burrow Beach in Sutton. The man swam…

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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