RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Paul Kelly and Kevin Ganly of Lough Ree RNLI welcome Eliza Crosbie to the lifeboat station

Lough Ree RNLI Opens Christmas Shop at Coosan Point This Weekend

21st November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

As the festive season draws near, the volunteers at Lough Ree RNLI are throwing open the doors of the lifeboat station at Coosan Point for a special Christmas sale next Saturday afternoon (26 November). RNLI Christmas cards are central to…

Launching the Castlewellan festive 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run to raise funds for Newcastle RNLI

Newcastle RNLI Launches Festive Castlewellan 10K, 5K and One-Mile Fun Run to Raise Funds for Lifeboat

19th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Newcastle RNLI has launched a festive 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run to help save lives at sea. Appealing to the seasoned athlete as well as families and fun runners wanting to get some exercise while getting into the Christmas…

Donaghadee RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Saxon

Donaghadee Lifeboat Rescues Lone Sailor After 27ft Yacht Breaks Down

18th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Donaghadee RNLI rescued a lone sailor on Friday afternoon (18 November) after his 27ft yacht broke down off the Copeland Islands north of Northern Ireland’s Ards Peninsula. The volunteer crew were requested by Belfast Coastguard to launch their all-weather lifeboat…

Newcastle RNLI launch their inshore lifeboat

Newcastle RNLI Aids Lone Sailor Aground on Dundrum Bay

10th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Newcastle RNLI came to the aid of a lone sailor early this morning after his 20ft boat got into difficulty and ran aground at the entrance to Dundrum inner bay. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat…

Pilots Paul Clifford & Duncan Laisney are rescued by the RNLI from their liferaft. They were found safe and well relatively quickly in a life raft by the St Helier inshore lifeboat. They were then transferred to the all-weather lifeboat and transported back to St Helier, where they were met by Paramedics

RNLI Save Two Pilots in Distress Off the Coast of Jersey

9th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Footage from the RNLI shows the volunteer lifeboat crew battling through 2-3metre swells, rain and winds of up to 35mph before reaching the two men who had managed to escape the sinking plane and climb inside a liferaft, fitted with…

Courtmacsherry RNLI’s inshore boathouse lifeboat

Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Rescues Two Dogs Stranded by Rapidly Rising Tide

8th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

On Monday afternoon (7 November), as Courtmacsherry RNLI paid tribute to Mary O'Mahony, wife of former crew member Richard and sister-in-law of former coxswain Diarmuid, the station crew and officers taking part in the guard of honour outside the station…

Portaferry RNLI’s inshore Atlantic 85 class lifeboat

Portaferry RNLI Aids Two Kayakers in Difficulty on Strangford Lough

8th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Portaferry RNLI came to the aid of kayakers who got into difficulty near Kilard Point late yesterday afternoon (Monday, 7 November). Portaferry RNLI’s volunteer crew launched their inshore Atlantic 85 class lifeboat promptly at 2.20 pm and made their way…

Chris Gallagher after completing the 2022 Dublin Marathon in his bare feet

Omagh Man Rescued From Rip Current Runs Dublin Marathon in Bare Feet to Support RNLI

4th November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

An Omagh man who was rescued by the Irish Coast Guard after he was caught in a rip current off a Donegal beach in July has completed the Dublin Marathon in his bare feet to raise awareness of water safety…

Baltimore RNLI crew members in front of the All Weather Lifeboat (from left to to right) Brian McSweeney, Emma Lupton and Aidan Bushe

Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat Crew to Feature on BBC Two Saving Lives at Sea

2nd November 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI lifesavers in West Cork feature in the new series of Saving Lives at Sea documentary The RNLI volunteer crew at Baltimore will feature in the final episode of the new series of the popular BBC Two programme Saving…

From left: Carrybridge RNLI honorary president Sam McCreery with lifeboat operations manager Stephen Scott, RNLI chief exec Mark Dowie and local helms Chris Cathcart Helm and David Reid

Carrybridge Lifeboat Helms Receive Long Service Awards From RNLI Chief Executive

28th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Carrybridge RNLI helms Chris Cathcart and David Reid have served 20 years rescuing those on trouble on Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. During a recent visit to the station by the RNLI chief executive Mark Dowie, they were presented with…

Clifden Lifeboat Crew Rescue Nine Stranded on Omey Island in Poor Weather

25th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Clifden RNLI’s volunteer crew launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat on Monday afternoon (24 October) to assist nine people who were caught by the tide on Omey Island in western Connemara. Malin Head Coast Guard requested assistance from Clifden RNLI…

Two volunteer RNLI Dun Laoghaire Harbour crew (left to right) Gary Hayes, and Paul Cummins who feature in the BBC programme

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Lifesavers Feature in New Series of Saving Lives at Sea Documentary

24th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI volunteer crew at Dun Laoghaire Harbour will feature in the new series of popular BBC Two programme Saving Lives at Sea this Thursday, October 27. Featuring footage captured on helmet cameras, the primetime documentary series lets viewers witness…

Lough Ree RNLI volunteers, supporters and staff at the presentation of the €100k community contribution

Lough Ree RNLI Fundraising Reaches Community Target for New Lifeboat Station

19th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI marked a significant milestone on Monday (17 October) when a cheque for €100,000 was presented as the local community contribution to the overall €1.2m cost of the new lifeboat station on a site donated by the Inland…

Larne RNLI Lifeboat called out two nights in a row

Larne RNLI Assist 11m Yacht Caught in Lobster Pots in Early Hours of the Morning

13th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

For the second night in a row, Larne RNLI’s volunteers have left their beds to go the aid of a vessel’s crew in need of assistance, this time two people on a yacht that got into difficulty northeast of Larne.…

Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier approaching the casualty vessel at Fowler Island, north of Bonaveen Point on the Co Clare shore

Lough Derg Lifeboat Crew Assist Lone Sailor on a Yacht Aground at Bonaveen Point

12th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI’s volunteers were called upon to assist a lone sailor on a 36ft yacht aground at Bonaveen Point on Tuesday afternoon (11 October). At 4.45pm the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier was launched with helm Steve Smyth, Eleanor Hooker and Richard…

Larne RNLI Responds to Early Morning Mayday to Rescue Man on 30ft Yacht with Engine Failure

12th October 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI rescued a man who got into difficulty in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday, 12 October) after his 30ft yacht sustained engine failure in the dark of night. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather…

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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