RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Kent with all recipients and Deputy Chairs at the President's Lunch on May 27th

HRH The Duke of Kent Presents Gallantry Award for Portrush RNLI Lifesaving Rescue

30th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

A lifeboat mechanic from Portrush RNLI was invited to join His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Kent at St James’s Palace last week (Friday 27 May) to be presented with a Vellum from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)…

Wicklow RNLI Launch to Assist Vessel Drifting Close to Rocks

29th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI Inshore lifeboat launched just after 09:55 am this morning (Sunday 29 May) to reports of a motorboat in difficulties south of Wicklow harbour. The lifeboat proceeded south and was on scene three minutes later. The owner could be…

Courtown RNLI’s Inshore D Class Lifeboat Officially Named 'Frank' in Memory of a Beloved Husband

29th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

At a special naming ceremony and service of dedication held on Saturday 28 May, Courtown RNLI officially named its inshore D class lifeboat, Frank. As Afloat reported previously, the honour of handing over the lifeboat and officially naming her went…

Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat responding to the cruiser in distress on Thursday 26 May

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Lone Skipper on Stricken Cruiser

27th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

On Thursday afternoon (26 May) Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI to launch to assist a lone skipper on a 30ft cruiser with engine failure. The vessel was reported to be adrift south of Marker E at the Goat…

Skerries RNLI’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat

Exhausted Paddle Boarder Rescued Off Skerries

27th May 2022 Rescue

Skerries RNLI were tasked Wednesday morning (25 May) by Dublin Coast Guard following 999 calls reporting a paddle boarder in distress in the water off Bettystown beach. Shortly before 11.30am the volunteers in Skerries launched their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat…

Frank - the name of the new inshore D class lifeboat for Courtown RNLI

Courtown RNLI to Name Inshore D Class Lifeboat 'Frank' in Memory of a Beloved Husband

27th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

An inshore D class lifeboat for Courtown RNLI is to be officially named Frank during a ceremony at the lifeboat station in the Wexford town at 3pm tomorrow, Saturday 28 May. The lifeboat which went on service in January 2020…

Fenit RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat named Lizzie

Legacy from British Actor Funds Fenit RNLI’s New Inshore Lifeboat ‘Lizzie’

27th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

A legacy from a popular British actor has helped to fund Fenit RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat. The lifeboat is being named Lizzie in memory of Liz Frazer this Sunday (29 May), in a ceremony at the Fenit Lifeboat Station with…

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat crew under Coxswain Mark John Gannon after arriving back from the call this afternoon with Duty Launch Authority Philip White

Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat in Callout to Kayaker in Difficulties off the Old Head of Kinsale in West Cork

25th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat “Frederick Storey Cockburn” was called out this afternoon at 3.15 pm, by the Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, when a lone kayaker got into difficulties on the western side of the Old…

Portrush RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was launched to escort the 13m motorboat from inside The Skerries rocks

Portrush RNLI Assists Eight People after Motorboats Get into Difficulty off The Skerries

25th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Portrush RNLI in Northern Ireland came to the aid of eight people last night (Tuesday 24 May) after their motorboats got into difficulty off The Skerries. The inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 8.15 pm following a report that…

Baltimore Lifeboat Assists Solo Sailor After Motor Yacht Prop Gets Caught on Pot Line

23rd May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI was called out to provide assistance to a yacht with one person onboard that got into difficulty off the coast of the West Cork town on Saturday evening (21 May). The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat…

Achill Island RNLI Rescue Lone Sailor in 14 Hour Overnight Operation to Broken Down Yacht 40 Miles West of Achill

23rd May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Achill Island RNLI were involved in a 14 hour rescue overnight, (Sunday/Monday 22/23 May), to a lone sailor on board a yacht which had lost power almost 40 nautical miles west of Achill Island. The volunteer crew were requested to…

Donaghadee Lifeboat Station is situated on the northeast coast of County Down. Donaghadee has had a lifeboat station since 1910 and the crews have been presented with three awards for gallantry. The station now operates an all-weather Trent class lifeboat (above).

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Helps Yacht Taking On Water, Second Call Out In A Week

20th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat was launched on Thursday 19 May, to assist a yacht taking water onboard approximately 12 miles North East of Bangor, County Down. The volunteer crew of Donaghadee Lifeboat were requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard on Thursday…

Moate Men's Shed group visit Lough Ree's new RNLI lifeboat station

Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Station Welcomes First Visitors to New Facility

17th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

During a busy first month at the new RNLI lifeboat station at Coosan Point volunteer crew guided visitors from near and far through the state of the art facility in the first public tours of the base. The panoramic view…

For 110 years, the station at Helvick Head operated an all-weather lifeboat until it closed in 1969. After a gap of 28 years, the station re-opened and today operates a B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.

Helvick Head RNLI assists four People in Broken Down Speedboat off Dungarvan

17th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Helvick Head RNLI came to the aid of four sailors on Sunday evening (15 May) after they got into difficulty and needed assistance in the Gold Coast area of Dungarvan. With mild easterly winds and calm seas, the volunteer crew…

The first ‘Launch a Memory’ lifeboat St. Christopher put on service in Ireland came home to an emotional welcome in Clifden, Connemara. The RNLI lifeboat carries the names of 10,000 loved ones on its hull, submitted by members of the public following a special fundraising initiative by the charity

Clifden RNLI Bring Their New ‘Launch a Memory’ Lifeboat St. Christopher Home to an Emotional Welcome

15th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Clifden RNLI’s new all-weather Shannon class lifeboat arrived to an emotional welcome from crowds gathered in the Connemara community to see it complete its week-long voyage home from the charity’s All Weather lifeboat centre in Poole. As Afloat reported earlier,…

New Book on True Stories of Irish Air–Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 is Published

15th May 2022 Book Review

On 13 March 2017, the Rescue 116 crew of Capt. Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt. Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith took off from Dublin airport just after 11 p.m. for a medical evacuation off the west coast of Ireland. 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