RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Rescue Heli 117 landed on the beach and took the casualty directly to Waterford Regional Hospital for further treatment

Tramore RNLI Involved in Multi-Agency Rescue on Beach

24th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Tramore RNLI assisted in a multi-agency rescue on Tramore Beach in County Waterford on Saturday (20 July) after a person sustained a hip fracture. Pagers alerting the volunteer lifeboat crew were activated at 12.45pm requesting the launch of the inshore…

Aran Islands RNLI Conducts Medical Evacuation from Inis Mór

22nd July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Aran Islands RNLI carried out a medical evacuation off Inis Mór on Monday morning (22 July). The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 9:26 a.m., under Coxswain Aonghus Ó HIarnáin, following the Coast Guard's request that…

Newcastle RNLI D class lifeboat tows the catamaran in challenging conditions

Newcastle RNLI rescues two sailors after catamaran gets into difficulty

22nd July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Newcastle RNLI came to the aid of two sailors on Friday afternoon (19 July) after their catamaran got into difficulty in Newcastle Bay. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat by Belfast Coastguard at 4.21 pm and…

As a qualified Shannon class lifeboat afloat mechanic, Susan Hannon (Grogan) becomes the first female mechanic in the history of Dunmore East RNLI’s volunteers

Dunmore East RNLI Celebrates First Female Mechanic

20th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Dunmore East RNLI offered a massive congratulations to volunteer crew member Susan Hannon (Grogan) for qualifying as a Shannon class lifeboat afloat mechanic this week. Joining the crew just 12 months ago, Susan’s rapid rise from a new recruit to…

Skerries RNLI’s inshore lifeboat alongside the trawler to take its poorly crew member on board

Skerries Lifeboat Carries Out Medevac of Ill Fisherman From Trawler

20th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI volunteers were tasked by Dublin Coast Guard shortly after 9pm on Thursday evening (18 July) to a man on board a trawler who had fallen ill and required assistance. The volunteers in Skerries RNLI were just completing a…

The Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat crew safely transferred the patient to Rossaveal and into the care of a waiting ambulance crew

Aran Islands RNLI Carries Out Medical Evacuation From Inis Mór

19th July 2024 Island News

The Aran Islands RNLI carried out a medical evacuation off Inis Mór yesterday evening (Thursday, 18 July). The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 6:40 p.m. following a request from the Coast Guard to transfer a…

Mary Rose Deasy receives her Excellence in Volunteering award from Union Hall RNLI’s lifeboat operations manager John Kelleher

Union Hall RNLI Volunteer Receives Excellence in Volunteering Recognition

18th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

A Union Hall RNLI volunteer has received an Excellence in Volunteering recognition from the charity. The RNLI presents Excellence in Volunteering Awards to recognise volunteers who deserve special recognition for making a difference to their team or community. Mary Rose…

File image of Fenit RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

Fenit RNLI to Celebrate 30 Years of Its Return to Saving Lives at Sea

18th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Fenit RNLI has a double cause for celebration this weekend as it marks the 30th anniversary of the return of the service to a new base in Fenit Harbour after an absence of 25 years, as this year the lifesaving…

File image of Larne RNLI’s D class inshore lifeboat at sea

Larne Lifeboat Rescues Man on Inflatable Dinghy Drifting Out to Sea

18th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI came to the aid of a man who was drifting out to sea on an inflatable dinghy on Monday afternoon (15 July). The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore D class lifeboat at 1.15pm at the…

Aran Islands RNLI crew Thomas Davis, Daniel O’Connell, Tommy Dirrane and Máirtín de Bhailis pictured with open sea swimmer Fergal and Mags Somerville. Front row are Mark Rush and Gordon Adair

Dublin Man Swims 35km Around Inis Mór, Raising €8,500 for Aran Islands RNLI

17th July 2024 Sea Swim

In a remarkable feat of endurance and fundraising, Dublin man Fergal Somerville successfully completed a 35km open water swim around Inis Mór, raising €8,500 for the Aran Islands RNLI. Somerville, a Guinness World record-breaking swimmer, took on this challenge, which…

Clifden RNLI allweather lifeboat launched under Coxswain Alan Pryce

Clifden RNLI Aid Two Sailors After 26ft Yacht Fouls Propellor on Passage from Roundstone

16th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Clifden RNLI came to the aid of two sailors yesterday afternoon (Monday 15 July) after their 26ft yacht got into difficulty with a fouled propellor while on passage from Roundstone earlier that morning. The volunteer crew were requested to launch…

Scott Blackwood with his proud parents at Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Portaferry RNLI Introduces Newest Lifeboat Helm

16th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Portaferry RNLI has passed out a new helm at its inshore lifeboat station on Northern Ireland’s Ards Peninsula. Scott Blackwood (29), originally from Newtownards, moved to Portaferry in 2020 to be closer to his partner Nicole and joined the lifeboat…

The INEOS Grenadier will be rolled out to 20 stations across Ireland and the UK to launch and recover D-class lifeboats

INEOS Grenadier to Be Official Vehicle of RNLI as Part of Five-Year Partnership

16th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

INEOS Automotive has become an official partner of the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea. Over the next five years, the INEOS Grenadier will become the official vehicle of RNLI lifeboats and support the RNLI by helping their…

The Groomsport Lifeboat panel image pictures Christine Scholes (left) and Ann Blachford. The last coxswain of the Groomsport lifeboat, Robert Waterson, was Ann’s grandfather and Christine’s great uncle

200th Anniversary RNLI Exhibition at North Down Museum

15th July 2024 Belfast Lough

An exhibition celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI is currently running in the Long Gallery at the North Down Museum in Bangor on Belfast Lough. Over the years, the charity’s volunteers have answered the call to rescue day or…

Aran Islands RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat at 2.46 am, under Coxswain Tommy Dirrane, following a 999 call. Three people were drifting in a fibreglass dinghy which was taking on water approximately five miles northeast of Inis Mór

Aran Islands RNLI Rescues Three People Drifting in a Dinghy That’s Taking on Water

15th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Aran Islands RNLI came to the aid of three people drifting in a dinghy on Sunday morning (14 July). The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 2.46 am, under Coxswain Tommy Dirrane, following a 999 call. Three…

RNLI Fish Friday encourages people to come together and enjoy their favourite fish dish on any Friday in August while raising money to help save lives at sea

RNLI Calls on Public to Take Part in ‘Fish Friday’ Fundraiser This August

15th July 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI is calling on the public to gather their own crew together this summer and take part in the charity’s foodie fundraiser, Fish Friday. Taking place throughout August, Fish Friday encourages people to come together with friends and family…

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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