RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Marker buoys on the River Shannon near the M6 Bridge in Athlone, Co. Westmeath mark the spot the speedboat sank

Lough Ree RNLI Called to Assist Ten People as Speedboat Sinks in Athlone

14th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

At 9.44 pm (Saturday 13 August) Lough Ree RNLI was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to assist 10 people on board a speedboat in danger of sinking on the River Shannon near the M6 Bridge in Athlone, Co. Westmeath.…

Carrybridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat on Lough Erne

Busy Start to Weekend for Carrybridge Lifeboat Assisting 11 People Across Four Boats in One Evening

14th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Carrybridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Douglas Euan & Kay Richards was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard shortly after 6.33pm on Friday evening (12 August) to a vessel which had got into difficulties in shallow water close to Naan Island.…

Youghal Lifeboat Launches to Pleasure Craft Adrift on River Blackwater

14th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Youghal RNLI in East Cork were called on Friday evening (12 August) to assist two people on a pleasure craft that had suffered engine failure on the River Blackwater. The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat launched at 7.17pm and arrived on…

Skerries RNLI standing by at Loughshinny as Howth Coast Guard, assisted by the Skerries unit, successfully carried out a cliff rescue

Three Callouts in 24 hours for Skerries Lifeboat Before Hot Weather Weekend

14th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI responded to their third emergency in 24 hours on Friday evening (12 August) when they were tasked by Dublin Coast Guard to stand by a small boat on Donabate Strand as it refloated after running aground earlier in…

File image of Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier

Lough Derg Lifeboat Launches to Vessel Adrift in Youghal Bay

12th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Two people sleeping on a boat on Lough Derg had a rude awakening this morning (Friday 12 August) when the local lifeboat alerted that their vessel was adrift in Youghal Bay. Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI to launch…

Claire Morgan, Denis Cronin and Youghal crew, Noel Joyce and Karen Walsh

Family Rescued from Capsized 420 Dinghy in Cork Harbour

11th August 2022 Cork Harbour

A grandfather, his daughter and grandson, ended up in the water when their 420 dinghy capsized East of Whitegate Oil Refinery in Cork Harbour. The volunteer RNLI crew of Denis Cronin, Claire Morgan and two crew from Youghal Lifeboat Station,…

John Farley presents the cheque to Union Hall RNLI’s Pamela Deasy in Kinsale

Union Hall RNLI Receives $500 From Irish Emigrants in San Francisco

11th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteers at Union Hall RNLI received a cheque recently for over $500 from a group of Irish emigrants in the USA. Volunteer fundraiser Pamela Deasy travelled to Kinsale recently and met John Farley, who resides in San Francisco, and…

a pod of dolphins swimming in the foreground

Early Morning Callout for Arranmore Lifeboat to Assist Fisherman Adrift Off Calf Island

11th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Arranmore RNLI responded to a call at 7.15am on Wednesday morning (10 August) to assist a 25ft fishing vessel with one onboard after it sustained engine trouble. The boat was drifting on to rocks at Calf Island which is located…

Skerries RNLI’s volunteer crew inspecting the hull of the razor clam boat that ran aground

Skerries Lifeboat Assists Two After Razor Clam Vessel Runs Aground

11th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI were tasked in the early hours of Wednesday morning (10 August) by Dublin Coast Guard after they received a call that a razor clam fishing boat had run aground on rocks in the North Co Dublin town. Shortly…

Agencies Offer Hot Weather Safety Advice for Anyone On or Near the Water

11th August 2022 Water Safety

With Met Éireann issuing an advisory for hot weather through the rest of the week and the weekend, the RNLI, Irish Coast Guard and Water Safety Ireland are urging people to plan for their personal safety when visiting the coast…

The yacht Jaffa with propeller trouble were rescued by Ballycotton RNLI

Ballycotton RNLI Rescues Dutch Yacht with Six on Board East of Ballycotton Lighthouse

10th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Jaffa, a nine-metre Dutch yacht with six people onboard that suffered a fouled propeller 4.5 nautical miles east of Ballycotton island in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday, 9 August), was brought to safety by the lifeboat crew from…

Launching the RNLI Union Hall inshore lifeboat

Union Hall RNLI Look for Overdue Boat with One Person Onboard

9th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Union Hall RNLI was paged by Valentia Coast Guard and launched at 3.17 pm on Monday (8th August) to reports of an overdue boat, that had left Ring pier, at 10 am with one person onboard. Launching in flat calm conditions…

The 36ft yacht with a fouled propeller, no power and taking on water is towed to Dun Laoghaire Harbour by the RNLI

Dun Laoghaire RNLI Searches for Missing Child at Forty Foot and Tows Yacht Taking on Water

8th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Dun Laoghaire RNLI had a busy afternoon on Sunday (7 August) with three separate callouts all within a matter of hours. They began with a missing child at the Forty Foot bathing place, followed by a yacht taking on water…

Wicklow RNLI all-weather lifeboat towing the yacht into Wicklow Harbour

Wicklow RNLI Launch to Two Incidents off the Wicklow Coast

8th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow Inshore RNLI lifeboat brought two paddle boarders to safety on Sunday evening (7 August) after they got into difficulties near Wicklow Head. The lifeboat launched at 7.35 pm after members of the public walking on Wicklow Head saw the paddleboarders…

Howth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Roy Barker III tows a broken-down motorboat back to Howth Harbour

Six People Rescued by Howth Lifeboat on Busy Summer Sunday

8th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI’s volunteer crew launched both their all-weather and inshore lifeboats to two separate incidents on Sunday (7 August). The larger lifeboat was launched shortly after 3pm to reports of a motorboat with three people on board which had suffered…

The RNLI lifeboat and the yacht arrive into Courtmacsherry Harbour entrance

Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat in Callout to 48-ft Yacht off the Seven Heads in West Cork

7th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Station was alerted this evening, (Sunday, August 7th) at 7.30 pm by the Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, that a 48-foot yacht had got into difficulties 4.5 miles off the Seven Heads coastline near…

Start
Prev
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Next
End

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