RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Enniskillen RNLI crew approaching the casualty vessel that had reported a fire on board

Enniskillen Lifeboat Rescues Two After Boat Fire

6th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI brought two people to safety on Wednesday afternoon (4 July) after their boat they were on showed signs of catching fire. The two people on board quickly used their fire extinguishers while also phoning 999 to ask…

Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Respond to Four Call Outs in Three Days

4th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Ree RNLI’s inshore lifeboat crew have responded to four call outs in three days coming to the aid of 15 people. Between 8am on Sunday last, 1 July and 2.20pm on yesterday, Tuesday 3 July, Lough Ree RNLI came…

Rescue 116 dropping an additional salvage pump on Colt Island

Busy 24 Hours For Skerries Lifeboat Launching To Motorboat & Kayaker In Distress

4th July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 3 July) shortly after 1.30pm after a motorboat with two on board called the coastguard via VHF radio to report they were taking on water near Rockabill Lighthouse. The lifeboat was launched…

Fethard RNLI & Community Rescue Effort After Inflatable Drifts Out To Sea

3rd July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI was involved in the rescue of six people yesterday evening (Monday 2 July) after two young girls drifted out to sea on an inflatable lilo. The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch their D class…

Donaghadee RNLI Rescues Grandfather & Grandson after Yacht Runs Aground at Ballywalter Harbour

3rd July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer lifeboat crew of Donaghadee RNLI were paged yesterday (2 July) at 1.51pm by Belfast Coastguard after reports that a 27ft yacht with two people onboard had run aground at the entrance to Ballywalter Harbour and was rapidly taking…

Wicklow RNLI’s all-weather and inshore lifeboats

Wicklow Lifeboats Launch To Father & Son With Dinghy Trouble

2nd July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats were launched yesterday (Sunday 1 July) to assist two people on an inflatable dinghy near Brittas Bay beach. The father and son had set off from the popular tourist beach to fish in a…

Fundraising and Operational volunteers of Fethard RNLI

Fethard RNLI Name Lifeboat Naomh Dubhán in a Ceremony with Strong Emphasis on Community

1st July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteers with Fethard RNLI gathered at the lifeboat station over the weekend (Saturday 30 June) for a naming ceremony and a service of dedication for their new lifeboat Naomh Dubhán. In glorious sunshine, operations crew, fundraisers, station management, friends and…

Donaghadee RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Saxon was on scene to the fishing vessel within five minutes

Donaghadee RNLI Assists Eight People After Lifeboat Launches Three Times in 25 Hours

25th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Donaghadee RNLI volunteer crew were paged three times over the weekend to assist a 24m fishing vessel which had run aground, a 31–ft yacht with three people onboard which had broken down and a small speedboat on the rocks at…

The 10m yacht had fouled its propeller and the sailor had entered the water in an attempt to free the propeller but was unsuccessful and called for assistance

Ballyglass RNLI Assists Lone Sailor After 10m Yacht Gets into Difficulty off Mayo coast

25th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Ballyglass RNLI has this afternoon (Monday 25 June) come to the aid of a lone sailor whose 10m yacht got into difficulty off the Mayo coast. The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 12.37pm following…

The yacht had drifted onto rocks at the base of Howth Head on Dublin Bay

Howth RNLI Rescue Yacht Which Had Lost Steering

25th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Howth RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat on Sunday 24rd June 2018 to reports of a sailing vessel with three people aboard that had lost steering and drifted onto rocks at the base of Howth Head. A telephone call to Howth…

Fethard RNLI's locally funded inshore lifeboat Naomh Dubhán has been on service since February

Fethard RNLI To Name New Lifeboat ‘Naomh Dubhán’ In Local Ceremony

23rd June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fethard RNLI’s new D class lifeboat is to be officially named Naomh Dubhán during a ceremony next weekend. All are welcome to attend the event next Saturday 30 June from 2pm at the lifeboat station in Fethard, Co Wexford.…

RNLI Coxswain Kevin Young (right) with the solo skipper Rees Hopkins

Solo Round the World Sailor Rescued By Courtmacsherry RNLI

23rd June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was called out at 5.20 pm yesterday to go to the aid of a solo sailor in a 31–ft yacht that had got into difficulties 40 miles off the Seven Heads in West Cork.…

William’s Coates friend Aaron Vance demonstrating the Float to Live survival skill in Bangor marina alongside RNLI lifeguard Charlie Murray, with Bangor RNLI’s inshore lifeboat standing by

RNLI Says 'floating' Saves Lives as Charity Launches 2018 National Drowning Prevention Campaign

22nd June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI has today launched its 2018 national drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, in Northern Ireland. The launch at Bangor Lifeboat Station comes as the RNLI said that seven people claimed floating helped save their life in 2017 after…

Enniskillen Lifeboat Rescues Two After Boat Breaks Free From Jetty During Storm Hector

15th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI rescued two people on Lower Lough Erne after their 42ft cruiser broke free from its jetty during Storm Hector yesterday morning (Thursday 14 June). Belfast Coastguard requested the launch of the inshore lifeboat at 6.42am, with the volunteer…

Arklow Lifeboat Rescues Lone Swimmer In Late Evening Callout

11th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched on Saturday evening (9 June) following a report of a lone swimmer in difficulty and being carried out to sea. A concerned member of the public had been out walking at North Quay…

Carrybridge Lifeboat Rescues Cow In Distress

10th June 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Just two days before Carrybridge RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat had its naming ceremony, boat and crew launched to assist a cow that had fallen from a steep bank on Upper Lough Erne. The lifeboat and rescue water craft…

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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