RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The lifeboat took the cruiser off the rocks and towed it to Dromineer Harbour, where, at 6.15pm, it was safely tied alongside

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Assists Three on Cruiser Aground Near Kilgarvan

7th May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

At 4.25pm on Sunday May 6, Lough Derg RNLI launched following a request by Valentia Coast Guard to assist three people, two adults and a child, aboard a 27ft cruiser reported to be aground near Kilgarvan on the eastern shore…

Bank Holiday Callout For Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat To Dutch Tourist In Difficulty

6th May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI launched yesterday afternoon (Saturday 5 May) to help a Dutch tourist when his motorboat lost power 10 miles north of the Co Wexford port. The sole occupant of the 33ft motorboat was a Dutch man who was…

A replica of the Kezia Gwilt re-enacting the heroic call to service in 2015

Courtmacsherry RNLI Pays Tribute To Those Lost On Lusitania This May Bank Holiday

5th May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - For more than 100 years, the crews of Courtmacsherry Harbour Lifeboat Station have laid a wreath over the site of RMS Lusitania. In Courtmacsherry Bay, the old British Royal Navy watch tower of the Seven Heads peninsula is…

RNLI & Irish Coast Guard Issue Joint Call for People to Stay Safe on the Water this May Bank Holiday

3rd May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard are issuing a joint call this May Bank Holiday weekend for people to stay safe on and near water as the expected warmer weather and brighter evenings will see more people spending time…

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Assists Lone Lake Boat Fisherman Aground

2nd May 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

At 1.20pm on Tuesday May 1, Lough Derg RNLI launched following a request by Valentia Coast Guard to assist a fisherman in an 18ft lake boat reported aground by the Goat Road on the north eastern shore of Lough Derg.…

Lough Ree RNLI's inshore lifeboat The Eric Rowse

Lough Ree Lifeboat Launches To Report Of Person In River Shannon

29th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew conducted a search of the River Shannon yesterday morning (Saturday 28 April) after a report of someone entering the water. The Irish Coast Guard alerted the lifeboat station at 5.14am after a…

Fenit Lifeboat Rescues Man After Boat Capsize Near Derrymore Island

26th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fenit RNLI launched to the rescue of a man whose boat capsized near Derrymore Island in Tralee Bay at the weekend. Following a call for assistance from Valentia Coast Guard at 4.47pm on Saturday last (21 April), Fenit’s…

Waterford Viking Marathon To Raise Funds For RNLI

25th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Saturday 30 June has been confirmed as the date for the seventh annual WLRfm Waterford Viking Marathon to raise funds for the RNLI. The most exciting running event in Waterford, the Viking Marathon following a spectacular route that…

Dunmore East RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Windsor Runner

Dunmore East Lifeboat In Medevac 50 Miles Offshore

24th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Dunmore East RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched on Saturday (21 April) to assist an injured crewman onboard a fishing trawler. The crewman sustained an injury while fishing 70 miles offshore, and the trawler was intercepted by Dunmore East lifeboat…

Arklow volunteer lifeboat crew Sinead Myler, Cox Ned Dillion and Jimmy Myler join marathon runner Mary Nolan Hickey to launch RNLI Mayday 2018

‘Lap Of The Map’ Runner Mary Hickey Launches RNLI’s Mayday Campaign

23rd April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Fresh from completing her 1,509-mile-long ‘Lap of the Map’ run around Ireland, inspirational marathon runner Mary Hickey has joined volunteers from Arklow RNLI in the stunning setting of Glendalough in Co Wicklow to launch Mayday, the RNLI’s annual…

Lough Ree Lifeboat Assists Fishermen After Boat Takes On Water

22nd April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Two fishermen whose boat was taking on water were brought to safety by Lough Ree RNLI this week. At 3.45pm on Wednesday (18 April), the volunteer lifeboat crew was tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to go to…

Arklow RNLI crew help Mary Nolan Hickey take a load off after she crossed the finish line yesterday

Marathon Woman Completes ‘Lap Of The Map’ For RNLI

15th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Three-and-a-half months after setting out from her Arklow home, 65-year-old marathon runner Mary Nolan Hickey has completed her ‘lap of the map’ visiting RNLI lifeboat stations around the Irish coast, as TheJournal.ie reports. Hickey received a hero’s welcome…

Killaloe Coast Guard was also on scene and took the yacht off the sandy bank

Lough Derg RNLI & Killaloe Coastguard Lifeboats Assist Lone Sailor on 30ft yacht Aground in Scariff Bay

15th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

At 6.29pm on Saturday April 14, Lough Derg RNLI was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard to assist a lone sailor on a 30–ft yacht aground in Scariff Bay At 6.40pm, the lifeboat launched with helm Dom Sharkey, Eleanor…

Portaferry Lifeboat Rescues Lone Sailor On Stricken Yacht

12th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Pagers sounded yesterday (Wednesday 11 April) for the volunteers from Portaferry RNLI to assist a man onboard an 18ft yacht experiencing problems off the Co Down coast. The yachtsman was two miles from the entrance to Strangford Lough…

The Lough Derg lifeboat, with helm Ger Egan, Owen Cavanagh and Delia Ho on board located the vessel

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Assists 40ft Cruiser Aground Near Hare Island

6th April 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI launched yesterday afternoon following a request from Valentia Coast Guard to assist two people after their 40ft–cruiser grounded inside the red navigation mark by Hare Island. The lifeboat, with helm Ger Egan, Owen Cavanagh and Delia Ho…

The RNLI Larne inshore boat ensured that the tow line was set up speedily and the two men onboard were brought to the safety of shore without delay

Motor Boat Drifting Towards Rocks is Towed By Larne RNLI (VIDEO)

26th March 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat Terry yesterday afternoon (Sunday 25 March) to a 21ft motor vessel experiencing engine difficulties near Browns Bay. The inshore lifeboat launched at 3.22pm and quickly made its way to the scene at Skernaghan Point,…

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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