RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The RNLI’s Mayday fundraiser begins on Monday, 1 May, and will run for the whole month across Ireland and the UK

Bangor RNLI Launches Mayday Fundraising Campaign to Support Lifesaving Services

8th April 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Bangor RNLI, the lifesaving charity on Belfast Lough based in Northern Ireland, has launched a Mayday fundraising campaign to support its vital services. The charity has revealed that it was called into action 36 times in 2023, highlighting the importance…

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI crew manoeuvre their inshore lifeboat alongside a casualty in the water at the back of the town's East Pier. An RNLI crew entered the water to rescue the person and bring them safely to shore in the lifeboat. See vid below

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Rescue Young Girl From Back of East Pier

7th April 2024 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News

On Saturday night, a young girl was rescued from the sea at Dún Laoghaire Harbour in south County Dublin, thanks to a multi-agency rescue operation involving the Coast Guard, RNLI and gardaí. The incident occurred at around 8.20 pm off…

Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat tows the 16m yacht into the safety of Arklow Harbour on Tuesday morning 2 April

Arklow Lifeboat Assists Four on Yacht Adrift Near Arklow Bank

3rd April 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Arklow RNLI in Co Wicklow were requested to launch early on Tuesday morning (2 April) following reports of a large yacht with four crew onboard in difficulty near the Arklow Bank. Shortly after 6.30am, Arklow volunteers launched the station’s all-weather lifeboat…

March 2024 Sailor of the Month Rose Michael accepting yet another significant cheque on behalf of the lifeboats, this time from Cormac Lowth representing the annual “All In A Row” multi-boat event on Dublin’s River Liffey

Rose Michael of Malahide is Sailor of the Month (Services to Sailing) for March

1st April 2024 Sailor of the Month

In the third weekend of March, two nautical gatherings in the Cork area were painlessly relieved of around €5,000 for Irish lifeboats, with much of the background work to ensure that this went through smoothly being seen to by longtime…

Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier en route to the stranded cruiser on Saturday 30 March

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Lone Sailor on Cruiser With Fouled Propellers

31st March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI were requested to launch on Saturday (30 March) to assist a lone sailor on a 35ft cruiser with fouled propellers and adrift in Dromineer Bay. Following the request from Valentia Coast Guard, the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier…

The Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat's Y-boat with two crew aboard was launched to cut off the rope from the propellor of the stranded fishing vessel

Castletownbere RNLI Rescues Fishing Vessel Stranded on North Side of Sheep's Head

30th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

In an Easter sea rescue operation, the Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat 'Annette Hutton' was launched to assist a local fishing vessel that had lost its ability to manoeuvre on the north side of Sheep's Head. The lifeboat received an alert at…

Galway RNLI lifeboat operations manager Mike Swan

RNLI Ballycotton and Galway City's Rapid Rescue Response on Seascapes RNLI Special Tonight

29th March 2024 Seascapes

How a wise kayaker rescued by east Cork’s Ballycotton lifeboat signed up as a volunteer and Galway city’s cross-agency rapid rescue system are among topics on RTÉ Radio 1’s special Seascapes series tonight. The final episode of the three-part series…

Guests at Larne RNLI’s gala ball at Magheramorne Estate on Friday 15 March

Larne RNLI Celebrates Charity’s 200th Milestone With Gala Ball Raising More Than £4,600

28th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Larne RNLI in Northern Ireland celebrated the RNLI’s 200th anniversary with a gala ball held at Magheramorne Estate raising £4,657.63 to help the station continue to save lives at sea. The event, organised by the volunteer fundraising crew, was held…

File image of Achill Island RNLI’s Trent class all-weather lifeboat

Achill Island Lifeboat Carries Out Medevac Off Clare Island

26th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Achill Island RNLI carried out a medical evacuation off Clare Island on Monday night (25 March). The volunteer crew were requested to launch the station’s all-weather lifeboat just before 9pm following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to medevac…

Alan Markey, Commodore of the Irish Cruising Club, presents the donation to Rose Michael, ICC Member and RNLI Fundraising Crew, on the steps of the Maryborough Hotel, Cork

Cruising Clubs Combine To Donate €4,140 For RNLI 200th

26th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Saturday night's gathering of 242 cruising enthusiasts for a black-tie celebration at the Irish Cruising Club's Annual Gala Dinner in Cork, involving an international guest list to bring in officers from kindred clubs on both sides of the Atlantic, provided…

A group shot of RNLI volunteer crew members, shot in Lyme Regis for Series 9 of the BBC/Blast programme Saving Lives at Sea ( SLAS). From Left to right: Neil Sutor (Portishead), Janet Iqbal (Largs), Angharad Masson (Porthcawl), Maria Bull (Dungeness), Dave Fenton (Castletownbere)

Castletownbere RNLI to Feature in Maritime TV Docu Series as 'Saving Lives at Sea' Returns to the Screen

25th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

As the RNLI marks 200 years of lifesaving, the volunteer lifeboat crew at Castletownbere, West Cork will take to the television screens on Tuesday, 2 April, at 8 p.m. They will feature in the ninth series of the popular maritime…

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

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Family of Four on 34ft Cruiser Aground Near Portumna

24th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Following an emergency call from a member of the public on shore on Sunday morning (24 March), Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to assist a family of four on a 34ft cruiser…

Carrybridge RNLI to feature in popular documentary series as Saving Lives at Sea returns to the screen

RNLI's Carrybridge Lifeboat Crew to be Featured in BBC's Saving Lives at Sea

24th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI, renowned for its 200 years of lifesaving, is set to feature on the popular maritimeTV show Saving Lives at Sea on BBC Two and iPlayer. The ninth series, which focuses on the lifesaving work of today's lifeboat crews…

RNLI Trustee Paddy McLaughlin, also a volunteer at Red Bay RNLI in Cushendall, pictured with Stephen Conway, Red Bay RNLI Lifeboat

RNLI Red Bay Lifeboat and Sea Shanties on Second RTE Seascapes Special Tonight

22nd March 2024 Seascapes

A man overboard exercise with Antrim’s Red Bay all-weather lifeboat and the experience of a dog walker rescued by Cork Harbour’s Crosshaven lifeboat are among topics on tonight’s (Fri, March 22) RTÉ Radio 1 special issue of Seascapes. The programme,…

File image of Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

St Patrick’s Day Launch for Portaferry Lifeboat to Assist Ocean Rowing Vessel

21st March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Portaferry RNLI came to the aid of four people on St Patrick’s Day (Sunday 17 March) after their ocean-going rowing boat sustained a broken rudder and developed steering problems. Belfast Coastguard requested the launch of Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat at…

The all-weather lifeboat RNLB Bridie O'Shea

Wicklow RNLI Rescues Three Fishermen Stranded at Sea

19th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI rescued three fishermen on Monday, March 18, after their boat suffered mechanical failure. The all-weather lifeboat RNLB Bridie O'Shea, under the command of Coxswain Alan Goucher, was called to the scene at 12.19 pm, 11 nautical miles northeast…

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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