RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

A scene from Coliemore Harbour on Dublin Bay during Storm Emma

Irish Coast Guard & RNLI Issue Joint Call for Caution Around Coastal Areas & Rivers After Storm Emma

3rd March 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

In the aftermath of storm Emma and the heavy snowfalls around the country the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI have issued a joint call for people to exercise caution and remain vigilant around the coast and near rivers. High…

Baltimore Lifeboat On 11-Hour Callout To Assist Trawler

28th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Baltimore RNLI were called out on Monday afternoon (26 February) to a fishing trawler that had broken down 50 miles south of Baltimore in West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 2.12pm after the…

Arranmore RNLI’s three new lifeboat recruits

Arranmore RNLI Welcome Onboard New Volunteers & Honorary Station President

26th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Arranmore RNLI has just announced some new recruits to the lifeboat station, including an honorary president and three volunteer lifeboat crew. Majella O’Donnell has been appointed station president. Majella met with the lifeboat crew last Tuesday 20 February at…

The lifeboat, commanded by Aidan O’Connor with Norman Jackson, Jenna O’Shea and Georgia Keating were only a few minutes from the incident when tasked by Valentia Marine Rescue centre

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Rescue Casualty from Rocky Shore

23rd February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Crosshaven RNLI volunteers led an inter agency rescue yesterday evening (Thursday 22 February) after being diverted from exercise to a person who had fallen on rocks at Fountainstown and was found in a serious condition by a member of the…

Members of the RNLI Community Safety Team at the Ireland Angling 2018 exhibition in Swords; John McKenna, Laura Jackson, Colm Plunkett and Miryam Harris. They were helping to raise awareness about the importance of wearing lifejackets, carrying personal locator beacons and having an effective means of communicating in the event of an emergency for any one taking part in angling or water sports

Howth RNLI Community Safety Team Raise Awareness about Water Safety at Angling Exhibition

19th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Members of Howth RNLI’s Community Safety Team were on hand to raise awareness and offer water safety advice at the Ireland Angling 2018 exhibition at the National Show Centre in Swords last weekend (17 and 18 Feb 2018). The charity…

Galway Lifeboat Rescues Man After Dinghy Capsizes

19th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Galway RNLI rescued a man who got into difficulty after his dinghy capsized on Galway Bay yesterday afternoon (Sunday 18 February). The incident happened off Hare Island shortly before 1pm, when a member of the public saw the…

Historic Mary Stanford Lifeboat on display in Ballycotton

Famous Ballycotton Lifeboat Needs Volunteers

7th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

The East Cork village from where the lifeboat station crew carried out what is regarded as the most famous rescue in Irish lifeboat history, to the Daunt Rock Lightship off Cork Harbour, is in need of volunteers for its present-day…

Ballycotton RNLI is looking for new volunteer fundraisers and lifeboat crew in East Cork

Ballycotton RNLI Needs Lifeboat Crew to Help Save Lives at Sea

7th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

Ballycotton RNLI is looking for new volunteer fundraisers and lifeboat crew to join its community lifesaving team in East County Cork. The station’s volunteers make an invaluable contribution to the RNLI, be it through crewing the station’s all-weather lifeboat, fundraising,…

Newcastle RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Eleanor and Bryant Girling

Six Fishermen Rescued By Newcastle Lifeboat In 12-Hour Callout

7th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Newcastle RNLI rescued six fishermen in a callout that lasted 12 hours on Monday 5 February. At 3.10pm, Newcastle’s volunteer crew were alerted to Belfast Coastguard’s request for a lifeboat to assist a fishing vessel breakdown 15 miles…

All-in-a-Row Funds Handed Over to Charities

5th February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#GoodDeed: Two cheques were handed over to the RNLI and The Irish Underwater Search and Recovery Unit at a special event at the weekend. The funds were collected through the All in a Row charity event on the Liffey in…

Clogherhead RNLI with the fishing vessel under tow

Clogherhead & Skerries Lifeboats Rescue Skipper After Fishing Boat Breakdown

2nd February 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Clogherhead and Skerries RNLI rescued a man whose fishing boat got into difficulty north of Dublin Bay yesterday afternoon (Thursday 1 February). The volunteer crews were requested to launch the all-weather lifeboat from Clogherhead and the inshore lifeboat…

The sinking of the MV Princess Victoria in 1953 was at the time the deadliest maritime disaster for the UK since the Second World War

RNLI Lifeboats Remember Lives Lost On 65th Anniversary Of MV Princess Victoria’s Sinking

29th January 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Three RNLI lifeboats gathered yesterday (Sunday 28 January) at the site off Northern Ireland where the MV Princess Victoria sank 65 years ago with the loss of 133 souls. Donaghadee, Larne and Portpatrick RNLI lifeboat crews laid wreaths…

Galway Singer Sean Keane To Honour Clifden RNLI’s ‘Heroes Of The Waters’

25th January 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Renowned Galway singer Sean Keane is set to make a welcome return to Clifden this February for a special evening of song and entertainment dedicated to the lifesaving work of the RNLI. In the intimate setting of the…

Helvick Head RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Robert Armstrong

Helvick Head Lifeboat Rescues Fishing Vessel Crew In Midnight Callout

23rd January 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Helvick Head RNLI had its first callout for 2018 in the early hours of Saturday morning (20 January) when the crew of a fishing vessel reported engine difficulty. Pagers sounded at 1.50am and volunteer crew Brian O’Rourke, Joe…

Youghal RNLI’s inshore lifeboat 'Gordon and Phil'

Youghal Lifeboat Assists Fishing Boat Taking On Water

12th January 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - In the East Cork lifeboat station’s first callout of 2018, Youghal RNLI was requested to launch at 1.02pm on Wednesday 10 January to reports of a fishing vessel that was taking on water. The lifeboat proceeded to the…

The Dunmore East RNLI crew throws a towline to the stricken trawler

Dunmore East Lifeboat Rescues Trawler Drifting Onto Rocks

10th January 2018 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Dunmore East RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday January 9) to assist a 23m trawler with four crew on board. The fishing vessel had suffered engine trouble and was drifting onto rocks one mile northeast of Dunmore…

Start
Prev
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
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