RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Newcastle Lifeboat Launches To Drifting Cruiser

19th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Newcastle RNLI's inshore lifeboat Eliza was requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard just before 2pm on Saturday afternoon (17 September) to investigate a vessel adrift four miles east of Newcastle in Co Down, near the mouth of Dundrum…

Wicklow RNLI inshore lifeboat crew Carol Flahive, Ian Thompson and Peter McCann

Wicklow Lifeboat Volunteers Assist Lone Sailor & Rescue Man From Water In Weekend Callouts

19th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lifeboat volunteers with Wicklow RNLI responded to two callouts over the weekend, assisting a lone yachtsman and a person in the water. The first came on Saturday 17 September as the all-weather lifeboat Annie Blaker launched at 2.55pm…

Waves Festival sponsors celebrate the event's fundraising total

Waves Music Festival Raises €35,000 For Fethard Lifeboat Appeal

17th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The Waves Music Festival on Sunday 28 August raised €35,000 towards Fethard RNLI's special in aid of a new inshore lifeboat which is due on service at the end 2017. Some 2,500 people turned out for the family-friendly…

The view from one of three yachts Larne RNLI towed to safety last weekend amid high winds

Three Callouts In A Weekend For Larne Lifeboat Crew

16th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Larne RNLI launched last Friday 9 and Sunday 1 September to help recover a total of three yachts that had broken from moorings in severe weather. The inshore lifeboat launched at 4.05pm on Friday to reports of a…

The yacht damaged by rock armour in Rosslare Harbour

Rosslare Lifeboat Rescues Two After Yacht Drifts Onto Rock Armour

15th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer crew from Rosslare Harbour RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat at 3.45am yesterday morning (Wednesday 14 September) following a distress call from a yacht that suffered engine failure and drifted onto rock armour. The eight-metre vessel, with…

Paddy Crowley with the RNLI Crosshaven crew

Two New RNLI Inshore Atlantic 85 Class Lifeboats Officially Named in County Cork

11th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

There were double celebrations for the RNLI in County Cork this weekend with two new lifeboats officially named and blessed in Youghal and Crosshaven. At a special ceremony held on Saturday, Youghal RNLI officially named its new Atlantic 85 class…

Helvick Head Lifeboat Crew Rescue Man From Water After Pier Car Crash

11th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Helvick Head RNLI rescued a man who got into difficulty in the water at Helvick Pier early this morning (Sunday 11 September). The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 7.12am following a report…

Wicklow RNLI assists two sailors and their 10m ketch with steering issues

Wicklow Lifeboat Assists Yacht In Early Morning Callout

8th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched at 5.32am yesterday morning (Wednesday 7 September) after the Irish Coast Guard received a call for assistance from a yacht in difficulties off the Wicklow coast. The 10m British ketch, with two people…

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Fisherman On Boat Wedged In Rocky Shoal

5th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard yesterday evening (Sunday 4 September) to assist a fisherman whose boat was wedged inside a rocky shoal. At 5.50pm, the inshore lifeboat launched with helm Eleanor Hooker,…

Wicklow Lifeboat Assists Whelk Trawler In Morning Callout

4th September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow's all-weather lifeboat Annie Blaker launched at 7.30am yesterday morning (Saturday 3 September) to assist a fishing vessel four miles offshore. The RNLI lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Nick Keogh, was alongside the stricken vessel 18 minutes…

Youghal's new lifeboat, an Atlantic 85 is the latest version of the B class

Youghal RNLI to Name New Inshore Lifeboat Gordon & Phil in Memory of Beloved Parents

2nd September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

A new Atlantic 85 lifeboat for Youghal RNLI is to be officially named Gordon and Phil during a ceremony at the lifeboat station in the Cork seaside resort town at 1pm on Saturday 10 September. The lifeboat which went on…

Crosshaven RNLI New Inshore Lifeboat To Be Named 'John and Janet'

2nd September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

A new Atlantic 85 lifeboat for Crosshaven RNLI is to be officially named John and Janet during a ceremony at the Cork lifeboat station at 2pm on Sunday 11 September. The lifeboat which went on service in June this year…

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat in Cork Harbour was requested to launch yesterday evening at 9.45pm

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Assist Anglers After Breakdown

1st September 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat in Cork Harbour was requested to launch yesterday evening at 9.45pm to reports of a speedboat broken down and adrift approximately one km south west of Trabolgan. In calm conditions with a slight sea,the volunteer crew, under the command…

Donaghadee RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Saxon tows a RIB to safety from the North Channel

Three Callouts To Help Vessels In Difficulty For Donaghadee Lifeboat

30th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Donaghadee RNLI was called upon three times in the last week to assist vessels which got into difficulties off the coast of North Down. The first callout was on Thursday 25 August after a yacht with five people…

Clifden RNLI rescued six people in two separate call outs

Six Rescued in Two Separate Call Outs for Clifden RNLI

29th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Clifden RNLI rescued six people in two separate call outs off the Connemara coast last week. On Friday afternoon, the volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather and inshore Atlantic 85 class lifeboats following a report that two…

Lough Swilly RNLI rescue a distressed sheep after 200ft cliff fall

Lough Swilly RNLI Lifeboat Rescue Distressed Sheep After 200ft–Cliff Fall

28th August 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Swilly RNLI lifeboat rescued a sheep this afternoon after it fell approximately 200 feet from a cliff in County Donegal. The alarm was raised at 4.30pm today when three local fishermen spotted the animal stranded on a ledge in…

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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