RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

The Wexford Sinfonia will play the ‘Heroes of the Helen Blake’ Suite

Amateur Orchestra Bring RNLI Lifeboat Music to National Concert Hall

14th March 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

An Irish amateur orchestra is set to realise their dream of performing on the stage of the National Concert Hall in Dublin when they play a specially composed piece of music commemorating the Helen Blake maritime tragedy where nine lifeboat…

Two Fishermen Brought to Safety by Rosslare Harbour & Wexford RNLI

13th March 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Two fishermen have been brought to safety this afternoon by the RNLI after they got into difficulty off the Wexford coast. Wexford RNLI was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 12.08pm following a report that a fishing vessel with…

Sandymount beach in Dublin where walkers were rescued today by an inshore RNLI boat from Dun Laoghaire

Sunday Stroll on Sandymount Strand Ends in Rescue by RNLI Lifeboat

13th March 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Two walkers were rescued by the RNLI inshore lifeboat from Dun Laoghaire shortly after midday today when the rising tide surrounded them half a mile from shore off Sandymount. The pair raised the alarm by mobile phone to the Irish…

Portaferry Lifeboat Rescues Stranded Kayakers In Strangford Lough

9th March 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 8 March) to the aid of two kayakers stranded on an island in Strangford Lough. The two men were on a camping trip to Boretree Island, just…

Engines running and ready to launch: RNLI volunteers Simon Oldfield, John Petrie, Jonathan Kelso, Davy Eccles, Carmen Van Der Schyff, coxswain Philip McNamara and Nicky Butler undergoing vital training at the weekend

Donaghadee Lifeboat Volunteers Are Ready For Action

7th March 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - On Sunday 6 March 2016, Donaghadee RNLI coxswain Philip McNamara and the volunteer lifeboat crew mustered for the latest in a series of vital fortnightly sea training exercises to ensure they are prepared for the challenges of the…

Rosslare RNLI tow 22 metre fishing vessel in the early hours of Sunday morning

Callout for Rosslare RNLI to Fishing Vessel with Engine Trouble

6th March 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Lifeboat crew with Rosslare RNLI had an early morning callout today to a 22–metre fishing vessel which had suffered engine failure near Tuskar Rock lighthouse. The lifeboat pagers went off at 5.30am with the lifeboat launching a short time later.…

Kilkeel RNLI crew member Alexander McCauley boards the stricken vessel

Kilkeel Lifeboat Aids Fishing Boat On Fire

27th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI went to the aid of the fishing boat which reported a fire in its engine room on Wednesday evening (24 February). The 14m fishing vessel, with two men on board, was 11 miles south-east of Kilkeel…

Commodore John Craddock with the winning Malahide Yacht Club team

Malahide Yacht Club Wins All Ireland Nautical Table Quiz in aid of the RNLI

25th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

The first All Ireland Nautical Table Quiz in aid of the RNLI took place last Friday evening in the Marine Hotel, Sutton in County Dublin. There was a great turn out, including a team from the Howth RNLI crew. The…

Wicklow and Arklow RNLI in action on the morning of Tuesday 23 February

Early Callout For Arklow & Wicklow Lifeboats To Assist Grounded Fishing Vessel

25th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Three RNLI lifeboats from Wicklow and Arklow launched after 5am on Tuesday morning (23 February) to assist a grounded fishing vessel with seven people onboard. The volunteer lifeboat crews quickly located the 20m fishing boat, which had run…

Members of Fethard RNLI pictured with Colin Williams RNLI Divisional Operations Manager and Niamh McCutcheons RNLI Council Member for Ireland (front row second from right and right)

Fethard RNLI Launches €65,000 Appeal For New Lifeboat

22nd February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

Friends and supporters of Fethard RNLI gathered together at the lifeboat station this weekend on the one hundred and second anniversary of the Mexico disaster, where nine lifeboat crew lost their lives off the Wexford coast, to launch an appeal…

Newcastle RNLI's Mersey class lifeboat breaking the waves off the Co Down coast

Newcastle RNLI Searches After Flare Sighting In Third Callout This Week

19th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Newcastle RNLI had their third call of the week last night (Thursday 18 February) with volunteers involved in a three-hour search operation after flares were sighted off the Co Down coast. Newly appointed coxswain Alan Jones had the…

Portaferry RNLI's inshore lifeboat in action

Portaferry Lifeboats Rescues Two Anglers With Engine Trouble

19th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI launched yesterday evening (Thursday 18 February) to go to the aid of two men on board an angling boat experiencing engine problems off the Co Down coast. The volunteer crew of…

Dun Laoghaire, Howth and Skerries lifeboat crew at gala screening of The Finest Hours in Dundrum on Wednesday 17 February

RNLI Volunteers Walk The Red Carpet At Gala Screening Of 'The Finest Hours'

19th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Volunteer lifeboat crew from three RNLI stations in Dublin were in Dundrum on Wednesday evening (17 February) for the Irish gala screening of Disney's latest action film The Finest Hours. Volunteers Gerry Canning and Eoin Kelly from Skerries…

Galway Lifeboat Gets Tech Upgrade

16th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Galway's inshore lifeboat has had a €100,000 upgrade, as the Connacht Tribune reports. The Atlantic 85 RIB has been kitted out with some of the latest in lifesaving technology – and all of it was funded by public…

Newcastle Lifeboat Rescues Four After Angling Boat Gets Into Difficulty

16th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Newcastle RNLI rescued four people on Saturday night (13 February) after their angling boat got into difficulty off the Co Down coast. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 7.30pm on Saturday following a…

Lough Ree Charity Cycle Returns To Raise Funds For Local Lifeboat

9th February 2016 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI has announced its Lap of Lough Ree charity cycle will take place on Sunday 6 March. As it has for the past two years, the cycle will start and finish at The Bounty at Buccaneers…

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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