RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Bangor Lifeboat Launched To Search For Missing Vessel

15th March 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - RNLI Bangor's lifeboat launched at 7.55pm last night (Saturday 14 March) to search for a missing 12ft RIB with two persons on board after the alarm was raised by Belfast Coastguard. Within minutes of the rescue pagers being…

Charity Cycle For Lough Ree Lifeboat

10th March 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI held a press launch on Saturday (7 March) to announce their upcoming Lap of Lough Ree charity cycle, which will take place on Sunday 29 March. The cycle will start and finish at The Bounty,…

Arklow Lifeboat's Sunday Afternoon Launch To Fishing Vessel

9th March 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Arklow's RNLI lifeboat Ger Tigchleaar was launched within minutes in response to a call for help from a local fishing vessel yesterday afternoon (Sunday 8 March). The vessel had suffered engine failure and was without navigation ability approximately…

Newcastle Lifeboat Men Receive RNLI Awards for Service to Saving Lives at Sea

9th March 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – Two long-serving Newcastle RNLI volunteers have received awards from the charity for their tireless work and dedication to saving lives at sea. Deputy Launching Authority Joe McClelland and All Weather lifeboat crewmember William Wilson were presented with the…

No Time To Lose As Clogherhead Trawler Sunk Without Trace

2nd March 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - RNLI Magazine revisits the fateful day last summer off Co Louth when a fishing trawler went under in a matter of minutes. Despite the clear day and calm seas, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the razor clam boat…

Clifden Lifeboat Tows Fishing Vessel To Safety Off Connemara

27th February 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Clifden RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was launched on Friday last (20 February) to go to the aid of a fishing boat in difficulty off the Connemara coast. The alarm was raised around 11.30am when the 35ft fishing vessel reported…

84% of Lifejackets Brought to RNLI at Angling Show Found to Have Safety Issues

24th February 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifejackets – At the recent (21 and 22 Feb 2015) Angling Ireland Show 2015, 367 anglers from all over Ireland visited the RNLI stand for lifesaving tips and sea safety advice, and to avail of the free lifejacket clinic. Out…

Wicklow Lifeboat In Lunchtime Callout To Fishing Vessel

16th February 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Annie Blaker launched just before 1pm yesterday (Sunday 15 February) to assist a fishing vessel with mechanical problems north of the harbour. The skipper of the fishing vessel, which was approaching Wicklow, made contact…

Three Fishermen Rescued by Rosslare Harbour RNLI & Local Fishing Vessel After Boat Sinks

11th February 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifeboat – Volunteer lifeboat crew with Rosslare Harbour RNLI launched at 12.15pm this afternoon (Wednesday 11 February) to a Mayday from a sinking 10 metre fishing vessel located a mile and a half from Rosslare Harbour. The lifeboat crew pulled…

Portrush Lifeboat Crew Hold 'SOS Day' Swim For 2015

4th February 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Portrush RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew held their annual SOS Day swim on Saturday 31 January. SOS Day is the annual RNLI crew fundraising day and stations all over the country host innovative and novel ways of fundraising incorporating…

Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat on Standby Following Aircraft 'Pan-Pan' Radio Call

2nd February 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifeboat – Kilrush RNLI on the Shannon Estuary was put on standby yesterday following a Pan-Pan urgency on board a small aircraft while on approach to Shannon airport. An alert was received from Valentia Coast Guard yesterday afternoon at 3.06pm…

Ireland's RNLI Lifeboats Rescued More Than 1,400 People In 2014

28th January 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Ireland's RNLI lifeboat crews launched 1,089 times in 2014, bringing 1,414 people to safety. And the lifesaving charity is calling for the public to think ahead and never underestimate the strength and power of the sea and inland…

Bundoran Lifeboat Crew Named Emergency Response Team Of The Year

26th January 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI's lifeboat received the Emergency Response Team of the Year award at a ceremony on Saturday night (24 January). The 2015 Community and Council Awards celebrated by LAMA (Local Authority Members Association) took…

Wicklow Lifeboats Respond To Multiple Callouts

26th January 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched shortly after 5.30pm yesterday evening (Sunday 25 January) to investigate a reported floating object drifting near the shore opposite the Murrough Carpark. The lifeboat was on scene three minutes after launching and began…

Lifeboat Rescues Man From Howth Harbour

26th January 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Howth RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched at 5.30am yesterday morning (Sunday 25 January) to reports of man in the water in Howth Harbour. The lifeboat crew launched in minutes after a passer-by raised the alarm, locating the casualty just…

Newcastle RNLI Lifeboat Gets First Call Out to Irish Sea Fishing Vessel

25th January 2015 RNLI Lifeboats

#lifeboat – Volunteer lifeboat crew at Newcastle RNLI were called out last Wednesday after a distress call from a fishing vessel in the Irish Sea. The All Weather Lifeboat crew were tasked by Belfast Coastguard to assist Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat…

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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