RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Two On Grounded Cruiser

27th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI's lifeboat launched last night (Saturday 26 July) to assist two people on board a cruiser aground at Drominagh, at the northern end of Lough Derg. Valentia Coast Guard requested the launch at 9.45pm and the…

Capsized Yacht Crew Rescued By Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat off Cork Coast

26th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – Lifeboat crew at Ballycotton RNLI launched this afternoon (Saturday 26 July 2014) after the alarm was raised by a local ferry that a yacht with two people onboard had capsized 300 metres from Ballycotton Lighthouse off the Cork…

Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Launches to Assist Sinking Motor Boat

26th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats launched at 1.40pm (Saturday 26 July) this afternoon after a small boat with four occupants sank eight miles north east of Wicklow harbour. The 17ft motor boat with two adults and two young children…

Wicklow Lifeboats Rescue Five From Grounded Vessel

25th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats launched after 4.15pm yesterday afternoon (Thursday 24 July) to assist a vessel aground near Travelahawk beach south of Wicklow Harbour. The alarm was raised after the owner of a motor boat put out a…

Wicklow Inshore Lifeboat Rescues Sheep Trapped In Cave

25th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon (23 July) to rescue a sheep trapped in a cave and in danger of drowning as the tide rose. Two attempts had already been made to recover the…

Howth RNLI Lifeboat Rescue Four After Boat Takes On Water Off Ireland's Eye

25th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – Lifeboat crew at Howth RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat yesterday afternoon (Thursday 24 July) at 12.17pm following a call to the Coast Guard from a member of the public reporting that a boat with four people onboard was…

Portaferry Lifeboat Assists Family On Stranded Yacht

22nd July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI received a request to launch their inshore lifeboat at 10.40am this morning (22 July) to the aid of a family on board a stranded yacht. The lifeboat launched at 10.47am and arrived at the scene just…

Newlyweds' Surprise Gift To Crosshaven Lifeboat

20th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - In a first for Crosshaven RNLI, the volunteer crew welcomed newly married couple Kieran Geasley and Patricia Lenihan to the Cork Harbour lifeboat station. Geasley, a commercial fishing skipper from Cobh and a former RNLI volunteer at Dunmore East, and…

Crosshaven RNLI LIfeboat Assist in Cliff Fall Rescue

18th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli - Crosshaven lifeboat volunteers were tasked by Valentia Coastguard to reports of a young man with leg injuries near Power Head this afternoon. The pagers were activated at midday and the lifeboat under helm Vincent Fleming with Aiden O'Connor…

Howth, Wicklow Lifeboats Aid Vessels With Engine Troubles

18th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Howth RNLI continued a busy week of callouts on Wednesday evening (16 July) when the volunteer crew launched to assist a 27ft motorboat with no power drifting in the vicinity of the Nose of Howth. The crew was…

Bundoran Lifeboat Helps Six Teenagers Trapped By Tide

18th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Last night (17 July) the volunteer crew of the Bundoran RNLI lifeboat were paged by Malin Head Coast Guard to the aid of six teenagers who had been cut off by the tide at the West End of…

Portaferry & Bangor Lifeboats Spring Into Action For Search & Rescue Callouts

15th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI launched its inshore lifeboat yesterday afternoon (14 July) to the aid of a man who had suffered a head injury in one of the races during Portaferry Sailing Club’s annual regatta. The lifeboat launched at 2.36pm…

Busy Three Days For Dublin Lifeboats In Howth & Skerries

15th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Howth RNLI rescued a party of tourists yesterday afternoon (Monday 14 July) after the passenger boat they were on got into difficulty on the north side of Ireland’s Eye. The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted at 3.25pm following…

Lough Ree Lifeboat In Two Weekend Callouts To Grounded Cruisers

15th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI aided 10 people in two separate callouts over the weekend. The first call came just before 7pm on Saturday (12 July) following a report that two craft vessels had ran aground on the east shore…

Arklow Lifeboat Crew Boot World Cup Final To Assist Stricken Pleasure Craft

14th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s volunteers gave the World Cup final the boot last night (Sunday 13 July) to respond to a pleasure craft in difficulty with three people on board. Most of the lifeboat crew were settling down to watch the game…

Arranmore Lifeboat Rescues Two From Drifting Punt

11th July 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Following last week's assisting of nine people in two separate yacht breakdown incidents, Arranmore RNLI were out again yesterday (10 July) to rescue a man and a woman from a 14ft punt off the Donegal coast. The volunteer…

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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