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RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland
The new lifeboat station at Arranmore RNLI
Arranmore RNLI has been having a busy time responding to emergency call-outs, organising the official opening of the new boathouse, saying goodbye to the coxswain after 51 years of service welcoming a new coxswain and five new crew members. From…
Daniel Whelan is Clifden RNLI’s newest coxswain
Clifden RNLI’s call-out on Wednesday evening (14 August) for a medevac from Inishbofin was the first under the command of Daniel Whelan, since his passing out as coxswain a few weeks ago. Chris Nee also served as mechanic for the…
The Ballycotton RNLI's all-weather Trent class lifeboat, The Austin Lidbury with the broken down yacht alongside
The Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat launched on Thursday, 15th August, after receiving a distress call from the skipper of a yacht. The vessel, which was en route from Wexford to Schull in West Cork, had suffered engine failure just a mile…
Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat passes Ardnakinna Lighthouse, located on Bere Island, County Cork, at the western entrance to Castletownbere on its way to assist a fishing vessel with a damaged propellor
The Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat was called into action on Tuesday morning, August 13th, to aid a fishing vessel in distress located 18 miles southwest of the major West Cork fishing port. The Valentia Coastguard Maritime Coordination Rescue Centre requested assistance…
The Crosshaven RNLI crew pass Roches Point at the entrance to Cork Harbour
On the evening of August 13th, the Coast Guard received a distress call from Roberts Cove, reporting a person in an inflatable dinghy waving for help. The Crosshaven RNLI volunteer crew in Cork Harbour, consisting of Warren Forbes, Gary Heslin, Caoimhe…
Rosslare Harbour RNLI brings the yacht safely under tow to Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Harbour RNLI, the Irish Coast Guard’s Rescue 117 helicopter crew from Waterford and a fishing boat crew came to the aid of two people onboard a yacht which was taking on water in heavy seas 20 miles south-east of…
Wicklow all-weather lifeboat RNLB Bridie O’Shea responded to two separate incidents involving vessels in distress at the weekend
Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat volunteers were called to action over the weekend to respond to two separate incidents involving vessels in distress. The first incident took place on Saturday, August 10th, when both lifeboats were launched to investigate reports of a…
Portaferry RNLI received a cheque for £3,700 from Killyleigh Yacht Club
Portaferry RNLI welcomed members of Killyleagh Yacht Club to the boathouse on Northern Ireland’s Ards Peninsila last week to present a cheque for £3,700 to help power the station’s lifesaving work at sea. The money was raised during the club’s annual…
A scene from 2023’s Emergency Services Open Day in Bundoran
Bundoran RNLI’s volunteers will once again team up with their emergency services colleagues to host the annual Emergency Services Open Day at the pier in Bundoran on Sunday 25 August from 1pm to 4pm. The popular free event, which attracts…
Enniskillen RNLI approaches the jet ski reported in difficulty near Lusty Beg
Enniskillen RNLI’s inshore lifeboat, the John and Jean Lewis, was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard at 5.51pm on Thursday last (1 August) following reports that a jet skier had got into difficulty close to Lusty Beg. The weather…
The scroll is visiting every lifeboat station in a relay-style event, and Saturday 10 August was the turn of Carrybridge on Lough Erne
On Saturday 10 August, RNLI representatives from Carrybridge RNLI in Northern Ireland, including from the retail and fundraising branch as well as the station’s water safety officer took part in the next stage of the RNLI’s ‘Connecting our Communities’ relay-style…
Skerries RNLI approaching an adult and two children on a paddle board on Friday 9 August
Skerries RNLI volunteers responded to incidents involving inflatable paddle boards last Wednesday (7 August) and Friday (9 August), bringing three adults and four children to safety. On Wednesday, shortly after 3pm, Dublin Coast Guard received a 999 call from a…
File image of Newcastle RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat
Newcastle RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Leonard Kent was launched on Thursday evening (8 August) after the coastguard received a request for assistance from a yacht which had suffered engine failure. The volunteer crew were requested to launch at around 7.10pm following…
Achill Island RNLI all-weather lifeboat
Achill Island RNLI were requested by the Irish Coast Guard to assist with the medical evacuation of a teenage boy from Clare Island in the early hours of Saturday, 10th August. The call-out was the third medevac from the Island…
RNLI fundraising volunteers at the Kinsale Regatta 5 Mile Road Race
Kinsale RNLI is set to benefit from fundraising activities taking place in the month of August. The money raised through these events will go to fund the lifeboat charity’s search and rescue work. This year, the RNLI is celebrating 200…
A final farewell for John Griffin Snr and some of his fellow crew members as he retires from Youghal RNLI
Lifeboat operations manager John Griffin Snr has retired from Youghal RNLI after 34 years of saving lives at sea. On Saturday 22 June, John was was joined by his friends and family for a very special event held in the…

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.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

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

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.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

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

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

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.

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.

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.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

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

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020