RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Skerries RNLI volunteers with their long-service awards

Skerries Lifeboat Volunteers Receive Long-Service Awards Totalling 190 Years

31st December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Over the course of 2021, volunteers with Skerries RNLI were presented with long-service awards totalling 190 years of volunteering with the charity that saves lives at sea. Due to restrictions on gatherings, the north Co Dublin lifeboat station was unable…

RNLI Partners With The Boat Race for 2022

29th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

The RNLI recently launched its partnership as the official charity partner of The Gemini Boat Race 2022, which is set for Sunday 3 April. Since 2002, the RNLI’s Chiswick lifeboat station has supported The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge…

Air Ambulance NI in the skies above a HM Coastguard search and rescue vehicle

Two Swimmers Rescued From Belfast Lough During Christmas Day Swim

27th December 2021 Rescue

Two open water swimmers who got into difficulty during their Christmas Day swim near Bangor in Northern Ireland have been praised for wearing kit that made it easier to find them. The pair were reported to be having problems in…

Rescue teams recover residents from their homes in flooded Bridgetown, Co Wexford on Christmas Day

Coastguard & Lifeboat Crews Called to Rescue People Trapped in Their Homes After Christmas Day Flooding in Wexford

27th December 2021 Rescue

Fethard RNLI joined Kilmore Quay’s coastguard unit in a multi-agency operation to rescue local residents trapped in their homes by heavy flooding on Christmas Day, according to RTÉ News. It’s reported that a number of people in the village of…

The short service at the end of the East Pier commemorated all lives lost around our coasts and on inland waters in 2021

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Christmas Eve Ceremony Marks 200th Anniversary of Four Crew Lost at Sea

24th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

The annual Dun Laoghaire RNLI Christmas Eve ceremony was held this afternoon to honour the memory of 15 lifeboat volunteers who died on service 126 years ago. This year’s ceremony also marked the 200th anniversary of the death of four…

File image of Wexford RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Wexford Lifeboat Crew Member With 10 Years’ Experience Is Ready to Take the Helm This Christmas

24th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteering for the RNLI is truly a family affair for lifeboat crews in Co Wexford. While Robbie Connolly is looking forward to his first Christmas on call since becoming a helm at Wexford RNLI earlier this year, his father-in-law Eugene…

From left: Simon Kidney, Matthew Nelson, Brian Sammon, John Sammon and Simon Carson are five of Carrybridge RNLI’s latest recruits

Father & Son Among New RNLI Crew Having First Christmas On Call on Lough Erne

24th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

A father and son from Bellanaleck are among eight new lifeboat crew members who will carry pagers for the first time this Christmas at Carrybridge and Enniskillen RNLI in Northern Ireland. As the RNLI continues its Christmas Appeal, Brian and…

Brother and sister Dominic and Cornelia Lyne with their father Nealie, all three volunteers with Valentia RNLI

Lifesaving a Family Affair for Valentia Siblings & Father This Christmas

23rd December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

A brother and sister who volunteer to save lives at sea with Valentia RNLI have called on the public to support the charity’s Christmas Appeal. Dominic and Cornelia Lyne will be on call, along with their colleagues at the Kerry…

Ania Skrzypczynska and Richard Nolan are two of the five new crew heading into their first Christmas on call with Lough Derg RNLI

First Christmas On Call for Five New Crew Members at Lough Derg RNLI

23rd December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

A busy mother of one is among five new volunteer crew members who will be on call for the first time this Christmas at Lough Derg RNLI. Polish native Ania Skrzypczynska is preparing to swap traditional festivities for the cold…

Mark Boyle holding his grandfather’s RNLI Gold Medal for Gallantry

Grandson of Donegal Coxswain Recognised for Gallantry During WWII Returns From Boston to Join Arranmore’s Lifesaving Crew

23rd December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

The grandson of a distinguished Donegal coxswain, who was awarded the RNLI’s Gold Medal for Gallantry for his role in the rescue of 18 crew on a Dutch steamer in 1940, has returned home from Boston to become the third…

Coastguard & RNLI Issue Safety Appeal to the Public for Christmas & New Year

23rd December 2021 Coastguard

The Coast Guard and RNLI are appealing to the public to exercise caution when participating in any activity on or near the water during the Christmas and New Year period, and to be mindful of the restrictions in place to…

From left: Rachel Wirtz, Yvette Carter, Reece Cawley, Caroline Collery and Noah Canham with Sligo Bay RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Five New Crew Members On Call for the First Time This Christmas at Sligo Bay RNLI

22nd December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

A busy mother of two young children is among five new volunteers who will be carrying pagers and on call for the first time this Christmas at Sligo Bay RNLI. As the charity continues its Christmas Appeal, Rachel Wirtz is…

File image of Lough Ree RNLI volunteers on a training exercise in Athlone

Lough Ree RNLI Is Open All Hours Over the Festive Period

20th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

At a time when business and contact hours are at the heart of the national conversation, Lough Ree RNLI is reminding everyone that the charity and its volunteer lifeboat crew remain on call 24/7 throughout Christmas and the New Year.…

Santa Claus returning to the mainland on the Rathlin Island Ferry

Santa Takes Ferry Back From Rathlin Island as Red Bay Lifeboat Crew Are Diverted to Trawler Rescue

20th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Santa Claus had to make his own way back from Rathlin Island yesterday afternoon (Sunday 19 December) after the volunteer lifeboat crew from Red Bay RNLI were diverted to go to the aid of a fishing trawler. The 25-metre trawler…

Arranmore lifeboat off the coast of Donegal

RNLI Investing in Donegal's Arranmore Island Lifeboat Station

19th December 2021 Tom MacSweeney

Many of my memories from fifty years of journalism in all sectors of the media, from local weekly newspapers, to national dailies, radio and television, involve lifeboat stations. In tragedy and celebration that has been the focus of coastal communities,…

John O’Toole with his wife Mary at home on Inishturk

Inishturk Islander Will Celebrate 89th Christmas at Home After Achill Island RNLI Medevac

18th December 2021 RNLI Lifeboats

Inishturk islander John O’Toole will enjoy his 89th Christmas at home with his wife Mary, his children and grandchildren in the coming weeks. He and his family won’t take this for granted. however, since John spent several weeks in hospital…

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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