#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI’s lifeboat crew were alerted by the Irish Coast Guard on Monday morning (8 May) when four people and their dog on board a 40ft motor cruiser ran aground on the Long Shoal near the eastern shore of Lough Ree.

The alarm was raised just after 10.30am and shore crew Tony Diskin, Matt Harte, Billy Henshaw and Denis Buckley responded quickly, reading The Eric Rowse for launch in less than 15 minutes with first responders Denis Begley, Stan Bradbury and Emmet Devereaux on board.

A short time later, the lifeboat crew was alongside the casualty vessel, checking that all on board were uninjured and wearing lifejackets.

Weather conditions the time were dry and sunny, with a Force 3 easterly breeze and a slight swell on the lake.

After checking that the motor cruiser was not taking on water, a tow line was established and the vessel was safely towed to deeper navigable water, from where its proceeded under its own power north towards Lanesboro.

Speaking after the callout, Lough Ree RNLI volunteer Denis Begley reminded cruisers on Lough Ree and other inland navigations to consult their charts regularly for rocky places like the Long Shoal in otherwise deep navigable areas.

Ballycotton RNLI launched in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday 10 May) to assist in the medical evacuation of a fisherman 20 miles south of Ballycotton Lighthouse.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat by the Irish Coast Guard at 12.33am.

The lifeboat under Coxswain Eolan Walsh and with six crew members onboard launched to meet the fishing vessel which had five crew members onboard and was making its way to Ballycotton.

The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford was also tasked.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a easterly Force 1-2 wind blowing.

Arriving at 1.20am, two lifeboat crew members were immediately put on board the casualty’s vessel where they proceeded to assess the man and administer casualty care.

The man was then transferred onto the lifeboat and brought back to Ballycotton where he was transferred into care of a waiting ambulance crew on the pier.

Speaking following the call out, Ballycotton RNLI Coxswain Eolan Walsh said: ‘We were glad the fishermen, all of whom were wearing lifejackets, were able to raise the alarm when one of their crew members began to feel unwell and required medical assistance. We would like to wish the man a speedy recovery following his ordeal early this morning.

‘As we approach the summer months, we would remind anyone taking to the sea to always carry a means of calling for help or signalling should you need assistance. It is also important to let someone on the shore know when you set sail and when you are due back.’

#RNLI - A week of engine troubles around the Irish coast continued yesterday morning (Tuesday 9 May) when Baltimore RNLI went to the aid of a fishing boat on passage from France to Kerry.

The lifeboat launched to the vessel at 7.10am, taking it under tow to Baltimore where it was brought alongside the pier at 10.40am.

The crew on the lifeboat call were coxswain Aidan Bushe, mechanic Cathal Cottrell, Colin Whooley, Don O’Donovan, Jerry Smith, Kieran Collins and David Ryan.

Yesterday’s callout came after Skerries RNLI launched to a motor boat in difficulty off Rockabill on Sunday, and the Rosslare Harbour lifeboat assisted a motor yacht off the Wicklow coast last Wednesday.

#Swimming - This year’s Dunmore East RNLI Open Water Swim sponsored by Activate and Lidl will take place on Saturday 20 May.

Entry is €25 for any of three swims over distances of 1600m, 800m and a junior swim of 500m, starting at 12.30pm from the slip behind Waterford Harbour Sailing Club in Dunmore East.

“We had such a successful event last we are really looking forward to this year’s event,” said Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat crew member Neville Murphy.

“We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country with a stunning coastline, and it is the perfect location for this type of event.

“Let’s hope the weather is as good as last year and we have as many participants, which in turn will help us raise funds for the RNLI and their lifesaving work.”

This year’s event promised a fun-filled family atmosphere with balloon making, face painting and much more children’s entertainment, and a BBQ for swimmers and their supporters alike.

All prizegiving will take place at the newly refurbished Waterford Harbour Sailing Club after the completion of all three swims, with music entertainment will be provided by DJ Frankie McAvoy.

For more information about the Dunmore East RNLI Open Water Swim and to register online, go to www.athleticstiming.com.

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI assisted a motor boat with two men aboard that was experiencing engine difficulties at Rockabill Lighthouse on Sunday afternoon (7 May).

Dublin Coast Guard tasked Skerries RNLI shortly after 12.30pm after receiving a call from a motor boat that was having difficulty getting their engine to start.

The lifeboat was launched with volunteer Philip Ferguson at the helm and crewed by Paddy Dillon, Steven Johnson and JP Tanner.

They proceeded on a course to Rockabill, and once on scene they located a 5m motor boat with two men on board that had become entangled in a lobster pot.

Following some troubleshooting advice from the lifeboat helm, a former RNLI mechanic, the men managed to successfully restart the engine. The lifeboat then stood by while they tested that everything was running smoothly.

With the men happy to be on their way again, the lifeboat returned to base and was made ready for the next call out.

Lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: “Sometimes, even though you are fully prepared you can just be unlucky. In this case their luck changed quickly as Philip used his experience to get them moving again. Our volunteers are always ready to help in whatever way they can.”

#Missing - Police Scotland confirmed that two bodies were recovered from the Irish Sea in the search for a speedboat missing off the Scottish coast, according to Yachting & Boat World.

RNLI lifeboats and coastguard volunteers from Northern Ireland were involved in the search for the speedboat and its two occupants off Dumfries and Galloway, as reported yesterday on Afloat.ie.

#Missing - RNLI lifeboats from Bangor and Donaghadee have joined the search for a speedboat with two men missing off the Scottish coast, as BBC News reports.

Coastguard volunteers from Bangor are also part of the emergency operation launched last night (Saturday 6 May) when the two men failed to return to Port Logan in Dumfries and Galloway.

Searches for the missing vessel, thought to be an 18ft black Fletcher speedboat, are concentrated off the Mull of Galloway for the time being.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

At a special ceremony held yesterday (Saturday 6 May), Wicklow RNLI officially named its new D class lifeboat, Dennis-Audrey.

David Delamer, chair of the RNLI Council in Ireland, accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI before handing her over into the care of Wicklow Lifeboat Station.

The funding for the new lifeboat came from Gladys Audrey Deakin, known as Audrey, who lived in Coventry, and left her residuary estate to the RNLI.

Audrey and her late husband Dennis loved holidays by the sea and were impressed by the work of the charity’s volunteers. It was their dream that their bequest be used to fund a lifeboat and that it would be named after them.

Wicklow RNLI performs a simulated exercise on the new lifeboat for well-wishers at the end of the naming ceremony and service of dedication for the D class Dennis-Audrey.

The couple were represented at the ceremony by Audrey’s solicitor Michelle Gavin who handed the lifeboat to the RNLI.

In his address, Mr Delamer said that one may be forgiven for thinking that we knew little about Audrey as Michelle’s relationship with her began posthumously as executor of her will.

‘But,’ he continued, ‘we know a great deal about her through one simple action; she has provided us with this life-saving vessel. That vessel has found a home here in Wicklow and will go on to save many lives and bring countless loved ones home. That one fact says a great deal indeed about Audrey and we will remember her for her generosity and her humanitarianism for many years to come.’

Phylis Whyte, former chair of the Wicklow RNLI fundraising branch had the honour of officially naming the lifeboat during the ceremony.

Des Davitt, Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said the naming ceremony and service of dedication was a wonderful occasion in the history of the lifeboat station, and paid tribute to the generosity of Dennis and Audrey Deakin.

Speaking following the ceremony he said: ‘This new craft which will be housed and work alongside our all-weather lifeboat, gives our volunteer crew the power, equipment and rescue platform they need to keep those who use the sea safe.

Wicklow RNLI female crew members Carol Flahive, Amy O’Neill, Brid Seoighe, Lisa O’Leary and Deputy Launching Authority Mary Aldridge.

‘Every rescue is powered by our generous supporters, people like Dennis and Audrey. Their kind and selfless gift will help ensure we in Wicklow are ready for the next call, wherever and whenever it comes. For that, the RNLI and everyone at Wicklow lifeboat station will be forever grateful to them.

Mr Davitt paid tribute to the volunteers at Wicklow RNLI saying it was they who would give the new boat life: ‘Their commitment and ongoing attendance for training means that they are highly proficient in the operation of both our lifeboats. Further testament of the dedication of the crew is their knowledge that they may risk their own lives in the service of others. There is nothing greater that a person could offer and they deserve nothing less than the best lifeboat, equipment and training that money can buy.’

He thanked the local fundraising branch too, for their untiring work and praised the generosity of the people of Wicklow and further afield for helping to raise funds to enable the station to continue to save lives at sea.

Wicklow RNLI lifeboat crew pictured alongside their new D class lifeboat Dennis-Audrey during the naming ceremony and service of dedication at Wicklow lifeboat station.

He added that while this was a time for celebration it was also a time to acknowledge the risks taken by all emergency service personnel in the service of others. A minutes silence was observed at the start of the ceremony in remembrance of five brave members of the Irish Coast Guard who lost their lives in the past year, Catriona Lucas, Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby.

Last year, Wicklow RNLI which also has an all-weather lifeboat launched 37 times and rescued 38 people. The all-weather Tyne class lifeboat Annie Blaker launched 21 times bringing 28 people to safety while the inshore lifeboat launched 16 times bringing 10 people to safety.

The new inshore lifeboat is replacing the Sheringham Shantymen, which was on service for 10 years at Wicklow RNLI. The lifeboat which was named after the Sheringham Shantymen was funded by money raised at their concerts. During its time in Wicklow, the lifeboat rescued 96 people, seven dogs and a farmer’s sheep.
First introduced into the RNLI fleet in 1963, the design of the inflatable D class lifeboat continues to evolve to meet changes in demand and technology.

It is the workhorse of the RNLI’s fleet and is ideal for working close inshore, near rocks or in shallow water in moderate conditions. It can be righted by the crew if it capsizes and is also part of the RNLI Flood Rescue Teams fleet of boats.

A highly manoeuvrable lifeboat, the D class can operate closer to shore than Wicklow’s all-weather lifeboat and comes into her own for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations - often close to cliffs, among rocks and even inside caves.

A lifeboat station was established in Wicklow in 1857. The first lifeboat was a 30ft rowing boat.

In 1911 the boathouse was adapted and the station’s first motor lifeboat, the first for Ireland, arrived.

In 1989, the boathouse was adapted once again and the slipway extended for the station's new Tyne class lifeboat. The adaptation to the boathouse included improved crew facilities and additional extensions for the refurbished winch and a souvenir sales outlet. The slipway was extended by 24 metres.

A D class lifeboat first went on service in Wicklow in 1995 with a new boathouse extension for housing the lifeboat completed in 1997.

A crowd of well-wishers turned up to see the lifeboat officially named with a bottle of champagne poured over the side of the boat by Phylis Whyte. Following the ceremony the crowd gathered around the harbour wall to see the lifeboat launch and watch as helm Alan Goucher, Connie O’Gara, Dean Mulvihill and Paul Sillery performed a simulated exercise.

Among the guests officiating at the ceremony were Judge Gerard Haughton, chair of the Lifeboat Management Group who welcomed guests and opened proceedings; Michelle Gavin, representative of the donor, who handed the lifeboat over to the RNLI, David Delamer, chair of the RNLI Council for Ireland, who accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI and handed her into the care of the lifeboat station and Des Davitt, Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, who accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station. A vote of thanks at the end was read out by Jill Clancy-Harold, Wicklow RNLI fundraising chair.

Father Donal Roche, parish priest, and Reverends Ken Ru and Jack Kinkead, led the Service of Dedication.

Sean Olohan and the Wicklow Swim for Life choir led the congregation in song

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI responded for the second time in 48 hours to a launch request yesterday evening (Thursday 4 May) to go to the aid of five men on board a 7m yacht experiencing difficulty on Strangford Lough.

The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat launched at 8.45pm for the reported location of the casualty, which was just north of Don O’Neill Island in Strangford Lough.

The lifeboat crew arrived on scene at 8.52pm in clear weather and good visibility, but with a Force 6 north-easterly was creating choppy sea conditions with a moderate two-metre swell.

The five men on the sailing boat had experienced some heavy going and though they were in no longer in any immediate danger, the lifeboat crew made the decision to escort them into the safe waters of Ringhaddy Sound.

Less than 48 hours previously, the Portaferry lifeboat crew launched to the aid of five men and two women stranded on two adjacent islands in Strangford Lough.

The group had been on a 6m cabin cruiser that started to experience electrical problems before they decided to beach the craft on Salt Island, after three of the party were put ashore on neighbouring Green Island.

The Portaferry Lifeboat crew arrived on scene at 11.22am, nine minutes after launch, and took on board the five people on Salt Island, taking them to Killyleagh before returning to Green Island for the remaining individuals.

At the time of the launch, the weather was sunny with very good visibility, a Force 3 easterly wind and calm sea conditions.

Commenting on the rescue, Portaferry RNLI lifeboat operations manager Brian Bailie said: “Once again all the hard work and hours invested in training has paid off with a happy ending to today’s rescue.

“With the start of the good weather and more and more craft taking to the water, it is increasingly important that everyone respects the water and makes all the necessary checks before going on the water.”

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI assisted three men onboard a yacht yesterday evening (Wednesday 3 May) after it got into difficulty off the Wicklow coast.

The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke and with six volunteer crew members onboard, launched at 6.40pm to the 13m yacht, which developed engine problems while travelling north.

The yacht’s progress was further hindered by the difficult weather conditions, with a strong north-easterly wind blowing Force 6-7.

After reaching the yacht off the Wicklow coast, the lifeboat crew proceeded to take it on tow and headed to the port of Arklow.

Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat, which had completed another callout at the time, met the vessels and was able to take over the tow, continuing on to Arklow.

Speaking after the callout, Rosslare Harbour RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Jamie Ryan praised the efforts of the volunteers who had to endure some challenging sea conditions.

“As we continue to enjoy the good weather and enter into the main boating season, we would remind all those taking to the sea over the summer months to respect the water.

“Always wear a lifejacket and always have a means for calling and signalling for help, ensuring everyone onboard knows how to use it.

“Always check the weather forecast and tide times and make sure someone ashore knows where you are going and who to call if you don’t return on time.”

The rescue came less than a week after Rosslare Harbour’s all-weather lifeboat went to the aid of a yacht with a broken mast off Tuskar Rock, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.