Crowds tuned out in Dun Laoghaire this afternoon for the RNLI Station Open Day on the Carlise Pier. Lifeboat tours ran from 11.30am to 4pm.

The Irish Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 116 landed on the Carlisle Pier in an SAR demonstration as part of the Open Day festivities.

Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit and the RNLI Sea Safety Roadshow were also in attendance. 

Above and below: The Coastguard Heli 116 landed on the Carlise Pier as part of Dun Laoghaire RNLI's annual Open Day Photo: Afloat.ie

Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit were in attendance Photo: Afloat.ie

Youngsters enjoyed getting onboard Dun Laoghaire's inshore lifeboat at today's Open Day Photo: Afloat.ie

Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport is inviting nominations in respect of the National Marine Gallantry and Meritorious Service Awards 2016. The purpose of this awards scheme is to recognise outstanding acts of courage, heroism, skill and initiative in the context of marine emergency incidents. The scheme also recognises exceptional dedication to duty in the execution of Ireland’s marine emergency response. The Marine Gallantry award is presented in the form of a medal (called the Michael Heffernan Medal for Marine Gallantry, in memory of an individual who lost his life during a marine incident a number of years ago). Three levels of medal may be awarded, based on the level of gallantry involved. The medal is awarded in gold, silver or bronze.

A second award, Marine Meritorious Service Medal, may be awarded where outstanding meritorious service has been provided to, or within the remit of, the Irish Coast Guard. The person must have demonstrated exceptional dedication to duty, coupled with skill and initiative, in the execution of the service being provided.

A Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation may be awarded for meritorious service where outstanding dedication to duty over a career of service can be demonstrated, or for an act of particular meritorious dedication, showing skill and initiative, but which is not of an order for receipt of a Meritorious Service Medal.

The National Marine Gallantry and Meritorious Service Awards Committee is chaired by Mr Bryan Dobson of RTE. Members of the Committee include representatives of the following, the Irish Sailing Association, Irish Water Safety, Irish Harbour Masters Association, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport as well as other independent members. The National Marine Gallantry and Meritorious Awards Committee will adjudicate upon the nomination received.

The first award ceremony took place in February 1999 and the awards ceremony was last held on 23rd October 2014. In this round of Awards, nominations may be considered in respect of events occurring during the period 31st August 2014 to 31st August 2016.

Details of the Awards scheme, including nomination form, are available on the Department’s website www.dttas.ie/maritime/english/marine-awards. Completed nomination forms should be submitted by Friday 9th September 2016. The submission should be comprehensive and include all relevant information (e.g. eye-witness statements, official reports, maps, charts, photographs, newspaper cuttings etc.).

2014 Award Recipients
Mr Tony McNamara and Mr. Patrick McNamara - Marine Ministerial Letters of Appreciation for Meritorious Service
Mr Ben Graham, Mr David Grant and Mr. Alexander May - Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service
Drogheda Coast Guard Unit - Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service
Mr Michael O’Regan and the crew of the Goleen Coast Guard Unit - Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service
Mr Jim Griffin – Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service
Mr Damien Dempsey – Marine Ministerial Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service
Mulroy Coast Guard Unit – Michael Heffernan Bronze Medal for Marine Gallantry

#RNLI - Wicklow's all-weather lifeboat Annie Blaker launched at 7.30am yesterday morning (Saturday 3 September) to assist a fishing vessel four miles offshore.

The RNLI lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Nick Keogh, was alongside the stricken vessel 18 minutes after launching.

After a quick assessment, the 12m whelk trawler with three crew was found to have gearbox failure and unable to motor back to port.

Weather conditions in the area at the time saw a sea state slight with rain and fair visibility.

Once a towline was established, the trawler was taken back to Wicklow Harbour, where the volunteer crew secured the fishing vessel safely alongside the south quay by 8.40am.

A new Atlantic 85 lifeboat for Youghal RNLI is to be officially named Gordon and Phil during a ceremony at the lifeboat station in the Cork seaside resort town at 1pm on Saturday 10 September. The lifeboat which went on service in April was funded through a legacy from the late Gwenda Bull, a native of Brighton in East Sussex, England, who was a supporter of the charity’s volunteers in saving lives at sea.

Prior to her death at the age of 82 in 2013, Gwenda who lived near Shoreham lifeboat station which she visited regularly said in a letter that her family had always appreciated the RNLI: ‘Our family has always admired the wonderful work that the RNLI is doing…I live very near to a station and often visit them, I think you all do a wonderful job.’

Miss Bull who previously funded various equipment for Shoreham RNLI, including a fuel tank storage, the inshore lifeboat slipway, floodlighting, a maroon launcher and an engine for the D class lifeboat, kindly funded the purchase of a new inshore lifeboat, to be named Gordon and Phil in memory of her parents.

Miss Bull was happy for the lifeboat to go on station wherever it would be of most benefit around the coast, so her funds were used to purchase the new B class lifeboat at Youghal Lifeboat station.

Miss Bull’s wish to have a lifeboat named in memory of her parents will be granted when eight-year-old local girl Izzy O’Connell and Albert Muckley, Youghal RNLI Deputy Launching Authority officially name the lifeboat at the station next Saturday

Fergus Hopkins, Youghal RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘This is a very special occasion for our lifeboat station and we are most grateful to the late Gwenda Bull for her generous legacy which has funded this lifeboat, Gordon and Phil. Last year Youghal RNLI launched 12 times and rescued 10 people and we know the new Atlantic 85 lifeboat will continue to assist our volunteer crew as they go about their lifesaving work.’

Youghal RNLI was established in 1857 although Youghal’s first pulling lifeboat was put on service in 1839.

A lifeboat was built for the Harbour Trustees in 1839 by Taylor of Limehouse, the cost of £76 being met by local subscription. A tragedy had occurred Youghal in the previous year, when a hired passage boat carrying 33 people capsized on 18 February 1838, with the resultant loss of 12 lives.

In 1857 a lifeboat house was constructed by the RNLI at Green Hole in Youghal before a new lifeboat house was constructed at the Mall in Youghal in 1876.
This boathouse which had been much altered over 125 years for various classes of lifeboat, was demolished in Autumn 2001 to make way for a new station. A new Atlantic 75 boathouse was completed in September 2002 when Patricia Jennings, was placed on service and remained until April when he was replaced by the new Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Gordon and Phil.

During her 13 years in Youghal, Patricia Jennings launched 175 times with its crews saving nine lives and rescuing 233 people.

Fast, manoeuvrable and reliable, the B class operates in rough weather conditions, capable in daylight up to force seven and at night, to force six winds.

The new lifeboat, an Atlantic 85 is the latest version of the B class, introduced into the fleet in 2005. She is powered by two 115horsepower engines and has a stronger hull and greater top speed than her predecessor. The added radar allows the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility and she also has VHF direction-finding equipment.
The vessel also has a manually operated self-righting mechanism which combined with inversion-proofed engines keep the lifeboat operational even after capsize. The lifeboat can also be beached in an emergency without causing damage to its engines or steering gear.

The Atlantic 85 carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and flares for night-time operations.

The RNLI is a charity which relies on voluntary contributions and legacies.

A new Atlantic 85 lifeboat for Crosshaven RNLI is to be officially named John and Janet during a ceremony at the Cork lifeboat station at 2pm on Sunday 11 September.

The lifeboat which went on service in June this year was funded by an anonymous donor. Afloat.ie's Tom MacSweeney will represent the donor at the naming ceremony and service of dedication and will officially hand the lifeboat into the care of the RNLI.

The lifeboat will be named by Paddy Crowley, son of the late Con, a long serving and much loved helm at Crosshaven RNLI who died suddenly last year.

Last year, Crosshaven RNLI launched 42 times and rescued 50 people. The new lifeboat replaces Miss Betty, the station’s first permanent lifeboat, which was on service in Crosshaven since the station was formally established 14 years ago.

Speaking ahead of next week’s event, Patsy Fegan, Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘The naming ceremony and service of dedication is a very special occasion for our lifeboat station and we are grateful to the anonymous donor who funded our new lifeboat. Since the lifeboat went on service in June, it has launched 17 times and rescued 34 people.’

Fast, manoeuvrable and reliable, the B class operates in rough weather conditions, capable in daylight up to force seven and at night, to force six winds.

The new lifeboat, an Atlantic 85 is the latest version of the B class, introduced into the fleet in 2005. She is powered by two 115horsepower engines and has a stronger hull and greater top speed than her predecessor. The added radar allows the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility and she also has VHF direction-finding equipment.
The vessel also has a manually operated self-righting mechanism which combined with inversion-proofed engines keep the lifeboat operational even after capsize. The lifeboat can also be beached in an emergency without causing damage to its engines or steering gear.

The Atlantic 85 carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and flares for night-time operations.

The RNLI first established Queenstown Lifeboat Station in 1866, following several wrecks with loss of life off Cork Harbour. However, the first record of a lifeboat in Cork Harbour was as far back as 1825, one year after the founding of the Institution.
Since the closure of Queenstown in 1920, many attempts were made to site a lifeboat in the harbour.

Based on the level of activity in the area, the availability of crew and temporary facilities, a decision was taken to place an Atlantic 21 on evaluation for 12 months in 2000 before the RNLI declared the station a permanent facility in 2001.

Miss Betty, the station’s first permanent lifeboat arrived in 2002 where she remained on service until June this year.

The RNLI is a charity which relies on voluntary contributions and legacies.

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat in Cork Harbour was requested to launch yesterday evening at 9.45pm to reports of a speedboat broken down and adrift approximately one km south west of Trabolgan.

In calm conditions with a slight sea,the volunteer crew, under the command of Alan Venner with Ian Venner, Aoife Dinan and Vince Fleming on board headed to the area at best speed.

On arrival, the two anglers onboard the vessel had attempted remedial work with no results. The crew of the lifeboat then established a tow and landed the casualty at Crosshaven boatyard.

The lifeboat returned to station at 11.30pm and is currently being washed down and refuelled by the shore crew before being declared ready for service.

#RNLI - Donaghadee RNLI was called upon three times in the last week to assist vessels which got into difficulties off the coast of North Down.

The first callout was on Thursday 25 August after a yacht with five people aboard struck rocks at the South Briggs buoy in the Copeland Sound.

At the scene, the crew of the all-weather lifeboat Saxon established that no one was injured and the yacht was still seaworthy.

The volunteers and the lifeboat escorted the vessel to a safe harbour for full inspection of the damage to the hull. Conditions were calm.

Saturday 27 August also saw a fine and calm summer’s evening when a RIB with five aboard set off from Scotland for Bangor, but encountered engine failure in the middle of the North Channel as night began to fall.

An emergency call was made to Belfast Coastguard and the lifeboat was requested to respond. The drifting RIB was quickly located eight miles from the Scottish coast. A tow-line was secured and the helpless boat and passengers were in Bangor before last light.

Saxon and crew were called out again on Bank Holiday Monday yesterday to come to the rescue of a small fishing boat with one person aboard.

The eight-metre vessel suffered engine failure and began dragging its anchor in choppy conditions near rocks at Burial Island off Ballyhalbert.

The boat was towed to Portavogie for repairs by another vessel and the lifeboat escorted the pair safely to harbour.

Clifden RNLI rescued six people in two separate call outs off the Connemara coast last week.

On Friday afternoon, the volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather and inshore Atlantic 85 class lifeboats following a report that two people were in the water after their 6ft boat had ran aground and hit rocks.

The lifeboat helmed by Joe Acton and with crew members Dermott Clancy, Alvin Bell and Kenneth Flaherty onboard, launched within minutes and made its way to the scene on the south east side of Davillaun.

With a report that two people had entered the water, the Irish Coast Guard’s helicopter Rescue 118 from Sligo was also tasked and a pan-pan was put out to all vessels in the area to assist in the operation.

Weather conditions at the time were described as dry but blowing a Force 5-6 gale with a choppy sea and a good ground swell.

Clifden’s inshore lifeboat was the first vessel to arrive on scene where the crew observed that the two men had managed to get themselves on the rocks. They were cold and wet and holding on to their boat to keep it afloat.

Lifeboat crew member Alvin Bell was put onto the rocks where he assessed the casualties and ensured they were ok. With no injuries sustained he then proceeded to help them on to the lifeboat where they were further assessed and made comfortable. A towline was then set up and the casualty vessel was pulled off the rocks and brought alongside the lifeboat to prevent further damage.

Following an hour long tow, the two men and their vessel were brought safely back into Derryinver Pier.

Earlier in the week, the lifeboat was called upon on to assist the crew of a 35ft trawler that had got into difficulty on Clifden Bay.

The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 11.30am on Tuesday (23 August) after gear got tangled in the prop of the trawler resulting in no steerage and no propulsion.

The lifeboat helmed by Joe Acton and with crew members Alvin Bell, Kenneth Flaherty and Eoin Hayes onboard, made its way to scene where they worked with the four crew onboard to set up a towline.

Weather conditions were good with a flat calm sea. However, with the boat running against the tide, helm Joe Acton called on the assistance of Clifden’s D class inshore lifeboat which on arrival helped with the safe manoeuvre of the trawler into the quay at Clifden.

Speaking following the two call outs, Clifden RNLI helm Joe Acton said: ‘We were happy to be of assistance on both occasions last week. Friday’s call out was a bit more challenging following the initial report that two people were in the water but thankfully they had managed to make it on to rocks where they were waiting safe and well if not cold and wet following their ordeal.

‘We would encourage anyone taking to the sea for work or pleasure, to enjoy it but to always respect the water. Always wear a lifejacket and carry a means of calling and signalling for help. Always check the weather forecast and tide times. Make sure someone ashore knows where you are going and who to call if you don’t return on time. Learn how to start, run and maintain your engine before taking to the water.’

Lough Swilly RNLI lifeboat rescued a sheep this afternoon after it fell approximately 200 feet from a cliff in County Donegal.

The alarm was raised at 4.30pm today when three local fishermen spotted the animal stranded on a ledge in a ravine at Leenan Head with no means of escape.

The fishermen contacted Malin Head Coast Guard and Lough Swilly’s inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat was requested to launch.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a flat calm sea.

Once on scene, the volunteer lifeboat crew were met by the fishermen who pointed to where the distressed sheep was located. A kayaker who had also arrived on scene, first paddled in close to the cliff in an attempt to encourage the animal back up the hill.

With this failing to work, the lifeboat crew and the kayaker proceeded to enter the water and make their way towards the sheep where they safely caught her and gently placed her in the kayak before transferring her into the lifeboat.

Once onboard the lifeboat, the sheep was comforted by the crew and safely brought back to more familiar surroundings on shore.

Speaking following the call out, Joe Joyce, Lough Swilly RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said: ‘We think the young sheep had fallen about 200 feet and with nowhere to go she was shaking from her ordeal by the time we took her onboard the lifeboat. The RNLI is often called upon to rescue animals and we are always happy to assist not only to bring them to safety but also to ensure the safety of pet owners or farmers who may risk their own life in attempting to bring their animal safely back to shore.’

#RNLI - Ballycotton RNLI came to the rescue of an injured fisherman who got his hand cut when attempting to untangle a net this morning (Friday 26 August).

The volunteer crew launched their all-weather and inshore lifeboats at 8.30am after the man, who was fishing at Ardnahinch in East Cork, raised the alarm.

The fisherman had been attempting to untangle a net which had got caught in his boat’s propeller when he got into difficulty.

The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Eolan Walsh and with five crew members onboard, launched along with the station’s boarding boat with two crew members. Weather conditions at the time were described as good with moderate Force 3-4 south-westerly winds.

The lifeboats made their way to scene 1.5 nautical miles from Ballycotton, where the smaller boarding boat was able to gain good access to the casualty vessel.

A crew member went onboard the boat and assessed the fisherman before applying a bandage to his hand. The man was then transferred to the all-weather lifeboat and given further casualty care by crew member Claire McCarthy, who is also a nurse. The casualty was treated with no further medical assistance required.

As the all-weather lifeboat proceeded to bring the fisherman safely back to shore, the crew on the boarding boat worked to set up a towline before bringing the fisherman’s boat back to Ballycotton.

Speaking following the callout, Walsh said: "The fisherman did the right thing this morning and called for assistance when he found himself in difficulty and we would like to wish him a speedy recovery following his injury.

"We would encourage everyone whether they are using the sea for work or leisure to always respect the water. Always wear a lifejacket and carry a means of calling for helping and know how to use it should you get into trouble."