HRH The Duke of Kent officially opened the RNLI’s first permanent inland lifeboat station at Carrybridge this afternoon. 

The lifeboat station has been fully operational on Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh since March this year.

Officially declaring the lifeboat station open following a Service of Dedication, HRH The Duke of Kent paid tribute to the 40 volunteers at Enniskillen RNLI. He said it was always a pleasure to talk with those who give up their time to support lifesaving rescues and to those who carry them out.

‘They do it because they are courageous, selfless, trustworthy and reliable – they embody the values of the RNLI,’ he said. ‘They give freely and expect little in return.
Their actions serve as a heart-warming reminder that, today, there are people of all ages and backgrounds that are willing to make personal sacrifices in the name of saving lives. So I would like to thank all of the volunteers here, and their supportive families, for everything they do to support the RNLI’s lifesaving mission.’

The opening of the new boathouse comes 13 years after the station was first established on Upper Lough Erne. During those years the volunteer lifeboat crew was housed in temporary accommodation.

Tom Bailey, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Carrybridge said he was proud and pleased to accept the lifeboat station on behalf of the crew and station personnel:

‘In 2001, Enniskillen became home to the RNLI’s first inland lifeboat station based on Lower Lough Erne. Due to the overall size and complexity of the lough and its high leisure usage, the decision was taken by the RNLI in 2002 to base a second lifeboat on the Upper Lough here at Carrybridge that would work in conjunction with the original lifeboat station on the Lower Lough at Killadeas. With two bases, two inshore lifeboats and two rescue water craft, the station has since proved to be one of the busiest in Ireland. Last year alone, Enniskillen RNLI launched 59 times bringing 57 people to safety. Some 32 of those services were carried out in the dark while the crew spent 262 service hours on the water.’

When the RNLI was actively seeking a location for a new lifeboat station at Carrybridge, the late George Johnston kindly donated a site on his farmland which fronted the River Erne. He was remembered in the ceremony by Archie Birrell, chair of the Lough Erne Fundraising Branch: ‘None of this would have been possible without the generous donation of the very land that this station stands on, and for this we are incredibly thankful to the late George Johnston whose generosity has made all of this possible.’

The donation was gratefully accepted by the RNLI which then proceeded with the assistance of Mr Johnston’s children George and Anna who attended the opening ceremony, to obtain full planning permission to build the new station.

The build which took little over a year to complete was carried out by Omagh based Woodvale Construction and handed over to the RNLI on the 25 March.
In order to facilitate the project, the local community helped the charity raise £60,000 towards the cost.

The building is constructed with rendered blockwork walls, a zinc roof and Iroko timber main doors. It has been designed to complement the local architectural vernacular, with precedence being taken from the rural and agricultural structures which typify this area of County Fermanagh.

While traditional in appearance, the building includes some of the latest environmentally friendly technologies, including a ground source heat pump to provide low-carbon heat to the building as well as solar photo-voltaic panels which generate a portion of the building’s electrical demand. The lifeboat station is the RNLI’s first specially built inland waterways buildings and is something of a trailblazer in certain areas including background heating within the boathall itself to prevent vital fluids on the lifeboat freezing during cold winter periods.

The modern lifeboat station is located close to the lough to allow for an efficient launch of the inshore lifeboat and rescue water craft. It also houses the associated launching tractor and equipment, full crew changing facilities, a workshop, office and training room.

The Very Reverend Kenneth Hall, Dean of St Macartin’s Cathedral, Reverend TH Samuel McGuffin, Lakelands District Superintendent, Methodist Church in Ireland and The Right Reverend Monsignor Peter O’Reilly, St Michael’s Church, Enniskillen, led the Service of Dedication.

Among the platform party were Anna and George Johnston who handed over the boathouse into the care of the RNLI, David Delamer, Chairman of the RNLI Council for Ireland who accepted the lifeboat station on behalf of the RNLI, Tom Bailey, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Carrybridge who accepted the new building on behalf of Enniskillen RNLI and HRH The Duke of Kent who officially opened the lifeboat station. The platform party also included Sam McCreery, President of Enniskillen RNLI who opened proceedings, Archie Birrell, Chairman of the Lough Erne Fundraising Group, and Darren Byers, RNLI Divisional Operations Manager for Northern Ireland.

Four volunteer crew members at Dun Laoghaire RNLI have been recognised this week for their commitment to the charity that saves lives at sea.

Kieran O’Connell, Eamon O’Leary, Stuart Kane and David Branigan have collectively provided 120 years’ service to the RNLI. The four who continue to volunteer their time as crew, were presented with a Bar to Long Service badge in Dun Laoghaire last night.

Kieran O’Connell who is also station mechanic, started as a volunteer crew member at Youghal RNLI in County Cork in 1983 where he served both on the all-weather and Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboats. He became station mechanic in 1995 and later accepted the same full-time position in Dun Laoghaire in 1998 moving with his wife Mary and their two daughters. When not on call, Colley is a keen drummer and also has an active interest in his former occupation as a fisherman.

Eamon O’Leary was one of the first volunteer recruits at Dun Laoghaire RNLI when the original D class inshore lifeboat was placed on station in August 1985 on a trial basis before becoming fully operational on St Patrick’s Day 1986. He later became a crew member on the Waveney class all-weather lifeboat, the John F Kennedy and more recently was appointed Second Coxswain on the current all-weather lifeboat the Anna Livia. A fire officer by occupation at Dublin Airport, Eamon who is married to Mary, received a ‘Person of the Year’ award in 1990 for a rescue on Killiney Bay.

Stuart Kane was another of the 1985 recruits who served both on the inshore and all-weather lifeboats before the arrival of the Trent class all-weather lifeboat in 1995. He was a senior helm on the inshore lifeboat for several years before becoming second mechanic and more recently Deputy Second Coxswain on the all-weather lifeboat. Stuart is married to Sharon, a former crew member who joined Dun Laoghaire RNLI in 1985 also. Their son Craig is now a crew member, continuing three generations of lifeboat tradition in their family.

David Branigan is the last of the 1985 recruits who joined in August that year. David initially served on the inshore lifeboat including a period as a senior helm and later joining the all-weather lifeboat when the Anna Livia arrived in 1995. Like all RNLI volunteers, David attended the RNLI College in Poole and was appointed Deputy Second Coxswain on the all-weather lifeboat. A professional photographer and journalist, he is also the station’s lifeboat press officer. Married to Jennifer, they are expecting their first child next month.

Since 1985, lifeboats at Dun Laoghaire RNLI have launched 1,360 times with crews saving 157 lives and rescuing 1,151 more.

Speaking after presenting the four long service badges, Owen Medland, RNLI Divisional Operations Manager, said: ‘Most lifeboat crew members are volunteers who come from all walks of life and give up their time and comfort to save lives at sea. David, Stuart, Eamon and Collie respond at a moment’s notice when their pagers go off. They are regularly called away from their families, their beds and their work, any time of the day, any day in the year. In addition, over the last 30 years, they each have invested several hours to train and upskill. Their lifesaving work is essential, often difficult and sometimes dangerous but they each do it selflessly, with courage, bravery and dedication, and on behalf of the RNLI, I would like to thank them for that.’

Larne RNLI rescued two men in challenging conditions last night after their 14ft punt got lost in fog.

The volunteer crew was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat by Belfast Coastguard shortly after 8pm following a 999 call.

The men had got into difficulty when they became disorientated in the fog at Swan Island in Larne Lough.

Larne RNLI’s lifeboat helmed by Pamela Dorman immediately made its way to the scene in what were challenging conditions for the crew whose visibility was restricted to three metres.

Once the casualties were located and deemed not to be in any immediate danger, a tow was set up and the lifeboat proceeded to return the vessel and its crew to the safety of Larne Boat Club slipway.

Speaking following the call out, Larne RNLI helm Pamela Dorman said: ‘This was a particularly challenging call out this evening given the fog and the fact that our visibility was reduced to two to three metres. However, we are trained to deal with these situations and with the assistance of Belfast Coastguard and the casualties we were guided to the location and able to return the men safely to shore tonight. The casualties had made the correct decision to raise the alarm and request assistance when they got into difficulty. We would always urge anyone in distress to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’

A new D class lifeboat for Wexford RNLI is to be officially named Alfred William Newman during a ceremony at the lifeboat station in the town centre at 2pm tomorrow, Saturday 26 September. The lifeboat which went on service in June was funded by Alfred William Newman who, through a bequest in his Will, provided the D class lifeboat to enable crews to continue Wexford RNLI’s lifesaving service.

The RNLI which has strong links throughout Ireland with the Commissioner of Irish Lights has asked Chief Executive Yvonne Shields, to have the honour of naming the new lifeboat at the station during tomorrow’s event.

Nick Bowie, Wexford RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager is looking forward to the naming ceremony. He said: ‘As the Operations Manager here, it’s a proud and satisfying moment to see the crew get such a capable rescue water craft. As well as celebrating the naming of this lifeboat, this event gives us the chance to say a warm thank you to the donor, Alfred William Newman whose generous bequest funded the lifeboat.’

The RNLI formally established a lifeboat station in Wexford in 2002 but its lifeboating history goes back some 77 years prior to that.

The original Wexford Lifeboat Station, located at the Fort at the mouth of Wexford Harbour was opened in 1838. It had two lifeboats on station, one for the offshore waters and a smaller lifeboat for the shallower waters of the harbour. Severe storms decimated the Fort village and its linking causeway in 1925 and the larger lifeboat had to be temporarily stationed at Wexford Quay. She was eventually permanently re-stationed at Rosslare Harbour, leaving the local boating community in Wexford to deal with emergencies within their harbour.

Many years later in 1993, following the tragic drowning of Paddy Busher, a local group was mustered to establish Wexford Harbour Inshore Rescue as a declared maritime emergency resource for Wexford Harbour and their lifeboat was named Paddy Busher. In 2002 this service formally became part of the RNLI.

The D class lifeboat has been the workhouse of the RNLI’s lifesaving service for nearly 50 years. It is inflatable but robust; highly manoeuvrable and capable of operating much closer to shore than all-weather lifeboats. It is specifically suited to surf, shallow water and confined locations, often close to cliffs, among rocks or even in caves.

First introduced to the fleet in 1963, the design of the D class has continued to evolve since its introduction and the latest version was introduced in 2003. As with all D class lifeboats, the Alfred William Newman has a single 50hp outboard engine and can be righted manually by the crew after a capsize. Onboard equipment includes both fitted and hand-held VHF radios, night-vision equipment, and first aid kit, including oxygen.

The 5m lifeboat is tractor launched and has a 25knot maximum speed. It can carry up to three lifeboat crew and five survivors.

Volunteers, supporters and friends of Larne RNLI gathered this weekend at the East Antrim Boat Club to attend the official Naming Ceremony and Service of Dedication for the lifeboat station’s new D-class lifeboat Terry. The new inshore lifeboat was provided through the Pistol Benefit Fund, which was set up in memory of Frederick (Fred) and Theresa (Terry) Pistol and named Terry in memory of Fred’s beloved wife Theresa.

The Pistol Benefit Fund has its origins in Frederick Pistol’s incredible life. Fred came to the UK from Austria, as a 19-year old refugee fleeing the Holocaust. He arrived with nothing more than the clothes on his back and worked as a fitter until the Second World War started. He joined the army, eventually becoming a Major and returned to England in 1946 after serving abroad. He married Theresa (Terry) a concert pianist born in Westcliff-on-Sea and discovered a passion for sailing, one that has been passed down through the family. Every boat Fred bought was named Terry after his wife and Larne RNLI’s new D-class lifeboat now proudly bears the name.

Attending the ceremony were members of the Pistol family, who have supported the work of the RNLI for many years. Fred and Theresa’s son Neil and his wife Viveca were special guests along with their two sons, Ben and Josh and their friend Simon Perlmutter. Their daughter Gabriella was unable to attend as she is currently travelling but she was being kept up to date with the proceedings by her brothers. Close friends of the couple, Alan and Shirley Shalet, also made the journey on what would have been Fred’s birthday.

Allan Dorman, Larne RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, who accepted the lifeboat into the care of the station said; ‘Every naming ceremony for a new lifeboat is a special occasion and this is no exception, as we honour the Pistol family and their generous life-saving gift to the Institution and the people of Larne. We will remember Frederick and Theresa through the work of this lifeboat and the volunteer crew and we will be the proud custodians of it for many years to come.’

Speaking during the ceremony Neil Pistol said, ‘Thank you for honouring my family and allowing me this privilege. Thank you to the RNLI for being there. Thank you for going out into conditions when others are safe in harbour. Thank you for risking your lives to save others. You, all the members of the RNLI, make a difference. You do not discriminate; you solely take action to save others.

Neil also expressed his pleasure on learning, during an earlier tour of the lifeboat station, that the name of the RNLI rescue mannequin, lifeboat crew use during training, is named Fred. He concluded his speech by acknowledging this, to the delight of the crowd;

‘It will bring us all great pleasure to know that in real life as in previous real-life, Terry will continue to rescue Fred, during the station’s regular training sessions. In the end we make our own destiny. Good luck and Godspeed to all the Larne crew. It gives me great pleasure to hand this lifeboat into the care of the RNLI.’

The D-class lifeboat remains the workhorse of the RNLI as it has for nearly 50 years. Built at a cost of £48,000, the inflatable craft is highly manoeuvrable and specifically suited to surf, shallow water and confined locations – often working close to cliffs, among rocks or even in caves. Importantly it can also be righted manually by the crew in the event of capsize.

It is the smallest class in the RNLI lifeboat fleet but its impact on search and rescue has been huge. The D class carries out some of the most difficult and dangerous rescues lifeboat crews have faced.

The platform party at the service were Mr. Tommy Hutcheson, retired Deputy Launching Authority for Larne RNLI who welcomed guests and opened proceedings; Mr Neil Pistol, who presented the RNLI with the new lifeboat, Christopher Brooke, RNLI Irish Council member who accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI and handed her into the care of the station; Mr. Allan Dorman, Larne RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, who accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station; Darren Byers RNLI Divisional Operations Manager for Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man who spoke on the capabilities of the new lifeboat and Ms Karen Black, one of the founding crew members of Larne RNLI who recently retired and who officially named the lifeboat.

The Very Reverend Aidan Kerr, the Venerable Stephen Forde, Reverend Tommy Stevenson and Reverend Doctor Colin McClure lead the Service of Dedication with specially chosen hymns and readings. Music was provided by
Magheramourne Silver Band.

Last year Larne RNLI celebrated 20 years of lifesaving during which time the volunteer lifeboat crew launched 411 times, saving 31 lives and rescuing 326 people. Larne RNLI operates both a D-class inshore lifeboat and a Trent class all-weather lifeboat.

Achill Island RNLI crew joined in the celebrations as long serving crew member Alan Gielty wed wife Maeve Clancy last weekend.

The crew kitted out in full lifeboat gear outside St Kevin’s Church in Wicklow to give Alan who has been on the lifeboat crew for 15 years, and his new wife Maeve, a special guard of honour.

Alan met Maeve in the local Clew Bay Pub and Restaurant which he owns and runs on Achill Island.

The couple were married in Maeve’s home village of Hollywood and guests gathered afterwards in the Mount Wolseley Hotel in Carlow for the wedding reception.

One of the day’s highlights was an epic best man’s speech which was delivered in song with the mandolin for accompaniment, by Alan’s brother Diarmuid.

During the eight minute long tribute which had guests roaring with laughter, Alan’s dedication to Achill Island RNLI got a mention: ‘There’s still an old flame in Alan’s heart so true. And when he gets the call poor Maeve you know he’ll leave you. Regardless of what you are doing he’ll drop tools and leave you be, and hop out on the lifeboat to save someone at sea.’

On behalf of Achill Island RNLI, Lifeboat Operations Manager Tom Honeyman said: ‘Alan joined the crew here in Achill in 2002 and has been a dedicated member at our lifeboat station ever since. He is a qualified crew member, first-aider, and navigator and is also a trainee Coxswain. We are delighted that he has found happiness with Maeve and we wish them the very best for their future.’

Both Ballyglass RNLI all-weather and inshore lifeboats are involved in the continued search for the missing Mayo fisherman. The volunteer lifeboat crews at Ballyglass have launched every day since the young fisherman was reported missing last Friday (11 September) and are taking part in an extensive multi-agency search. They are co-ordinating the sea search, involving a large number of vessels.

Ballyglass RNLI launched again this morning shortly after 9am and commenced searching off Erris Head and around Broadhaven Bay. Conditions have been described as good.

Commenting on the continued search Ballyglass RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Padraic Sheeran said, ‘ There is an incredible community effort involved in the search and we have seen our entire volunteer lifeboat crew take part in it along with our colleagues in the Coast Guard, the Civil Defence, the Gardaí, the Order of Malta and local diving clubs and boats.

Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the young man at this time.’

Tramore RNLI officially named their new D-class lifeboat Isabella Purchase during a ceremony at the National Lifeguard Training Centre in Tramore on Saturday. The honour of naming the new lifeboat went to Mrs Sally Mongey, wife of the late Finn Mongey. Finn was the Lifeboat Operations Manager for Tramore RNLI Lifeboat Station from when it re-opened in 1964 until his retirement in 1984.

The lifeboat was named in honour of Mrs. Ivy Purchase, who was known as Isabella, and who died in September 2012, leaving her estate to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to provide a lifeboat in her name. She lived in Midhurst, West Sussex and was a long-time supporter of the charity. The new lifeboat, which has already launched four times on service since its arrival, replaces the Trá Mhór lifeboat, which was placed on service on 30 June 2005 and launched 127 times, rescuing 100 people, over its lifetime.

Tramore RNLI was the first Irish lifeboat station to receive the original of the D-class lifeboats in 1964. They were specially developed by the RNLI for inshore rescues carried out close to land and hard to access areas.
The D-class lifeboat is built at a cost of €62,000 and has been the workhouse of the charity for nearly 50 years. It is inflatable, robust and highly manoeuvrable, capable of operating much closer to the shore than the all-weather lifeboats. It is especially suited to surf, shallow water and confined locations, often close to cliffs, among rocks or caves. It measures five-metres in length and can carry three crewmembers on board. It has an endurance of three hours at sea, at its maximum speed of 25 knots.

Peter Crowley of the RNLI Irish Council accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the Institution before handing her over into the care of Tramore Lifeboat Station. Speaking during the handover he said,

‘As marine leisure activity around our coast increases, the demand for our rescue services grows in tandem with this increased activity. In Tramore the station’s lifeboat crew have rescued a total of 54 people in the last five years. One can only imagine the life changing impact of these rescues on both the casualties and the volunteer crew members who performed them. I thank you for your invaluable contribution and I am in awe of your selflessness and dedication.’

A photo posted by Afloat Magazine (@afloat.ie) on Sep 13, 2015 at 3:42am PDT

Mrs. Sally Mongey, wife of former Tramore RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Finn Mongey officially names the station’s new D-class lifeboat ‘Isabella Purchase’ assisted by the station’s current Lifeboat Operations Manager Derek Musgrave

‘Every naming ceremony for a new lifeboat is a special occasion and today we are honouring Mrs. Isabella Purchase and her generous life-saving gift to the Institution and the people of Tramore.
‘We couldn’t operate our lifeboat without the dedication of our volunteers. The crew in Tramore provide an outstanding service to their community. There is nothing greater that a person could offer and they deserve nothing less than the best in lifeboats, equipment and training that the RNLI offers. May our lifeboat crew come home safely in the Isabella Purchase and may they bring many home to safety.’

Among the platform party at the service were Mr. Len Bell, Chairman of Tramore Lifeboat Station who welcomed guests and opened proceedings; Peter Crowley, RNLI Irish Council member who accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI and handed her into the care of the station; Derek Musgrave, Tramore RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, who accepted the lifeboat on behalf of the station; Frank Nolan, President of the Tramore Lifeboat Station, who proposed the Vote of Thanks and Mrs Sally Mongey, who officially named the lifeboat.

Fr. Shane O’Neill and The Very Reverend Maria Janssen lead the Service of Dedication and music was provided by the Doirdan Male Choral Ensemble, Mr. Damien Kehoe, Mrs Claire Musgrave and Mrs. Cecelia Kehoe.

In a special moment during the ceremony three of Tramore RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew received their Long Service Badges and Certificates for 20 years’ service to the life-saving charity. They were Raymond Cowman, Brian Kavanagh and Stephen Murray.

Tramore RNLI has a proud and distinguished record in the RNLI, receiving 13 Silver Medals for Gallantry and the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum on five separate occasions. The lifeboat station was opened in 1824 with the first lifeboat rowed by a crew of eight lifeboat men. The station closed in 1924 but was reopened again in 1964 with a D-class lifeboat; this class of lifeboat has been on service since then with improvements made to successive lifeboats.

Baltimore All Weather Lifeboat (ALB) 'Alan Massey' was launched today to act as back-up for Baltimore inshore lifeboat, which was tasked to go the aid of a boat that went onto rocks on the island at Tragumna.

The male occupant of the 18ft punt managed to scramble ashore onto the island. When the ilb crewed of Youen Jacob, Kieran Collins and Jason Pavrey arrived on scene they dropped an anchor, so that they could safely veer the lifeboat through a heavy swell and a wave washed shoreline to rescue the boats occupant.

The casualty was then passed over to Baltimore alb for his comfort and safety on the journey back to his departure point. The lifeboats were aided by Toe Head CG who assisted in recovery of the boat, which was then towed by Baltimore ilb to its mooring in Trá na mBhó.

The alb was crewed by Aidan Bushe coxswain, Cathal Cottrell mechanic, Sean McCarthy, Don O' Donovan and Ronnie Carthy.

Volunteer lifeboat crew with Dun Laoghaire RNLI, Rory Bolton and Dr. Sarah Brookes, set sail on a new life together after tying the knot this weekend. The couple shared the big day with family and friends and their eighteen-month old daughter Alice before being brought in style to their reception on board the Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat.

Love blossomed for the couple after senior lifeboat helm Rory left Lifeboat Medical Advisor Sarah out of a crew training email and she let him know she was not impressed. He responded by sending her a very special invite to station training and a quick coffee after the exercise saw the pair eventually falling for each other. Rory popped the question over a game of scrabble, spelling out the words asking Sarah to be his bride and the rest is history.

Sarah was no stranger to the RNLI when she volunteered for the lifeboat in 2009. Her late father Dr. Donald Brookes was the station’s previous Lifeboat Medical Advisor, a volunteer position that looks after the lifeboat crew’s medicals and can also offer medical assistance on a lifeboat callout. Rory is the senior helm on the inshore lifeboat and the third mechanic at the station, he has volunteered with the life-saving charity since 2000.

Since the couple have had their beautiful daughter Alice, Sarah has stepped back from her role on the lifeboat but still carries out her medical duties for the station. The big day would not have been complete without a lifeboat connection and the couple arrived to their reception on board the all-weather lifeboat courtesy of their colleagues with Dun Laoghaire RNLI.

Commenting on the day the proud groom Rory Bolton said, ‘Thankfully there wasn’t a lifeboat callout at the time or we would have had to keep our guests waiting while we went to help. Both Sarah and I love volunteering for the RNLI and of course it’s even more special now as it’s how we met.’

Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Stephen Wynne added, ‘On behalf of everyone at Dun Laoghaire RNLI we would like to wish Rory and Sarah a long and happy life together. They are both fantastic volunteers and I’m delighted that it was our lifeboat station that brought them together.’

The lifeboat involvement did not stop there however, as Dun Laoghaire RNLI received a callout later that night while the reception was in full swing. Groom Rory left his new wife’s side to race down to the lifeboat station metres away but Coxswain Mark McGibney sent him straight back as he had a full crew complement and felt that Rory deserved his wedding night off-call.