#rnilmayday – The RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea, is issuing its own call for help, appealing for volunteers and fundraisers to get involved with 'Mayday', the organisation's forthcoming national fundraising event which will take place from 1–4 May this year.

Street collections and fundraising events will be taking place throughout the country. The charity, which saves lives at sea, is calling on people to show their support – either by volunteering to help with collections and events, or by taking part in a fundraising activity, in aid of the RNLI.

Mayday will launch on Friday 1 May and run in Ireland across the four-day May Day bank holiday weekend.

Most of the events will have a 'welly' theme, in a nod to the yellow wellies – an essential piece of kit – worn by the charity's volunteer lifeboat crew members. Welly walks and welly-themed cake sales are just two examples of the events that will be taking place.

Last year, RNLI lifeboat crews in Ireland launched 1,089 times bringing 1,414 people to safety. They are on-call 24/7, every day of the year, ready to respond emergencies at sea.

Pauline McGann, RNLI Community Fundraising Manager for Leinster, says:

'The RNLI's dedicated volunteer lifeboat crews are always ready to respond to the Mayday calls of those in distress at sea. We're now hoping people will respond to our call, by volunteering a bit of their time to help with some of the collections and events we have planned for the four days spanning the May Day bank holiday weekend, or by taking part in a fundraising activity.

'RNLI lifeboat crews are volunteers, who are willing to give up their time and put their own lives at risk to rescue those in danger around our coastline. We hope people will get behind us and show their support. We have some fun events planned, so hopefully people will enjoy themselves while also doing their bit to support this lifesaving charity.'

All money raised through Mayday fundraising events will support the RNLI's lifesaving work – it could be used to fund crew training, buy new crew kit, or contribute towards the running costs of a lifeboat station.

Anyone interested in getting involved can see what is going on in their area and sign up at www.rnli.org/Mayday, or contact Pauline McGann [email protected]

#Lifeboats - Donaghadee's lifeboat station is putting out a new call for volunteers - and women are particularly welcome, as UTV News reports.

The Ards Peninsula town, just outside of Belfast Lough, hosts one of Northern Ireland's nine RNLI lifeboat stations, which combined accounted for 281 people rescued in 2014.

But only 10% of the North's lifeboat volunteers are women, prompting a renewed appeal by Donaghadee coxswain John Ashwood - who hastens to add that the RNLI is an equal opportunities recruiter.

“At the end of the day, here in Donaghadee, the whole ethos is getting the right person to do the job whether male of female," he says.

UTV News has more on the story HERE.

#RNLI - RNLI Bangor's lifeboat launched at 7.55pm last night (Saturday 14 March) to search for a missing 12ft RIB with two persons on board after the alarm was raised by Belfast Coastguard.

Within minutes of the rescue pagers being activated, volunteer crew had launched the lifeboat and located the missing boat close to the slipway at Ballyholme Bay.

The vessel had experienced engine failure and had been rowed closer to the shore by the owner.

Calm on-scene sea and weather conditions allowed for a tow line to be quickly rigged and passed to the stricken vessel. The boat was then towed to the safety of Bangor Harbour.

"Engine failure even close to shore could lead to a life threatening situation," said RNLI volunteer helmsman John Bell, who was involved in this rescue.

"We’re glad that the two people on board this boat are now safely ashore."

Bell went on to emphasise the RNLI’s five sea safety tips for anyone going afloat this summer.

"Always wear a lifejacket, secondly check your engine and fuel, thirdly tell others where you are going, fourthly carry some means of calling for help and final always check the weather and tides."

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI held a press launch on Saturday (7 March) to announce their upcoming Lap of Lough Ree charity cycle, which will take place on Sunday 29 March.

The cycle will start and finish at The Bounty, Buccaneers Rugby Club in Athlone, and will travel north through Ballymahon, cross the Shannon at Lanesboro Bridge and complete the 85km lap of Lough Ree, travelling south on the Roscommon side, via Kilteevan, to cross again at Athlone Bridge.



Lough Ree RNLI relies on public donations to fund its operation, and the Lap of Lough Ree is an important fundraising event for the charity organisation.

Lough Ree's lifeboat station was the busiest in Ireland in 2014, so maintaining a high standard of service in the area is vital.



Brendan Finnegan, Lough Ree RNLI fundraising committee chairman, said: "We run a variety of events throughout the year to raise funds and we are privileged to have a huge level of support in the community.

:The cycle was very popular when we first organised it last year and it is a pleasure to run events that participants can get actively involved in. We are hoping for a big turnout again this year."



Registration for the event will take place at 9am on Sunday 29 March at The Bounty, with the cycle starting at 10am.

Snack packs will be provided to all entrants, and refreshments will be provided midway at Lanesboro and also at The Bounty afterwards on return. Subject to numbers interested, an extended route may be arranged for cyclists who enjoy a more challenging ride.

The entry fee is €25, and entry forms available at Facebook.com/LoughReeRNLILifeboat

In other fundraising news, Paddy McCrossan and Seamus Fuery of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen (ONE) in Athlone presented a cheque for €500 to Lough Ree RNLI on 3 March last.

The ONE are stalwart supporters of Lough Ree RNLI, volunteering each year to help with collections on RNLI’s national Flag Day and maintaining RNLI collection boxes in their mess.

Lifeboat operations manager Damien Delaney said: "It’s good supporters like ONE that enable the lifeboat crews to respond to calls when they are needed, and we are grateful for their continual support since the Lough Ree lifeboat station opened."

#RNLI - Arklow's RNLI lifeboat Ger Tigchleaar was launched within minutes in response to a call for help from a local fishing vessel yesterday afternoon (Sunday 8 March).



The vessel had suffered engine failure and was without navigation ability approximately 15 miles south of Arklow.



The volunteer crew consisting of coxswain Eamonn Kavanagh, station mechanic Michael Fitzgerald, Jimmy Myler, Craig O’Reilly, David Lee, James Russell and Cead Muller dropped their normal Sunday afternoon family activities and rushed to the lifeboat station.

After launching the lifeboat and locating the casualty vessel, they established a tow line and proceeded with the long slow tow back to Arklow.



All three crew members on the casualty vessel remained aboard during the tow home and all hands came ashore safely at Arklow Harbour.

#rnli – Two long-serving Newcastle RNLI volunteers have received awards from the charity for their tireless work and dedication to saving lives at sea. Deputy Launching Authority Joe McClelland and All Weather lifeboat crewmember William Wilson were presented with the awards at the station recently and the honour was well received among their colleagues at the lifeboat station. Between them the two men have given almost seventy years' service to the RNLI and neither of them have any plans to retire.

Joe McClelland has been involved with Newcastle RNLI since signing up as a teenager in 1966. He spent the next two years as shore crew before he moved onto the all weather lifeboat, where he spent the next 27 years as lifeboat man. When it came time to step down from the lifeboat crew, Joe did not leave the RNLI. Instead he stayed on at the station and put his invaluable maritime knowledge and experience to good use in the role of Deputy Launching Authority.

Joe is a mariner through and through, having been at sea for 42 years, with 30 of them serving as a Captain in the merchant navy. Reminiscing on his time with Newcastle RNLI Joe said, 'It was the done thing years ago to join the lifeboat crew when you were very young. The Newcastle lifeboat at time was the Liverpool class William and Laura and the Coxswain was Mickey Leneghan, a man we all looked up to and who was a legend around these parts. I lived in the harbour and the sea was in my blood.

Receiving the long service award is a huge honour for me and I will treasure it. So much has changed in the RNLI over the last 47 years that I've been involved with the RNLI. There is now a huge emphasis on training and rightly so. Not as many people are from maritime backgrounds but they have brought huge talent and skill to the crew and the RNLI places a huge emphasis on the training. I've seen a lot of things during my time as lifeboat crew and thankfully there has been a lot of happy endings and reunions but I also remember those who were lost at sea and their families.'

Also receiving his long service award was crewmember William Wilson, in recognition of his 20 years on the Newcastle lifeboat. William joined the lifeboat crew in 1994 when he was 26 years old. His father Will also volunteers with Newcastle RNLI and is currently station President. William has served as both inshore and all weather lifeboat crew but these days he has retired from the smaller lifeboat.

William commented, 'I always had an interest in search and rescue and I had the good fortune of joining the lifeboat crew just as the current all weather lifeboat Eleanor and Bryant Girling arrived on station, so there was huge excitement. We couldn't wait to get onboard and up to speed with all the equipment. My first major callout was to a fishing boat which had been lost in bad weather. I remember my adrenalin was pumping as we searched for the missing crewman for days. At that stage you realise that even when things are bleak, the importance of bringing closure to a family is a huge part of your job.

The RNLI is a very professional service and I love the fact that you are never finished learning. The background of the crew may have changed but the aims and values are still exactly the same and that is still saving lives at sea. I want to thank everyone involved with Newcastle RNLI for the honour and I hope we will see many more of these awards in the years to come.'

#WaterSafety - The RNLI is advising anyone planning on visiting its lifeguarded beaches on the North Coast to stay well away from dangerous cliff edges that have been impacted by recent weather conditions.

Winter storms have dramatically changed the profile of beaches at Whiterocks, Portrush East and Portstewart, creating high sand cliffs that are unstable.

RNLI lifeguard manager Mike Grocott is asking the public to be mindful of the changes ahead of making a visit.

"Winter storms have taken their toll on the make-up of some of the beaches this year, particularly at Whiterocks, Portrush East and Portstewart, and many people returning to these favourite spots may be surprised at how different everything looks.

"This includes significant erosion of the sand dunes where gentle slopes have washed away leaving sheer sand cliffs, some of which are up to 18 feet high.

"Access points have been altered and on some beaches the shifting sand has left deep channels that in turn create strong rip currents.



"We would encourage anyone planning a trip to one of these beaches to put safety first and be mindful that these sand cliffs are falling away and may be unstable. The best advice is to stay away from the sand cliff edges and bases."



Meanwhile, RNLI lifeguards are busy preparing for a new season where they will be patrolling 10 beaches in Northern Ireland during the summer. Last year RNLI lifeguards responded to 251 incidents, assisting 284 people. 

#RNLI - RNLI Magazine revisits the fateful day last summer off Co Louth when a fishing trawler went under in a matter of minutes.

Despite the clear day and calm seas, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the razor clam boat with two fishermen on board sank without warning off Port Oriel on Clogherhead after 5pm on 23 August last.

But in a fortunate turn of events, the sinking vessel was seen from a nearby fishing boat skippered by Sean Flanagan – who also happens to be one of the local RNLI's highly trained volunteer crew.

Flanagan got on the phone to deputy coxswain Tomas Whelahan to spark the lifeboat launch before calling in a Mayday and going to the aid of the sinking boat along with his son Donal.

From the deck of their Naomh Óisín, they could spot smoke rising from the engine of the stricken vessel, and getting closer they could see it was listing badly.

So there was no time to lose: once Sean had radioed details to the Dublin Coast Guard, he and Donal hauled their gear and made haste to the sinking boat and its two-man crew now vulnerable in the water.

RNLI Magazine has much more on the story HERE.

#RNLI - Clifden RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was launched on Friday last (20 February) to go to the aid of a fishing boat in difficulty off the Connemara coast.

The alarm was raised around 11.30am when the 35ft fishing vessel reported engine failure.

The boat was located between Inishbofin island and Cleggan Head, having departed Derryinver that morning with two crew on board.

Weather conditions were worsening at the time of departure, with a westerly Force 6 blowing as the Mersey class Pride and Spirit all-weather lifeboat was launched.

The boat and its crew were towed back to Derryinver pier where they expressed their thanks for the assistance provided.

Speaking following the callout, Clifden RNLI coxswain James Mullen said: "Considering that this is only the third launch for the Pride and Spirit since she has been on service in Clifden, the crew did extremely well to carry off a smooth and efficient launch, rescue and recovery.

"And of course we are always glad to be able to help any boat in difficulty in our area of operation."

#lifejackets – At the recent (21 and 22 Feb 2015) Angling Ireland Show 2015, 367 anglers from all over Ireland visited the RNLI stand for lifesaving tips and sea safety advice, and to avail of the free lifejacket clinic. Out of the 37 lifejackets brought to the clinic 31 of them were found to have safety issues.

John McKenna, Coastal Safety Officer with Howth RNLI commented, 'A lifejacket is useless if you don't wear it, but it's also important to maintain it properly. Three simple steps could help to save your life - check that the gas canister is in good condition and screwed in properly, the firing head is within its expiry date and that a crotch strap is attached securely.'

As Spring approaches more people will soon be taking to the water. Last year was the busiest year ever for Howth RNLI which had 62 launches and brought 107 people to safety. It was the busiest coastal lifeboat station in Ireland in 2014.

'We want everyone to enjoy the water, but to respect it too. By maintaining and wearing a lifejacket properly, anglers and boat-users will give themselves the best possible chance of survival in the case of an emergency,' added McKenna.

3 tips for maintaining your lifejacket
1. Gas Canister – rusted gas canisters can allow the gas to leak out, they are also abrasive and can wear a hole in the fabric of the lifejacket which would prevent it from inflating properly

2. Firing Head – has an expiry date, make sure it is in date otherwise it won't inflate the lifejacket

3. Crotch Straps – not all lifejackets come with crotch straps, they sometimes have to be bought separately. They are necessary to prevent the lifejacket rising up the body and enable the lifejacket to stay securely in place and work most effectively.

Last year the charity marked 190 years of lifesaving and the RNLI is aiming to reduce coastal drowning significantly by 2024. To do this the charity will be expanding its preventative work and will launch Respect the Water, engaging with water users on how to stay safe and maintain their equipment. Water Safety advice is available on www.rnli.org/safety .

If any angling, sailing or boating clubs would like a member of our Sea Safety Team to give a sea safety presentation and carry out a lifejacket clinic, please contact John McKenna at [email protected] .