#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] .

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Annie Blaker launched just before 1pm yesterday (Sunday 15 February) to assist a fishing vessel with mechanical problems north of the harbour.

The skipper of the fishing vessel, which was approaching Wicklow, made contact with the Irish Coast Guard by VHF radio to say a rope had fouled the propeller and they required assistance.

The lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Nick Keogh, located the drifting fishing vessel a short distance from the harbour entrance.

A towline was established and the fishing boat with two crew was brought safely into the harbour.

The volunteer crew on the callout with Keogh were mechanic Tommy Murphy,  Paul Sillery, Graham Fitzgerald, John Vize, Alan Goucher and Matt Doyle.

#WaterSafety - The RNLI is encouraging primary schools in Northern Ireland to sign up for two of its beach safety education programmes when they get under way next month.

Running from March to June, Meet the Lifeguards and Hit the Surf aim to educate pupils in P5-P7 on the importance of beach safety in a fun and practical way.

Meet the Lifeguards gives pupils the opportunity to participate in an informative and interactive session when RNLI lifeguards visit their school. The 45-minute presentation focuses on equipping pupils with key safety advice that they can put to use when they visit a beach with family and friends.

Pupils will learn more about the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea and the role of the RNLI lifeguard on the beach. They will be educated on what the different beach safety flags and signs mean; the safety of using inflatables while swimming; and how to identify natural and man-made hazards. They will also learn about body boarding and surfing safety, rip currents and how to escape them and safety information on tides and waves.  



Hit the Surf, meanwhile, offers a unique opportunity for school children to get practical lessons in lifesaving and beach safety at one of the 10 RNLI lifeguarded beaches located on the north coast and in Co Down.



The session, which lasts two-and-a-half hours, includes a theory lesson on staying safe at the beach and the role of the RNLI and its lifeguards. It's followed by practical lessons in lifesaving and surf-based skills while building pupils confidence in the sea. The pupils will also learn about local hazards and the beach environment.

RNLI lifeguard supervisor Tim Doran is encouraging schools to get involved. "Education and prevention are an important part of the RNLI’s work and programmes such as Meet the Lifeguards and Hit the Surf enable us as lifeguards to deliver important beach safety advice in a way that is both informative and engaging," he says.

"We hope that pupils can then take what they learn, share it with family and friends and use it to have fun in a safe way when they visit a beach."

Last year, RNLI lifeguards in Northern Ireland responded to 251 incidents, assisting 284 people.

"With the profile of the beaches changing after winter storms, the RNLI lifeguards were kept busy in 2014," says Doran. "With rip currents and changing landscapes, the lifeguards engaged in a large amount of preventative work, speaking to beach users and advising of the safest places to swim."

For more information on how to book your school onto an RNLI education programme, please contact 028 7087 8492 or email [email protected]

#lifeboat – Volunteer lifeboat crew with Rosslare Harbour RNLI launched at 12.15pm this afternoon (Wednesday 11 February) to a Mayday from a sinking 10 metre fishing vessel located a mile and a half from Rosslare Harbour. The lifeboat crew pulled a local fisherman from the water and two other fishermen were rescued by another vessel that was in the area at the time.

The volunteer lifeboat crew launched both the station's all weather lifeboat and boarding boat and conditions at the time were calm with visibility fair. On arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew pulled a fisherman from the water and two other fishermen were recovered onto another vessel, which had also made its way to the spot where the boat got into trouble. The vessel sank shortly afterwards.

The two local fishermen were transferred onto the RNLI boat and brought back with the third crewmember to the lifeboat station where they were given first aid and warm clothing. They were later transferred to Wexford hospital by ambulance.

Commenting on the callout Rosslare RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Dave Maloney said, 'The swift action of the volunteer lifeboat crew and that of the other local vessel saved the lives of these fishermen. As we know all too well, boats can sink without a trace in a matter of minutes. Thankfully these three men have been brought to safety and we wish them a full recovery from their ordeal.

#RNLI - Portrush RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew held their annual SOS Day swim on Saturday 31 January.

SOS Day is the annual RNLI crew fundraising day and stations all over the country host innovative and novel ways of fundraising incorporating the SOS initials.

Supporters of Portrush RNLI jumped into the sea at Portrush Harbour and swam round the all-weather lifeboat William Gordon Burr.

It was a bitterly cold day, but many supporters tuned up either to jump, cheer or provide warm blankets for the swimmers when they emerged from the sea.

"This is a fun event that involves our crew, fundraisers, and a great local crowd who turn out irrespective of the weather to support the volunteer lifeboat crew," said coxswain Des Austin.

"The crew themselves take part and their colleagues are on standby to give them a friendly push and also to haul them in at the end of the swim."

The crew also took time to thank Portrush Yacht Club for providing showers for the event and the venue for the après swim, as well as the RNLI lifeguards and local coastguard team who provided safety cover for the day.

After the event, presided over by James Heaney, chair of the lifeboat management group, everyone was treated to homemade soup and sandwiches in Portrush Yacht Club – plus some special SOS cupcakes.

#lifeboat – Kilrush RNLI on the Shannon Estuary was put on standby yesterday following a Pan-Pan urgency on board a small aircraft while on approach to Shannon airport.

An alert was received from Valentia Coast Guard yesterday afternoon at 3.06pm (Sunday 1 February) following a report that a small aircraft with six people on board had issued a Pan-Pan radio call as it approached Shannon Airport. It is understood the plane was experiencing fuel difficulties.

The volunteer crew assembled within minutes and prepared their inshore lifeboat for standby.

At 3.46pm, the plane made a safe landing at Shannon Airport. The Coast Guard requested the lifeboat and the crew to stand down.

Commenting on the call out, Pauline Dunleavy, Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: 'I would like to commend our crew for their quick response this afternoon in getting to the station and preparing the lifeboat for launch. Thankfully the aircraft was able to make a safe landing today.'

#RNLI - Ireland's RNLI lifeboat crews launched 1,089 times in 2014, bringing 1,414 people to safety.

And the lifesaving charity is calling for the public to think ahead and never underestimate the strength and power of the sea and inland waters as it today releases its 2014 lifeboat launch and rescue statistics, based on detailed returns of service, from each of its 45 lifeboat stations in Ireland.

The figures show more people are getting into difficulty on leisure craft, and the RNLI advises that proper safety advice and maintenance is vital to ensure people stay safe on the water.  



The busiest lifeboat station on the island of Ireland last year was Lough Ree RNLI in Athlone. The charity’s lifeboat crew there launched 69 times and brought 142 people to safety.

This was followed by Howth RNLI, which had 62 launches and brought 107 people to safety, making it their busiest year ever.

Dun Laoghaire RNLI in south Dublin launched 56 times and brought 55 people to safety, while lifeboat crews on the Aran Islands off Galway and Arranmore Island off Donegal launched 78 times, helping 80 people.

Enniskillen RNLI on Lough Erne, which operates two separate lifeboat stations on the upper and lower lough, also had a busy year with 59 calls for assistance and 57 people brought ashore.

Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, Bangor RNLI in Co Down was the busiest single site station, launching 49 times and helping 51 people. Portrush RNLI on the Antrim coast launched their lifeboats 31 times and brought 28 people to safety.

In all, RNLI lifeboats in Northern Ireland launched 261 times in 2014, bringing 281 people to safety, while the charity’s lifeguards helped 284 people on 10 beaches during the season.

Compared to the previous year, when they launched 255 times, NI lifeboat launches show a slight increase. A total of 36 more people were brought to safety by RNLI lifeboats in 2014.



While lifeboat launch figures throughout the island of Ireland remain largely the same as last year, there has been a 10% increase in the amount of people brought to safety by lifeboats.

The types of callouts that the RNLI responded to last year included aid to leisure craft users (536), assistance to fishing vessels (140), help to people who got into difficulty along the shoreline (119) and to people in the water (185).



"These figures are based on every lifeboat station in the RNLI returning a detailed service report and are a valuable insight into what our volunteer lifeboat crews are facing when they launch and what conditions they face," said RNLI operations manager Owen Medland.

"Overall 35% of our lifeboat callouts were carried out in the hours of darkness. Almost half of the callouts last year were to leisure vessels and of these callouts many were to groundings and engine problems.

"Breaking down at sea or on a lough can be a frightening experience. Weather and darkness can turn a bad situation very serious in a matter of minutes. Nobody who sets out thinks anything bad will happen but calling for help early is always the right choice."

Medland continued: "Our volunteer lifeboat and shore crews have shown the commitment and courage we have come to rely on them for, but we must also thank our supporters and fundraisers, who work tirelessly to ensure the charity, which is dependent on donations from the public continues.

"There are also hundreds of employers around the country who let our lifeboat crews drop what they are doing and respond to a callout. We would not be able to run this service without them and we are extremely grateful to them for that."



Last year also saw the introduction of the RNLI’s 45th lifeboat station in Ireland, when Union Hall RNLI in south west Cork went on trial for a 24-month period in November.

And in the coming months, Lough Swilly RNLI in Buncrana, Co Donegal will become the first station in Ireland to receive the new Shannon-class lifeboat.

The €2.4 million lifeboat, which is due to arrive later this year, is the first class of lifeboat to be named after an Irish river, recognition by the charity of the role of Irish lifeboat crews and volunteers throughout the history of the RNLI.

In 2014 the charity marked 190 years of lifesaving and the RNLI is aiming to reduce coastal drowning significantly by 2024.

To do this, it 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 rnli.org/safety.

#RNLI - The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI's lifeboat received the Emergency Response Team of the Year award at a ceremony on Saturday night (24 January).

The 2015 Community and Council Awards celebrated by LAMA (Local Authority Members Association) took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, North Dublin and saw community groups from all over the country recognised for their achievements in the past year.

The lifeboat crew from the popular Donegal surfing haunt, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary, were nominated by Donegal County Councillor Barry O’Neill.

"What this crew do is of upmost importance not just to Bundoran but to the whole region and they are carrying on a legacy for the people who had the vision to establish the service in the first place," he said.

Accepting the award on behalf of the crew at the ceremony, volunteer press officer Shane Smyth, along with senior helm Elliot Kearns, said: "We are thrilled to be here tonight to accept this award for the volunteer crew which is a testament to their commitment to the RNLI ethos of saving lives at sea.

"Each one of our crew, be they on the boat or not, volunteers their time and skills all year round in order to keep our coastline safer and I know they will be delighted with this accolade tonight."

RNLI divisional operations manager Darren Byers added: "This is a great honour for Bundoran RNLI. Every one of our lifeboat stations operates to the highest standards.

"What many people will not know is that behind the big rescues and stories, there is a dedicated group of people who train all year round and who are always ready to drop everything to ensure the lifeboat launches to help those in trouble.

"From the lifeboat crew to the shore crew and station management to the dedicated fundraisers, they all work together on behalf of their community to rescue, to serve, to raise awareness and to educate. Well done to everyone at Bundoran RNLI."

The award came less than a week ahead of the crew’s 40th annual fundraising dinner dance with music from country star Johnny Brady, which takes place at the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran this Friday 30 January.

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched shortly after 5.30pm yesterday evening (Sunday 25 January) to investigate a reported floating object drifting near the shore opposite the Murrough Carpark.

The lifeboat was on scene three minutes after launching and began an immediate sweep of the area. With light fading, the all-weather lifeboat also launched to assist using searchlights.

Shortly after 6.10pm, while searching the bay, the lifeboat volunteers responded to a second incident, this time south of Wicklow Head.

Members of the public walking on Magheramore Beach contacted the Irish Coast Guard to report a flashing light on rocks near the beach, concerned it might be a person in difficulties.

Both lifeboats immediately proceeded south, and once on scene the crews began a coastal sweep, using parachute flares to illuminate the search area.

The inshore crew located and made contact with two men fishing on rocks a short time later. They were in no danger and did not require assistance.

At 6.40pm, both lifeboats were stood down by the coastguard and returned to station.

The all-weather lifeboat crew were coxswain Nick Keogh, nechanic Tommy Murphy, Ciaran Doyle, Tommy McAulay, Kevin Rahill, Carol Flahive, John Vize and Paul Sillery. The inshore lifeboat crew were helm Vinny Mulvihill, Graham Fitzgerald and Brian Sinnott.