Two volunteers representing continuing generations of lifeboat service with the RNLI will lead the annual Christmas Eve ceremony on Dun Laoghaire’s East Pier next week.

Former crew-member and now Deputy Launching Authority Eddie Totterdell and his son Conor who recently joined the station will lay two wreaths at sea in memory of 15 volunteers that died on service on this day 120 years ago, as well as all lives lost around our coasts in 2015.

The crew of the RNLI lifeboat station at Dun Laoghaire hold this annual ceremony as part of a long-standing local tradition and descendants of the 1895 volunteers are especially welcome as well as anyone who wishes to attend including families.

Both RNLI lifeboats stationed at Dun Laoghaire will launch to carry the wreaths to sea. A joint Guard of Honour will be provided by the Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit and Civil Defence.

The short ceremony will take place at mid-day on Christmas Eve at the lighthouse end of Dun Laoghaire's popular East Pier and will include music, an ecumenical blessing, a contemporary newspaper account of the 1895 tragedy and a piped lament.

The ceremony remembers the lives of the 15 volunteer crew that died when their lifeboat capsized in gale force winds while attempting to rescue those on board the SS Palme that had run aground off Blackrock, Co. Dublin. All lives lost at sea in the past year will also be included in the ceremony.

Relatives of the original 1895 lifeboat crew are expected to be amongst those who will walk the pier. Musician William Byrne and journalist Fergal Keane will be joined by Paul McNally of Dublin Fire Brigade as a lone piper on the East Pier lighthouse battery during the short ceremony that has been facilitated by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. The ecumenical blessing will be followed by the wreath-laying close to the East Pier.

In case of inclement weather, an alternative ceremony will still be held closer to the lifeboat station.

As usual, RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews at 44 stations countrywide will be on call throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

Baltimore RNLI received an an alert from Valentia Coastguard at 09:29 this morning when a young boy in urgent need of medical attention required immediate evacuation from Cape Clear Island.

Coxswain Aidan Bushe along with 5 volunteer crewmen were launched within minutes of the alert. They proceeded in poor weather conditions to the North Harbour of Cape Clear Island against a swell of 3 metres and force 6-7 northwest winds.

When the lifeboat crew arrived at the pier the little boy was unresponsive. He was immediately stretchered aboard the the lifeboat where he was constantly monitored on the journey back to Baltimore. The lifeboat arrived at Baltimore pier at 10:30, from where the boy was transferred to Skibbereen for medical attention.

The evacuation was successfully completed in one hour, a remarkable achievement given that current weather conditions have meant frequent cancellation of local ferries.

On board were ; Coxswain Aidan Bushe, Mechanic Cathal Cottrell, crew Sean McCarthy, Jerry Smith, Ronnie Carty and Don O'Donovan

#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew have been recognised for their professionalism by a nearby business.

Mark Forkin of NuTech Renewables in Warrenpoint visited Kilkeel Lifeboat Station on Tuesday (1 December) to present a boat maintenance hamper to the crew in recognition of their positive and selfless attitude, their willingness to drop everything at a moment's notice to help other people, and their strong commitment to training and achievements in continuous improvement.

Forkin said that he and the rest of his team watched a yacht rescue in Carlingford Lough and all were impressed by the excellent teamwork and professionalism displayed.

#RNLI - Clifden RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Pride and Spirit was launched shortly after 4pm on Tuesday (24 November) to undertake an urgent medical evacuation from the island of Inishturk North.

This was the second such callout in a fortnight, after a medevac from Inishbofin on 15 November, with severe weather conditions once again facing the volunteer crew, who have had a busy year to date trialling the Mersey-class lifeboat.

With winds blowing north-west Force 7 to 8 and a swell warning issued by Met Éireann, a round trip of almost 50 nautical miles was required to bring the casualty to shore for urgent medical attention.

"The swell was over five metres at times and it took us around an hour and 45 minutes to reach the island," said Clifden RNLI coxswain John Mullen, "but thankfully the Pride and Spirit is well equipped for such conditions.

"We brought the casualty into Cleggan Harbour shortly after 7pm and would like to wish her a speedy recovery."

The volunteer lifeboat crew consisting of Owen Hayes (navigator), Robert King (mechanic), David O Reilly, Daniel Whelan and coxswain Mullen returned to Clifden Bay shortly before 9pm.

#RNLI - Christmas came early at Donaghadee Primary School yesterday (Tuesday 24 November) as children enjoyed a reading of an RNLI festive story.

Accompanied by Rookie the RNLI Reindeer and coxswain Philip McNamara, Donaghadee RNLI’s deputy second coxswain John Ashwood read The Big Christmas Rescue to a group of pupils in Primary One.

The kids were able to hear about the station’s all-weather lifeboat and learned about the lifesaving service that the RNLI provides.

The story is set on a wet and windy Christmas Eve night. But when Santa crashes his sleigh in the sea, volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew members go to the rescue.

The Big Christmas Rescue children’s book is also customisable, making it a perfect seasonal gift.

It can be personalised to put young readers at the centre of a magical festive story, and the gift-giver can select the name, gender and skin tone of the child in the story, making it a truly unique present for their own special little person.

"I really enjoyed reading the story to the children," said Ashwood. "They all seemed to enjoy the book and it was great to tell the children about the lifesaving service we provide at the RNLI.

"The Big Christmas Rescue is a really beautiful book and it’s the perfect gift for children this Christmas. I love the way the book can be personalised, putting readers at the heart of the story. Importantly, all profits from sales of the book will help the RNLI continue to save lives at sea."

To order a personalised copy of The Big Christmas Rescue, go to RNLISHOP.org/BigRescue. The last order date for the book to guarantee delivery before Christmas is Sunday 13 December 2015.

All profits from book sales will be used to fund the charity’s lifesaving services, delivered by volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards who between them rescued 10,496 people last year – more than 1,400 across the island of Ireland alone.

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched at 5.31pm yesterday evening (Sunday 22 November) to assist a yacht with two people on board at Wicklow Harbour.

The skipper of the 10-metre yacht contacted the coastguard for assistance after briefly running aground near the Packet pier.

Within minutes the lifeboat and its volunteer crew – coxswain Nick Keogh, mechanic Tommy Murphy, Dave O'Leary, Lisa O'Leary, Connie O'Gara and Joe Hanlon – were alongside the vessel.

Two volunteers went on board the yacht to establish a towline and assist as the lifeboat towed the vessel to the north quay.

Elsewhere at the weekend, Arranmore RNLI in Co Donegal was called to assist a 27-foot fishing boat with two on board just after 5pm on Saturday evening (21 November).

The boat from the fishing village of Burtonport was less than half a mile from the lifeboat station when it got into difficulty with a fouled propeller.

Arranmore RNLI second coxswain Jimmy Early and his volunteer crew secured a tow rope on board the fishing boat and towed it into Burtonport Harbour at 6.15pm.

On returning to the station, Early said the crew was pleased to be of assistance.

"It was very fortunate that the boat was fishing close to the station when it got into difficulty and we were able to establish a tow rope within minutes of launching, it was certainly one of the fastest rescues we had," he said.

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI's Christmas shop opened for business this past Sunday 15 November and will be open again every Sunday until Christmas from 11am to 1pm.

The North Co Dublin lifeboat station will also once again be holding a Christmas raffle with tickets available at the shop.

This year the prizes for the raffle are two beautiful paintings which have been generously donated by the extremely popular local artist Dave West. Tickets for the raffle are €2 each or 3 for €5.

There is also a large selection of items available in the shop again this year. From torches to teddy bears, buckets to books, cards to calendars, there really is something for everyone. And with many of the items costing less than €2, there are also some great ideas for stocking fillers.

Speaking about the raffle, volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: "We are very grateful to Dave West for supporting the local lifeboat through these prizes. This is a great opportunity for someone to win a painting by a very popular artist and would make a great Christmas present."

A new Atlantic 85 class lifeboat has gone on service at Sligo Bay RNLI. The lifeboat which arrived at the Rosses Point lifeboat station yesterday evening (Monday 16 November), replaces Elsinore, which has been used to save lives at sea on Sligo Bay since 2002.

Volunteer lifeboat crew began a week of familiarisation training this afternoon (Tuesday) with their first exercise on the Sheila and Dennis Tongue.

The new lifeboat has been funded through a legacy from the late Dennis Tongue, a native of Birmingham in England. The lifeboat is named after himself and his late wife Sheila. Dennis died at the age of 84 in February 2014 in his home which overlooked the Exe estuary near Exmouth, Devon where he had lived for about 25 years following his retirement. He was predeceased by Sheila who died in 2010.

Mr Tongue was the first in his family to go to university where he obtained an engineering degree. He had an inquisitive mind, loved all things mechanical and was responsible for some award winning designs within the company for which he worked most of life. His interests were wide and included ancient history, photography, bird watching, coin collecting, theatre and local modern classics. His interest in the work of the RNLI grew during his retirement years; he was interested in the mechanics and design of modern-day lifeboats and began to learn more of the work and history of the organisation with his frequent visits to the station in Exmouth. He and Sheila regularly supported the work of the RNLI with the annual purchases of calendars, Christmas cards and tea towels. They had no children and their decision to donate a significant part of their estate to the charity was made in recognition of the work of the RNLI in saving lives but also because of its being at the heart of the seaside community and adding to its character.

The Sheila and Dennis Tongue will be officially named at a special naming ceremony and service of dedication at Sligo Bay lifeboat station next year.

In its 13 years in Sligo, Elsinore launched 189 times, with its volunteer crew members rescuing 155 people, eight of whom were lives saved.

The new lifeboat has some advancement on its predecessor. The Atlantic 85 design allows room for four crew members and more kit than the Atlantic 75 lifeboat, which only had room for three crew members.
The lifeboat is powered by two 115 horse power engines and has a stronger hull and greater top speed of 35 knots. The added radar allows the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility and there is also VHF direction-finding equipment.
The vessel also has a manually operated self-righting mechanism which combined with inversion-proofed engines keeps 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 which was introduced to the RNLI fleet in 2005 also carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, as well as a searchlight, night-vision equipment and flares for night-time operations.
Speaking following the arrival of the new lifeboat, Willie Murphy, Sligo Bay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘We are extremely grateful to Mr Tongue for his generous legacy donation which has funded our new lifeboat. Today’s excitement is naturally tinged with a sense of nostalgia as we bid a fond farewell to Elsinore who provided us with 13 great years of service. Elsinore came to us as a result of local fundraising and carried the name of WB Yeats uncle’s house which is located beside the lifeboat station and where Yeats stayed as a young boy. Elsinore’s time here in Sligo saved lives and brought many more people safely to shore and we hope the donor family will be just as proud as we are, of her many achievements.
‘We are looking forward to being the custodians of this new lifeboat which will allow our volunteers to go on to rescue and save many more lives in the years to come.’
The RNLI is a charity which relies on voluntary contributions and legacies.

#RNLI - The crew of Clifden RNLI had an early start in dark and dangerous conditions yesterday morning (Sunday 15 November) when an emergency medical evacuation was required from Inishbofin.

After a 5.43am pager alert, the volunteer lifeboat crew consisting of Alan Pryce, Robert King, David Barry, Daniel Whelan, Brian Ward and David Coyne set out for the island in the all-weather lifeboat Pride & Spirit.

Clifden RNLI deputy launching authority Saul Joyce described the conditions at the time as "extremely challenging and certainly the most severe weather the crew have experienced in the all-weather Mersey class lifeboat to date."

On arriving at Inishbofin Harbour, the crew met with the district nurse who helped transfer the casualty onto the waiting lifeboat. The patient, a woman experiencing severe abdominal pain, was then taken by lifeboat to Cleggan where an ambulance was waiting.

Clifden RNLI coxswain Alan Pryce said of the launch: "With winds consistently Force 8 and above at times and a heavy five- to six-metre swell, this proved a challenging call for our crew, particularly setting off in darkness. We wish the patient a speedy recovery."

Baltimore RNLI Tamar class Lifeboat Alan Massey launched last night to go to the assistance of a fishing vessel which ran aground in Glandore Harbour. The Lifeboat was tasked at 2125 and arrived in Glandore Harbour where the Union Hall Inshore Lifeboat was evacuating the crew from the stricken vessel. The fishing vessel subsequently drifted off the rocks and was taken in tow by the Baltimore Lifeboat towards the safety of Union Hall.

Weather conditions are force 7 to 8 with a 4 metre swell offshore but the vessel grounded in the more sheltered waters of Glandore Harbour. On board the Baltimore Lifeboat were; Coxswain Kieran Cotter Mechanic Jerry Smith. Crew Pat Collins, Kieran Collins, Don O’Donovan, Ronnie Carty and Colin Whooley