#RNLI - Arranmore RNLI was involved in an epic 12-hour rescue in difficult weather of five fishermen on board a crabber which got into difficulty on St Patrick’s Day.

The station’s all-weather lifeboat was launched at 1.45pm to go to the assistance of the 15-metre fishing vessel which had lost power some 40 miles north west of Arranmore due to a rope getting tangled in the propellers. The five crew members on board the boat were not in immediate danger.



Arriving on scene at 4.30pm, the lifeboat crew, under second coxswain Jimmy Early, established a tow line and proceeded to escort the stricken vessel into Burtonport. However, due to a heavy five-metre swell, the journey was slowed down by the tow line breaking. 



Arranmore RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Nora Flanagan said: "This was a long callout for all concerned, but our lifeboat crew was delighted that they were able to assist the five crew members and bring them and their fishing vessel safely to shore which they did shortly before 2am this morning (Monday 18 March)."



This was the first long-haul callout for Arranmore’s newest and youngest crew member, 17-year-old Dominic Boyle. The second youngest crew member - Leigh Early, son of coxswain Jimmy - was also on the call.

Meanwhile, three crew members from Courtown RNLI have been presented with animal welfare awards for their bravery in rescuing a woman and her dog from Courtown Harbour last December.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the 29-year-old woman got into difficulty when she attempted to rescue her Jack Russell, Holly, from the freezing water off Courtown pier.

The North Wexford Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) awarded David Switzer, Aine Stafford and Fintan O’Donoghue for their efforts in rescuing the woman and her dog.

Colin Webb, chairman of the animal welfare group, said the society took strength from seeing examples of great compassion towards animals in the community.

#rnli – The Bundoran RNLI lifeboat was tasked to an incident this morning, Monday March 18th 2013, in Mullaghmore, County Sligo.

A man in his 50s is understood to have been washed off rocks as he fished with friends off Mullaghmore Head. Due to the location of the man and his proximity to the water, the Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard and the crew launched.

They arrived on the scene 15 minutes later where Gardai and ambulance service were already assisting the casualty. The lifeboat crew were later stood down. The man was removed from the scene and brought to Sligo General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

#RNLI - Arklow RNLI assisted the crew of a whelk fishing vessel which got into difficulty yesterday (Thursday 14 March).

The volunteer crew launched their all-weather lifeboat, the Ger Tigchlearr, shortly before 9am to go to the aid of a local fishing vessel.

The boat's crew had been fishing four miles south-east of Arklow Harbour when the vessel fouled its propeller.

The lifeboat was on scene within minutes and having ascertained the status of the casualty, the crew established a towline and proceeded to tow the stricken vessel back to Arklow Harbour.

The fishing boat's crew stayed aboard and all hands came ashore later at Arklow Harbour.

Following the callout, Arklow RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer and sea safety officer Mark Corcoran said: "Even in good conditions at sea, things can and do go wrong. 

"If anyone finds themselves in difficulty at sea they should call for help on 999 or 112 or call the coastguard on VHF radio."

The assist came a week after Arklow RNLI aided three fishermen whose vessel was adrift four miles off the Wexford coast, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

#rnli – Recently retired Port of Cork Harbour Master, Captain Pat Farnan was thanked by Crosshaven RNLI at a special presentation at the lifeboat station on Wednesday night.
Operations Manager, Alan Barton thanked Pat, who retired from the company after 33 years, for his help and support of the RNLI in Crosshaven since the station's inception in 2000.

#rnli – Members of Dublin City University's (DCU) Surf 'n' Sail club recently presented a cheque for €823 to Howth RNLI. The students raised the money by organising a Christmas Charity Swim in aid of Howth RNLI.

On 12 December 2012, 30 students from DCU braved the wintry waters of Balscadden Bay near Howth for their charity swim. Some of the swimmers even dressed up in costumes for the event. After thawing out around a bonfire, they retreated to Howth Yacht Club for hot lunches.

"We decided to raise money for the Howth RNLI because, we are all water users and wanted to show our appreciation for those who would be rescuing us if anything was to happen, most of us sail in various clubs around Dublin Bay. We are a water sports club, so it made perfect sense for us to support a water based charity. Overall the whole committee thought that the RNLI is a very deserving charity and the obvious choice for us to raise funds for", said Grace Newport, Secretary of DCU Surf 'n' Sail.

'The funds raised by the students in DCU will go towards our current fundraising project to fund the running and maintenance costs of the lifeboat station for a week,' said Howth RNLI Fundraising Chairperson Rose Michael.

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Kilmore Quay RNLI in Co Wexford responded to an 11-hour callout yesterday morning (Sunday 10 March) involving a 23-metre fishing vessel that had got into difficulty 40 miles south of the harbour. See video of the operation below.

With a biting easterly wind, the lifeboat crew made their way just after 8am to the vessel, which had suffered machinery failure, and arrived on scene at 10.40am. 

Establishing a tow between the lifeboat and the fishing vessel with five crew onboard, the two vessels made slow progress back to shore in worsening conditions.



Commenting on the long callout, Kilmore Quay RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew member Aidan Bates said: “It was a bad day for a callout yesterday but the fishing vessel needed our assistance and the weather was worsening by the hour. By the time we were returning with the boat under tow the winds were blowing gale force seven to eight and it was choppy enough.

"Thankfully everyone was safe and the lifeboat crew were able to return home after a long day at sea.”

#RNLI - Donaghadee lifeboat station was delighted yesterday (7 March) to welcome RNLI chief executive Paul Boissier, who was on a two-day visit to the Northern Ireland division.

Operational and fund raising volunteers crowded into the station to meet Boissier, who thanked them for coming out so early on a cold and wet morning. 



While sitting enjoying the hospitality of the station, Boissier listened to the views of both crew and fundraisers on a wide range of topics. He said he was delighted to be in such a beautiful part of Northern Ireland and could not help but be impressed with the enthusiasm of all the volunteers.



He praised and thanked them for their commitment to the RNLI while remembering the support from the local community, and went on to say that the commitment of the operational volunteers supported by all at the station made the sea around the local coastline that much safer for everyone.

Meanwhile, Arklow RNLI was delighted to welcome the charity's newest lifeboat Kiwi and her volunteer crew to Arklow Harbour on Monday evening.

Prior to arriving in Arklow, the Tamar class lifeboat – which features the latest in search and rescue technology – had visited Torbay, St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles, Falmouth and Rosslare on her passage home to Wales. The weary crew arrived in Arklow after more than eight hours at sea.

The new vessel is a replacement station boat for Moelfre and replaces a Tyne class lifeboat similar to the one stationed at Arklow's flank RNLI station in Wicklow.

Kiwi was funded from a bequest by Reginald James Clark, a New Zealander who had been rescued by an RNLI lifeboat during World War II.

The crew from Moelfre was welcomed by Arklow RNLI's crew, fundraisers and station management along with members of the public.

Following her overnight stay in Arklow, she departed at 8.30am on Tuesday morning for her new home at Moelfre.

#RNLI - Arklow RNLI came to the assistance of three fishermen whose vessel got into difficulty off the Wexford coast yesterday (6 March).

The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted shortly before 1.30pm following a report that a fishing vessel was adrift four miles east of Courtown Harbour.

The all-weather lifeboat, the Ger Tigchleaar, was launched within minutes and proceeded to the scene where the vessel, the MFV Telstar, had lost steering power.

Having located the casualty, the crew members established a tow and began the journey back to Arklow. All three crew members who remained on board the MFV Telstar were returned safely ashore.

Speaking ashore, the vessel’s skipper James Russell, himself an Arklow RNLI volunteer crew member and experienced seaman, paid tribute to his fellow lifeboat crew members Eamon Kavanagh, Matt Heaney, Scottie Heaney, Michael Fitzgerald, Andy Loughlin and David Lee who came to his crew’s assistance.

"I thought we were well prepared for situations which might happen at sea but knowing the lifeboat is there when needed is a great help," he said. "When anyone gets in to difficulty they should have no hesitation in calling for help as I did today."

#News - TheJournal.ie is reporting news of the tragic drowning of a man and a young child off West Cork in the early hours of this morning (6 March).

The bodies of the man and the three-year-old girl were recovered by emergency teams after the Goleen unit of the Irish Coast Guard was tasked to the area following a missing person's report.

Coastguard volunteers found the child on the beach but attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. The body of the man was later discovered in the shallows by the Baltimore RNLI lifeboat.

It's being suspected that the man and the young child entered the water.

TheJournal.ie has more on the story HERE.

#RNLI - Two men are in training to complete the first RNLI Station to Station challenge on Saturday 6 April travelling from Bundoran Lifeboat Station to Arranmore Island Lifeboat Station in 10 hours – by foot, bicycle and kayak.

Leaving Bundoran lifeboat station at 6am on Saturday 6 April, Niall Clancy and James McIntyre will take two different routes and two different means to complete their challenge.

Clancy is set to run the entire distance of 100km door to door, including using a treadmill on the final leg from Burtonport Ferry Port via ferry to Arranmore Island, while McIntyre will cycle to Barnesmore Gap, run across the Blue Stacks down to Glenties, cycle to Portnoo and then kayak the remainder of the journey to Arranmore Island.


Clancy, a HSE advance paramedic, has already completed three marathons including Belfast and Dublin and also a half Ironman triathlon in Galway. He decided to do the challenge following a conversation with the Arranmore lifeboat crew during a recent visit.

He said: "The RNLI is a fantastic charity and as it is voluntary I wanted to do my bit to help raise funds for both Bundoran and Arranmore so, with James, we’re aiming to do that on 6 April."

Initially the plan had been to run 36 miles but when the idea was put to him to run from Bundoran to Arranmore, which is a further marathon distance of 26 miles, Clancy thought it was a great idea.

"Running 100km is something different and definitely a challenge – I definitely believe we can do it."


Meanwhile, McIntyre is no stranger to such challenges having completed a Coast to Coast challenge for Parkinson's last year, again using the combination of mountain running, cycling and kayaking to traverse Northern Ireland and end up at Creevy Pier.

McIntyre is always looking for the next idea to top his last one and is always happy to do it for charity.

On the day the two boys and their entourages will have support from the Bundoran and Arranmore lifeboat crews as well as runners, cyclists and members of the Tir Chonaill Athletic Club. Donations can be made in advance via the RNLI Station to Station website. The boys’ progress on the day can be followed on the Bundoran RNLI Facebook page, on Twitter @atlantic85 and also on the website.