Achill Island RNLI came to the aid of an unmanned fishing trawler in severe weather conditions on Friday, August 11th, following a call from the Irish Coast Guard. The 36ft trawler was moored between Purteen Harbour and Inishgalloon at Achill Island and was in danger of drifting dangerously close to the rocky shore in stormy conditions, pulling its anchor in the process.

The volunteer crew of the all-weather lifeboat ‘Sam and Ada Moody’, led by Coxswain Dave Curtis and consisting of Michael Cattigan, Mechanic, Thomas Ruddy, Stephen McGreal, Ivan Swarbrigg, and Terry Hogarth, launched shortly before 1.30 pm. Despite storm force winds and 3-metre swells, the crew assessed the situation and decided to put two crew members on board the drifting trawler.

The trawler was then taken on tow and brought to another mooring nearby, where it was safely secured. The two crew members returned to the lifeboat, and the team made its way back to the station, arriving shortly before 4pm.

Achill Island RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Ciaran Needham, praised the crew's bravery in challenging conditions, saying, "Our crew train for all eventualities and they were delighted to be able to come to the rescue of this vessel this afternoon. If you see someone, or some vessel in need of help, don’t ever hesitate to call the Coast Guard and ask for help. Our crew are always happy to respond when needed."

Thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of the Achill Island RNLI crew, the unmanned trawler was saved from certain disaster. The RNLI remains committed to providing a vital, life-saving service to all those in need, no matter the weather conditions.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has welcomed the European Commission’s recent publication for a three-month member state/third country opposition procedure of the application for a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for Achill Island Sea Salt.

Achill Island Sea Salt is the name given to a hand-harvested sea salt from the waters around Achill Island in Co Mayo.

Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted that the European Commission has finalised its scrutiny of the PDO application for Achill Island Sea Salt and that the application has reached this stage of the procedure. The publication is a requirement under EU rules.”

The publication of the application represents the next phase of consultation on the application for PDO status for Achill Island Sea Sal”.

It is now open to other EU member states and third countries having a legitimate interest to make submissions on the application with the Commission, within a three-month period from the date of publication.

The minister added: “The PDO application for Achill Island Sea Salt indicates the preservation of traditional production methods, promoting heritage and supporting local economies. I commend all those who have been involved in bringing the application to this stage.”

PDO status was previously granted for Oriel Sea Salt harvested at Clogherhead in Co Louth, as reported on Afloat.ie in August 2016.

Achill Island RNLI responded to a request to assist a woman requiring medical evacuation from Inishturk this morning, Friday, 14 July. The request came from the Irish Coast Guard, who had also requested the assistance of Sligo based helicopter, Rescue 118.

The volunteer crew launched shortly after 7.30am under the command of Sean Curtain, Relief Coxswain, with six additional crew on board. Sea conditions were moderate at the time with a gentle to moderate breeze. There was some cloud but visibility was good. The passage took the all-weather lifeboat, ‘Sam and Ada Moody’ south-west of Clare Island, arriving at Inishturk Island shortly before 8.30am.

On arrival at Inishturk, the lifeboat was met by the casualty’s nephew, who transported four of the crew to the casualty’s house on the other side of the island, where Rescue 118 had already landed.

The woman was assessed by the crew of Rescue 118 and the lifeboat crew assisted with transferring the woman to the helicopter. They then secured the area for a safe take-off for the aircraft.

The crew returned to the lifeboat and the lifeboat departed Inishturk Island for Achill Island, arriving back at the station at 10.30am.

Speaking after the call out, Michael Cattigan, Achill Island RNLI Mechanic said: “This is another excellent example of inter-agency cooperation. We train regularly with Rescue 118 for various situations both at sea and on land and we were delighted to be able to offer our assistance again on this occasion for the benefit of this woman who needed help. We wish her well for a speedy recovery.’

Achill Island and Ballyglass RNLI in Co Mayo are among six charities that will benefit from the proceeds raised from the hugely popular annual 5k Runway Fun Run, which will take place on the runway at Ireland West Airport this September.

Ireland West Airport made the announcement about this year’s fun run on Thursday (22 June) in partnership with Portwest.

Runners and walkers will take-off down the runway at 7pm on Saturday 9 September and complete a 5km course with a difference.

All are welcome to attend what promises to be a fantastic evening for all the family, raising much needed funds for our charity partners in 2023.

The airport charity partners for 2023 are the RNLI lifeboat stations in Achill Island and Ballyglass, Breakthrough Cancer Research, Diabetes Ireland, Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Children’s Cancer Fund and Mayo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Registration is now open but placs are limited. Entry costs €20 per adult and €5 for under-16s. A special family rate of €40 will be available for families of two adults and two kids.

All participants will receive a race T-shirt and complimentary car parking and refreshments at the airport will be provided on the day.

To mark the special event, all participants who register online to take part will be entered into a draw to win two return flights to London Heathrow with Aer Lingus — the airport’s newest daily service launched in March of this year.

A ‘virtual option’ will also be available again this year for those who wish to support the charities but are unable to make it on the day and would like to do a virtual run or walk.

Achill Island RNLI responded to a request to assist two people drifting on their 7m vessel off Keel Island after experiencing engine failure. The request came from the Irish Coast Guard, who also requested the support of the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter, Rescue 118 and Achill Island Coast Guard.

The volunteer lifeboat crew launched shortly after 2 pm on Monday afternoon,15 May, with Dave Curtis, Coxswain, and five crew onboard the all-weather lifeboat, ‘Sam and Ada Moody’. Weather conditions were slightly overcast then, with light winds and 1.5m to 2m swells. While underway, the lifeboat was stood down when a local fishing vessel came to the aid of the two people and towed their boat back to the safety of Purteen Harbour. Happy that everyone was safe and well and that no further assistance was required, the lifeboat then returned back to the lifeboat station at Kildownet at approximately 3.30 pm.

After the call out, Ciaran Needham, Achill Island RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: “Even the most experienced boat users can encounter difficulties when out on the water, despite carrying out all the necessary checks before launching. The right decision was made on this occasion to call for help, and our crew will always be happy to launch and assist whenever requested to do so.”

The RNLI has been chosen as one of six charity partners for Ireland West Airport this year.

Funds raised for the RNLI by the airport in Knock, Co Mayo will be donated to and shared by the two lifeboat stations in the county, at Achill Island and Ballyglass.

Ireland West Airport made the announcement in late April with Breakthrough Cancer Research, Diabetes Ireland, The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The Children’s Cancer Fund and the Mayo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also selected by airport staff as its charity partners for 2023.

The airport is extending its charity partners from three to six in 2023 in recognition of the fantastic work the charities do at both a local and national level.

Several events will take place during the course of 2023 which will engage passengers and staff with the aim of raising as much money as possible for all charity partners.

The headline event for 2023 will be their annual 5k runway fun run which will take place on the runway at Ireland West Airport in September.

Speaking following the announcement, RNL community manager Brian Wilson said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the RNLI and we are so grateful to all at Ireland West Airport for choosing the charity that saves lives at sea as one of their charity partners for 2023.

“Any funds raised will help to power the lifesaving work of our volunteer crews at Achill Island and Ballyglass RNLI. We wish all in the airport the best of luck with the fundraising events they have planned for the year ahead.”

The Oscar-nominated film The Banshees of Inisherin has given tourism on the Aran island of Inis Mór and Mayo’s Achill island a boost, but such good fortune doesn’t extend to the island’s fishing vessels.

As The Examiner reports, third-generation Aran fisherman John Conneely of Inis Mór will deliver two fishing vessels to yards where they will be broken up, piece by piece, in a few weeks’ time.

One of Conneely’s two vessels, the 17-metre Connacht Ranger, has been in the family for over half a century. It was one of a fleet of timber boats built at boatyards then run by the State’s sea fisheries board, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

John Conneelys's Connacht Ranger, one of two vessels he has to scrap as part of the Brexit decommissioning scheme

The same State board - which had been tasked with building up a much-neglected industry half a century ago - is now responsible for the scheme to slim it back down.

The whitefish decommissioning scrappage scheme was drawn up by a Government seafood task force to pay up to 60 skipper owners compensation for destroying their vessels - due largely to the loss of quota caused by Brexit.

Conneely is one of a total of 42 owners who have accepted offers, out of 57 letters of offer issued by BIM.

Padraic's cottage, built from scratch for the Banshees of Inisherin film set at Gort na gCapall on Inis Mor close to the Conneely family home

The Brexit Adjustment Reserve, as Brussels calls the compensation fund, amounts to almost 1 billion euro and must be spent within two years. However, only a small percentage of this has been allocated for the fishing vessel scrappage scheme, in spite of the major impact of Brexit on coastal communities.

Read more in The Examiner here 

Achill Island RNLI went to the assistance of a man on Clare Island off the coast of County Mayo, requiring medical evacuation on Monday, 23 January. The request from the Irish Coast Guard was the first call out for the year for the volunteer lifeboat crew and their all-weather lifeboat, the ‘Sam and Ada Moody’.

With moderate sea conditions to contend with, as well as patchy mist and fog, the lifeboat made its way to Clare Island shortly before 2 pm. The casualty had been assessed and treated by the island nurse, and he was then transferred to the care of the lifeboat crew, who brought him to Roonagh Pier, southeast of Clare Island, for onward transport to Galway University Hospital. The lifeboat then headed in a northerly direction across Clew Bay to Achill Island, passing Clare Island again on its left on the return journey.

Speaking after the call out, Maria Kilbane, Achill Island RNLI’s volunteer Deputy Launch Authority, said: ‘Achill Island RNLI has always had a very close relationship with the people on our local islands, including Clare Island. Our crew are always happy to assist, and we wish the casualty well with his recovery.’

Two sailors are recovering after their yacht washed ashore on Achill Island and was beached for three days before the alarm was raised, as RTÉ News reports.

The 50-foot boat is understood to have got into difficulty amid stormy conditions in the Atlantic in the middle of last week and washed ashore near Dooega Head on the Co Mayo island after capsizing.

But it was a further three days, on Friday (11 November), when one of the two crew climbed up the cliff to seek help.

The other crew member was rescued by the Irish Coast Guard’s Sligo-based helicopter Rescue 118 and airlifted to hospital.

According to the Irish Examiner, the two sailors say they were en route from the Caribbean to Ibiza before the incident.

But it’s also emerged that neither sailor was carrying identifying documents, and that the boat had no navigation equipment, distress signal nor food or water on board.

Achill Island RNLI went to the assistance of two local fishermen whose 21ft fishing vessel was experiencing engine difficulties this morning.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested by Malin Head Coast Guard to go to the assistance of the two fishermen who reported difficulties with their engine close to Corrán, off Achill Island, shortly after 10am this morning. The ‘Sam and Ada Moody’ launched with Dave Curtis, Coxswain, Michael Cattigan, Mechanic, Patrick Kilbane, Terry Hogarth and Declan Corrigan on board. They quickly reached the vessel, which was located approximately two miles from the Lifeboat Station, in what was described as ideal sea and weather conditions at the time.

On reaching the vessel, both fishermen were found to be safe and well. The vessel was assessed, and a decision was made to tow it the short distance to Corrán, the nearest and safest pier.

Speaking after the call out, Ciaran Needham, Achill Island RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: ‘The fishermen on board this vessel did everything right and made the right call in seeking assistance. Anyone can encounter problems with their vessel, and while sea and weather conditions were perfect this morning, they can change very quickly. Our advice is never to hesitate to call the Coast Guard for help if you encounter unexpected problems while at sea. Our crew are always happy to assist.’