RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Safe Tow — Galway RNLI volunteers secure and tow a disabled 30-foot yacht after rescuing a lone sailor whose vessel lost engine power on Galway Bay south of Spiddal.

Galway RNLI Tows Disabled Yacht to Safety on Galway Bay

3rd July 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

A lone sailor was brought safely ashore after Galway RNLI rescued a disabled yacht more than two miles south of Spiddal on Galway Bay on Friday morning. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched at 10 am following a distress call to…

Swift Response — Enniskillen RNLI's inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis heads across Lower Lough Erne during one of two call-outs in late June, when volunteer crew assisted seven people and a dog in separate incidents.

Enniskillen RNLI Assists Seven People and Dog on Lough Erne

1st July 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Enniskillen RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched twice in the final weeks of June to assist seven people and a dog during separate incidents on Lower Lough Erne. The volunteer crew aboard the John and Jean Lewis lifeboat responded to requests from…

Blessing Complete — Kilmore Quay RNLI volunteer crew gather with Fr Pat Mernagh after the Blessing of the Boats ceremony, which was interrupted by an emergency launch to assist a yacht taking on water in the harbour.

Kilmore Quay RNLI Assists Flooded Yacht in Harbour

29th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Kilmore Quay RNLI launched on Sunday evening to assist two people aboard a yacht that was taking on water in Kilmore Quay Harbour. The volunteer crew were attending the annual Blessing of the Boats ceremony when the Irish Coast Guard…

File image of Clifden RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

Clifden Lifeboat Rescues Visiting Sailors in Early Morning Call-Out

28th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer crew of Clifden RNLI rescued two sailors in Inishbofin harbour in the early hours of Thursday morning (25 June). Pagers went off at 3.40am and both of Clifden’s lifeboats were launched shortly after. Weather conditions at the time…

Wicklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat and the casualty vessel arriving in Greystones Harbour on Tuesday night 23 June

Wicklow Lifeboat Brings Four Boaters to Safety After Mechanical Issues

28th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI’s volunteers brought four people to safety on Tuesday night (23 June) after their vessel’s engine developed mechanical problems eight miles north-east of Wicklow Harbour. The all-weather lifeboat Bridie O’Shea slipped its mooring shortly after 9.30pm under the command…

Skerries RNLI approaching the inflatable dinghy that was blown out to sea from the South Strand on Friday 26 June

Skerries Lifeboat Crew Rescue Two Women Blown Out to Sea in Inflatable Dinghy

27th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI were called shortly before 6pm on Friday evening (26 June), following a 999 call from a member of the public reporting that there were people in difficulty in the water off the South Strand. The Atlantic 85 inshore…

Search at Dawn — Carrybridge RNLI's inshore lifeboat searches the calm waters of Upper Lough Erne shortly after launch to investigate an activated EPIRB. The beacon was later traced to an accidental activation ashore.

Carrybridge RNLI Responds to Early Morning EPIRB Alert

27th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Carrybridge RNLI volunteers were called out in the early hours of Thursday morning after an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was activated on Upper Lough Erne. The inshore lifeboat Douglas Euan & Kay Richards launched at 6.26 am at…

Safe Tow — Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat Bridie O'Shea arrives on scene after a vessel with four people aboard suffered mechanical problems eight miles northeast of Wicklow Harbour.

Wicklow RNLI Tows Disabled Boat Safely to Greystones

26th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI volunteers brought four people safely ashore on Tuesday night after their vessel suffered engine failure eight miles northeast of Wicklow Harbour. The all-weather lifeboat RNLB Bridie O'Shea launched shortly after 9.30 pm under the command of Coxswain Tommy…

Safe Return — Courtmacsherry RNLI's Shannon class lifeboat Val Adnams escorts a disabled 30ft fishing boat into Courtmacsherry after taking the vessel under tow when it lost steering off the Seven Heads coastline.

Courtmacsherry RNLI Answers Two Calls in Warmest Weather

25th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Courtmacsherry RNLI's all-weather Shannon-class lifeboat Val Adnams launched twice on Tuesday, June 23, responding to separate incidents off the West Cork coast. The first call came at 8.16 am when Valentia Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre was alerted by…

The St Patrick is one of two ferries that will ply the new Hibernia Line route between Cork and France

Hibernia Line’s New Cork–France Ferry Service Is ‘Important and Proud Milestone’

25th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, a new year-round ferry route operated by Hibernia Line will connect Ringaskiddy in Cork Harbour with Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. Hibernia Line has said the new connection will provide a reliable option for both passengers…

File image of Arranmore RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

Arranmore Lifeboat Helps Four People After Boat Sustains Engine Failure

25th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Arranmore RNLI off Donegal launched on Monday evening (24 June) to a call for assistance from a boat with engine failure at Owey Island, four nautical miles from the lifeboat station. The casualty boat, which had suffered engine failure with…

File image of Skerries RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Skerries Lifeboat Launches to Two on Motorboat With Engine Failure

25th June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI’s volunteers were tasked on Tuesday afternoon (23 June) to go to the aid of a four-metre-long motorboat that had suffered engine failure near St Patrick’s. The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson was launched shortly after 2pm and…

Water Wise — Water Safety Ireland is urging the public to take extra care around coasts, rivers, lakes and canals during the current spell of hot weather, reminding people that awareness is a lifesaver.

Heatwave Warning Issued as Ireland Faces 30°C Temperatures

23rd June 2026 Weather

The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM) has urged the public to take precautions as Ireland prepares for a spell of exceptionally warm weather, with temperatures forecast to reach 30°C later this week. A yellow high-temperature warning is…

Tide Trap — Dún Laoghaire RNLI volunteers assist two teenagers stranded on a sandbank at Sandymount Strand after they were cut off by the incoming tide in Dublin Bay on Monday evening.

Dún Laoghaire RNLI Rescues Teens Cut Off By Rising Tide

22nd June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Dún Laoghaire RNLI volunteers rescued two teenagers who became stranded by the rising tide on Sandymount Strand on Monday evening. The volunteer crew launched after being tasked by Dublin Coast Guard at 5.01pm to reports of two teenagers cut off…

Question Time — Ardmore quiz night fundraiser for Youghal RNLI Lifeboat. The event takes place at The Urchin Bar on 25 June, with proceeds supporting the station's volunteer lifesaving crew.

Ardmore Quiz Night To Support Youghal RNLI Lifeboat Fund

22nd June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Supporters of Youghal RNLI Lifeboat are being invited to Ardmore this Thursday for a fundraising quiz night at The Urchin Bar. The event takes place on 25 June, with registration from 7 pm and the first questions scheduled for 7.30…

Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier en route to the Goat Road on Friday 19 June

Lough Derg Lifeboat Brings Two to Safety From Vessel Run Aground

21st June 2026 RNLI Lifeboats

Lough Derg RNLI’s volunteers were called to assist two people on a 36ft motor cruiser aground south of the Goat Road on Friday afternoon (19 June). At 3:33pm the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier launched with volunteer helm Chris Parker and…

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Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

Which is Ireland's busiest lifeboat station?

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Do the RNLI get paid?

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

How many RNLI Lifeboat stations in Ireland?

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

How many lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions?

How many people are rescued by the RNLI?

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

What type of boats does the RNLI have?

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

How are lifeboats called out?

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

What is the relationship between the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI in Ireland?

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

What is a coxswain?

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

What training do RNLI lifeboat crews get?

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset