#RNLI –  A surprise return visit to the Aran Islands was made recently by former Galway Bay RNLI lifeboat Frank Spiller Locke.  This restored Barnett class lifeboat was stationed at the Aran Islands from 1977 to 1985.  She was previously stationed at Weymouth on the south coast of England.  During her years of lifeboat service she was launched 396 times and saved 181 lives.

The lifeboat was funded through a legacy from Dr. Frank Spiller Locke.  RNLI records show that his widow Mrs E. F. Locke took a strong interest in the work of the lifeboat and her volunteer crew and asked for the returns of service for every callout to be sent to her until her death.

The vessel was built in Cowes during 1958 at a cost of £38,500. It was a Barnett class lifeboat, which was introduced into the RNLI in 1950. Twenty of these 52 ft lifeboats were built by the charity. The institution retired and sold this lifeboat in 1986 and she was rescued sometime later by Colin and Janet Sturmer who are from the Isles of Scilly. They dedicated ten years to restoring this boat to its original form.

Pictured on the deck of the former Galway Bay lifeboat in yellow jackets are members of the current Aran Islands RNLI crew who also served on the Frank Spiller Locke lifeboat (L-R) Mairtin Fitz, Micheal O Goill, Johnny Mulkerrin, Enda Mullen.

"It was a lovely surprise to see this lifeboat in the Bay where she used to anchor in the 1980s" said Micheal Heron Aran Islands RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager.

The two lifeboats, retired and current were moored side by side so that past and present crew could look over it. Four of the current lifeboat crew who served on the Frank Spiller Locke, Mairtin Fitzpatrick, Michéal Ó Goill, Johnny Mulkerrin and Enda Mullen, were joined by retired crewmembers Paddy Mullen, Bartley Mullen (Coxswain/Mechanic), Jackie Gill and Tomas Kelly. Many local people also came for a look and remembered stories of times that they or their families needed this lifeboat

Commenting on the visit, serving crewmember Micheal Gill added "there are a lot of differences in the speed and technology of these older boats. She served the west coast well at a time when there were only three lifeboats from Donegal to South Kerry and no helicopters.

This boat is a valuable piece of our maritime heritage, which has been lovingly restored bye Colin and Janet. Hopefully it will visit the west coast again in the future."

#rnli – Portaferry RNLI in County Down rescued two men in the early hours of this morning (Friday, 13 July) after a report that a rigid inflatable boat had collided with a yacht in Strangford Lough just off Killyleagh.

The lifeboat crew received a call from Coastguard at 2am following a report that a rib and a yacht had crashed and that both boats were sinking.

Crew launched its inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat with four on board at 2.07am and made their way to the scene half a mile from land.

Weather conditions at the time were described as calm with no wind and with good visibility.

When the crew arrived on the scene they found two men in the rib but no one on board the yacht.

One man had sustained a minor head injury and both were taken by the lifeboat to a slipway at Killyleagh yacht club. The injured man was then taken to hospital by a friend who was waiting at the quay side.

Portaferry lifeboat crew then returned to the scene of the accident and secured both boats to a mooring before returning to base at 3.30am.

Deputy Launching Authority Lennie Lawson said the rescue was a credit to the volunteer crew who responded quickly and in numbers in the early hours of the morning: 'It was amazing how quickly our crew turned out and got to the scene launching within six minutes. Thankfully, weather conditions were favourable which assisted the crew in returning the casualty safely to shore'.

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat was launched to assist 3 persons aboard a 32ft cruiser that had an engine overheating problem.

#rnl i– Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to assist 3 persons on board a 32ft crusier that was in danger of grounding on the Goat Road, south of Bellevue Point, after its engine had dangerously overheated.  The skipper of the cruiser switched off his engine to prevent an engine fire.  At 14.08hrs, the lifeboat launched with Helm Colin Knight, Eleanor Hooker and Tom Dunne on board. Winds were northerly, Force 4, and visibility was good.

The skipper of a passing barge, Knocknagow, advised the cruiser to drop anchor to prevent themselves being grounded on the Goat Road and raised the alarm. (The Goat Road is a rocky outcrop for migrating Terns.  It is marked by the navigation mark E.

The cruiser passed a tow line to the barge, who took it under an alongside tow.  When the lifeobat arrived on scene, they found all safe and well.  An RNLI crew member was transferred to the cruiser, who passed the tow to the lifeboat.  The cruiser was towed to Williamstown Harbour.

Lifeboat Helm, Colin Knight praised the skipper of cruiser for his swift action in cutting their engine saying that 'had he not noticed and been attentive to the overheating indicator, they would have been a definite risk of an engine fire on board'.

The lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 15.15

#LIFEBOATS - IOM Today reports that the Isle of Man's Peel RNLI lifeboat crew went to the rescue of the pleasure craft Flying Fox, which suffered an engine room fire some 22 miles off the island's west coast.

Flying Fox was en route from Strangford to Holyhead with one person on board when the fire occurred early yesterday, leaving the 34-foot Nelson-type vessel stranded in the Irish Sea.

Relief lifeboat Bingo Lifeline - replacing the stations main lifeboat, Ruby Cleary, which is currently in Holyhead for a refit - was dispatched with a volunteer crew, who found the boat after a "difficult" search.

The vessel was taken in tow back to Peel in moderate seas. No injuries were reported.

#LIFEBOATS - "Extremely challenging" conditions hampered the crew of Courtown RNLI after a car crashed into the sea at the Co Wexford harbour, the Irish Examiner reports.

A 19-year-old man died in the incident on Friday night after he and two other teenagers crashed through a sea wall. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene after his removal from the submerged vehicle.

The lifeboat crew pointed to debris from rivers swollen by the heavy rains of the past few days, coupled with gale force winds, as complicating their efforts.

Elsewhere, the Examiner reports that two men on board a yacht that got into difficulties near the Old Head of Kinsale yesterday afternoon were rescued by Courtmacsherry RNLI.

Additional report from Aine Stafford of Courtown RNLI Lifeboat station:

Courtown RNLI Lifeboat launched on Friday night, June 15th, at 22.35 hrs, to a report of a vehicle having entered the water in Courtown Harbour, Co. Wexford.

The volunteer RNLI crew launched the Lifeboat in less than five minutes, and quickly located the car, with the assistance of Courtown Coastguard and Gorey Gardai who were on the harbour side. Gorey Fire Brigade and the local Ambulance service also attended the scene.

An RNLI crew member entered the water at the location of the submerged car, and the Lifeboat then proceeded to carry out a thorough search of the harbour in challenging weather conditions. After 48 hours of heavy rain, quite a lot of debris had washed down the two rivers that enter Courtown Harbour and there was a large swell coming in from the sea.

Unfortunately, a short time later, the Lifeboat crew recovered a man's body from the submerged car. The remains were then taken to Courtown RNLI Lifeboat Station where the man was pronounced deceased by the local Caredoc Service.

Courtown RNLI Lifeboat extends its sympathy to the family of the deceased.

#LIFEBOATS - Four children were rescued from a rising tide on Sunday in what was a busy June bank holiday weekend for Ireland's RNLI lifeboats.

The Irish Times reports that a 10-year-old and three teenagers were with their father on Rine Island in Galway Bay, near Ballyvaughan in Co Clare, when they were caught out by the incoming tide.

The father swam to shore and raised the alarm, promoting a quick response from an Irish Coast Guard helicopter and the Galway RNLI lifeboat, who removed the children to safety.

“Both rescue services pulled out all the stops and were on the scene within minutes to divert what could have been a tragedy," said Galway lifeboat operations manager Mike Swan.

The incident occurred not long after the Ballycotton lifeboat was called to assist a vessel taking on water some 23 miles southeast of the Co Cork town.

And elsewhere, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, two racing yachts were led to safety by the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat on Sunday morning after getting into difficulty amid gale-force winds and driving rain on Dublin Bay.

#YACHTRESCUE–Two yachts in difficulty were brought to safety by the RNLI lifeboat stationed at Dun Laoghaire earlier today as gale force winds and driving rain lashed the east coast of Ireland. The incidents occurred at 8am today as the boats were returning from an offshore race on the Irish Sea.

The Irish Coastguard's Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) Dublin received the calls for assistance from the boats and requested that the RNLI All-Weather lifeboat (ALB) at Dun Laoghaire launch to assist the crews that were unable to enter the harbour.

One of the boats had earlier fouled its propeller and was unable to use power for entering harbour and berthing while the other boat that was travelling in its company couldn't start it's engine due to battery problems. A heavy swell driven by near-gale force 7 winds with higher gusts blowing from the East caused a large swell and steep waves on approach to Dun Laoghaire.

The RNLI lifeboat launched with seven volunteer crew and proceeded to sea where visibility was reduced to less than one mile. The first yacht with seven people on board was standing-by half a mile from the harbour entrance while the second was further south off Dalkey. The yacht entered the harbour where the lifeboat took it alongside and towed it to a marina berth.

The operation was repeated 30 minutes later for the second casualty that had five people on board. Both boats were approximately 35 feet in length. Nobody was hurt in either incident and the lifeboat returned to station shortly before 10am.

"The casualties in these incidents were both prepared for offshore conditions but unforeseen circumstances meant they needed the assistance of the lifeboat on this occasion," commented Mark McGibney, RNLI Coxswain at Dun Laoghaire who was in charge of this morning's operation.

#RNLI – The annual RNLI Ireland awards took place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin, with volunteers and supporters being recognised for their role in raising funds and awareness for the charity that saves lives at sea. Guest of honour was RTE's Bryan Dobson, who spoke of his admiration for the RNLI and handed out awards to forty-five volunteers.

Awardees came from all over Ireland and were recognised for their service to the RNLI through fundraising and support for the lifeboat crews at station level. The ceremony is held annually to honour their commitment and to thank them for their tireless work and dedication to the charity. One special award was given to the community of Inishbofin for years of support for the charity. They beat communities from all over the UK and Ireland to receive the specially commissioned bronzed RNLI Supporter Award.

RNLI Irish Council member Peter Crowley presided over the awards and thanked the volunteers for their continued support. Speaking during the ceremony he said, "This ceremony is about honouring our volunteers. The awards that are being given are a small token of the thanks of the Institution for years of service and support to a charity that has always had at its heart one aim; to save lives at sea. I wish to thank all the awardees for their unfailing support and dedication in continuing to raise funds and to support our volunteer crews."

Guest of honour Bryan Dobson added, "When the worse come to the worst at sea, behind us always stands the men and women of the RNLI. There would be no lifeboats or lifeboat crews without the fundraisers and station volunteers. You all make a difference."

Awardees on the day were from RNLI branches and stations throughout Ireland including Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Waterford, Wexford, Meath, Kerry, Sligo, Wicklow, Louth, Mayo, Galway and Monaghan.

#RNLI – An unusual rescue for  Baltimore RNLI lifeboat, the crew launched on Tuesday night to a sheep that was stranded on a ledge close to sea level for two days.

Several attempts had already been made to recover the sheep when the lifeboat crew were asked if they could offer any assistance.  The RNLI inshore lifeboat Bessie was launched with Helm Youen Jacob and lifeboat crew Ronan Callanan and Tadhg Colins, who made their way to Eastern Hole near Baltimore Harbour, to see if they could help in the recovery.  Luckily a break in the weather made it possible for two of the lifeboat crew to climb the rocks and recover the animal.  It was then transferred to the lifeboat and brought on the short journey back to the harbour.

Commenting on the callout, Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Tom Bushe said, "It was certainly not the usual type callout for the lifeboat crew but we were happy to help.  Nobody wants to see any animal in distress and we were also worried that people would themselves get into difficulty trying to recover it.  The crew waited for a break in the bad weather and then went in and scaled the rocks to recover the sheep.  We've rescued many people before but a sheep is a little different."

#RNLI – Both lifeboats stationed at Dun Laoghaire were called into service three times on Saturday afternoon for a variety of incidents in which eleven people were assisted.

Following a 999 call, the Irish Coastguard's Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) in Dublin tasked the RNLI's Trent class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) at Dun Laoghaire to assist five people in difficulty with their 12-foot speedboat after engine problems. The lifeboat launched shortly after 3.30pm and found the casualty two miles south of Dalkey Island.

The five persons were taken on board the lifeboat and the speedboat was taken to Dun Laoghaire marina.

Later in the afternoon, MRCC Dublin tasked the RNLI after reports of kite-surfers in difficulty off Dun Laoghaire's West Pier. Due to the shallow-water area, the Inshore lifeboat (ILB) was used and found two people whose kite wires had become tangled and were unable to reach land. The pair and most of their equipment was recovered and taken to the ILB boathouse.

As the ILB entered Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the coastguard received a call for assistance on VHF radio from a party of kayakers that were crossing the Irish Sea to Holyhead. Having departed for the Welsh port with an ETA of 6am on Sunday, one of the group had sustained a shoulder injury and was unable to continue. MRCC Dublin tasked the ALB at Dun Laoghaire at 5.45pm which launched immediately after the ILB had landed the kitesurfers.

The party of kayakers had reached a position ten miles east of Dun Laoghaire and were located after 30 minutes using VHF direction finding equipment on the lifeboat. All four were taken on board the ALB and the large kayaks loaded onto the sidedecks. One of the volunteer lifeboat crew was a Doctor who examined the injured paddler. The group was landed at Dun Laoghaire marina at 8.15pm and no further medical attention was required.