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Howth Duo Cycling From London To Paris For RNLI

27th March 2013
Howth Duo Cycling From London To Paris For RNLI

#HowthRNLI - Howth locals Jennifer Murphy and Brendan Mulligan will be taking part in the London to Paris Bike Ride in aid of Howth RNLI.

The 377km charity challenge will take place between 23 and 26 August. Riders will depart from London and cycle past Hampton Court and through the North and South Downs to Portsmouth.

After crossing the English Channel on a ferry they will arrive in France at Caen and travel through the French countryside to Evreux. On the final day, all the cyclists will head to their final destination of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
 


Murphy said: "We decided to do the challenge for Howth RNLI because it is a local charity. We know some of the volunteer crew, including my boss!"

The duo are collecting sponsorships at their MyCharity.ie page HERE.  
 


And according to Howth RNLI's Rise Michael, the funds they raise will ensure the north Dublin volunteer lifeboat crews can go to sea with the best equipment available, preserving their safety when saving lives at sea.

Meanwhile, Howth RNLI is hosting a 'boat jumble' sale at Howth Sea Angling Club from 10.30am to 1pm on Saturday 13 April.

All are welcome to bring along boat gear, fishing gear, dinghies, wetsuits, sails, books and any other nautical-related items.

Tables cost €20 each, with 25% of sales donated to the RNLI. Alternatively, items can be donated to ‘The Bosun’s Locker’ with all sale proceeds going to the RNLI.

The RNLI Sea Safety Team will be on hand to check lifejacket safety and give advice, and RNLI souvenirs will also be available. For more details contact Barbara Sargent on 01 832 5392 or Rose Michael on 087 255 2726.

Michael adds that the funds raised by the jumble sale will go towards Howth RNLI's current fundraising project to fund the running and maintenance costs of the lifeboat station for a week.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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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.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

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

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.

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

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

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