RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

File image of Enniskillen RNLI’s inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis

Enniskillen Lifeboat Assist Two After Boat Breakdown

9th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Enniskillen RNLI’s inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard on Wednesday afternoon (9 August) to assess a boat breakdown near Portoa Lock. The Shetland cruiser with two people onboard had reported encountering mechanical…

Wicklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat returns to station after the call-out on Sunday night 6 August

Wicklow Lifeboats Respond to Two Call-Outs in 24 Hours

9th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Just hours after the conclusion of their station’s open day on Sunday (6 August), Wicklow RNLI’s volunteer crew members responded to the first of two call-outs in 24 hours. Pagers sounded just after 9.30pm on Sunday night and within 10…

Skerries RNLI recovering the lifeboat on Friday night 4 August

Skerries Lifeboat Rescues Teens Stranded By Rising Tide on Shenick Island

8th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Skerries RNLI were tasked just before 10pm on Friday night (4 August) following a 999 call to report that two teenagers were stranded on Shenick Island, having been cut off by the incoming tide. The volunteers in Skerries launched their…

Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Station Crew on the Open Day in Wicklow Harbour

Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Station Holds Successful Open Day

8th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

The Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Station opened its doors and lifeboats to the public on the August Bank Holiday Monday for the first time in four years due to Covid-19. Despite the mixed weather, it turned out to be a hugely…

Donaghadee's All Weather RNLI Lifeboat Macquarie

Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Responds to Emergency Medical Issue on Cruise Ship

5th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

In the late hours of Friday, August 4th, 2024, the volunteer crew of the Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat station in Northern Ireland received a call from HM Coastguard. The Coastguard reported an emergency medical issue involving a female passenger on a…

File image of Cowes RNLI’s inshore lifeboat at sea

Isle of Wight Lifeboat Kept Busy By Multiple Incidents During Cowes Week Regatta

3rd August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

The Cowes RNLI lifeboat was kept busy during Cowes Week racing earlier this week with incidents on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday morning (31 July) the lifeboat crew were called out to two yachts involved in a violent collision, and…

File image of Baltimore RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat

Second Medevac in Two Days for Baltimore Lifeboat in West Cork

1st August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI were called out on Monday night (31 July) for the second time in two days to provide a medical evacuation, this time from Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their…

The Tara Scougall RNLI lifeboat was launched from its base at Coosan Point and arrived on the scene within 10 minutes of the call

Boats Run Aground Near Black Islands; Lough Ree RNLI Saves Three Groups of People

1st August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

A group of 26 people were rescued by Lough Ree RNLI on Monday, 31 July, after three boats ran aground north of the Black Islands. The emergency call was made to the Irish Coast Guard, who requested the aid of…

Crosshaven RNLI inshore lifeboat at speed in Cork Harbour

Crosshaven RNLI Responds to Two Callouts in Cork Harbour

1st August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

The volunteer crew of Crosshaven RNLI were kept busy on Monday evening with two back-to-back callouts in Cork Harbour. The first callout came at 7.45 pm when the crew was alerted to a 19-foot motor boat with two people on…

Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Station crews will will be available to discuss their specialised training, demonstrate the equipment used on the lifeboats, and answer any questions on Open Day on Sunday, August 6th

Get a Glimpse of Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Station's Operations on Open Day

1st August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Station is set to open its doors to the public on Sunday, August 6th, for its annual Open Day. This much-anticipated event has been absent for the past four years due to Covid-19 restrictions, but the volunteers,…

Owen Medland (left), RNLI Area Lifesaving Manager for the southeast, presented Dr Cox with a framed print of Fethard's D-Class Naomh Dubhan on a chart of Ballyteige Bay on his retirement

Fethard RNLI Celebrates Retirement of Long-Serving Volunteer Doctor

1st August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Last week, Fethard RNLI came together to honour and bid farewell to Dr John Cox, who retired from his role as a volunteer Lifeboat Medical Advisor after over 25 years of dedicated service. Dr Cox began his tenure as a…

File image of a woman kayaking in a group with splash from the oar hitting the camera

Rise in Paddleboard Rescues Across Ireland and UK Prompts Safety Advisory

31st July 2023 Water Safety

The RNLI has teamed up with British Canoeing to encourage people to make safety a priority before taking to the water. And echoing their safety advice is a kayaker who claims his trip to the coast may have ended in…

Crosshaven RNLI Tows Broken Down Motor Boat Back to Paddy's Point in Cork Harbour

30th July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

A member of the public alerted the Coast Guard to a stranded vessel with one person onboard near Spike Island and Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour on Saturday afternoon (July 29th). The Crosshaven lifeboat volunteers were called to action and launched…

Baltimore RNLI Execute Medevac of Injured Man from Sherkin Island in West Cork

30th July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

The Baltimore RNLI provided a medical evacuation on Sunday morning, July 30th, from Sherkin Island located off Baltimore in West Cork. The request for assistance came from the Irish Coast Guard to evacuate an injured man from the island. The…

The Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat crew who assisted the speedboat off the West Cork coast

West Cork Speedboat Caught on a Rope is Towed Home By Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat

29th July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Castletownbere lifeboat was dispatched to help a man whose speedboat was having difficulty off the West Cork coast this afternoon. The Irish Coast Guard's Marine Research Coordination Centre in Valentia received reports that a 17' speedboat with one person aboard…

Baltimore RNLI inshore lifeboat prepares to launch in West Cork

Baltimore RNLI Assists Broken Down 12m Yacht Near West Cork Harbour

28th July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI responded to a distress call on Thursday, 27 July, to assist a 12m sailing yacht with engine failure near Baltimore Harbour, West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat at 7 pm after the Coast Guard requested…

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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