RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Kilkeel Lifeboat Attends 'Fiercely Burning' Yacht

30th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew responded early yesterday morning (29 June) to a 40ft two-masted glass fibre yacht reported to be burning out of control. The owner of the yacht, anchored south south-east of Rostrevor Pier on Carlingford…

Arranmore Lifeboat Rescues Injured Fisherman

27th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The crew of the Arranmore RNLI lifeboat were called on Wednesday afternoon 25 June to assist a fisherman involved in an accident on board a 12-meter fishing boat some 12 miles northwest of Tory Island. Malin Head also…

RNLI Honours Irish Lifeboat Volunteers at Awards Ceremony in Farmleigh as Charity Celebrates 190th Anniversary

24th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – The RNLI Annual Presentation of Awards took place on Saturday (21 June) in the Ballroom of Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park. It was a special occasion as it also marked the 190th anniversary of the charity that saves…

RNLI Honours Volunteers, Celebrates 190 Years In Belfast

21st June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The RNLI brought two of its all-weather lifeboats into Belfast on Wednesday 17 June for the charity’s 190th anniversary of saving lives at sea. To mark the milestone, the RNLI hosted an awareness day in the Titanic Quarter…

Lifeboat News: Wexford RNLI Rescues Injured Woman, Busy Evening On Lough Ree

21st June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Wexford RNLI came to the rescue of a woman who sustained a leg injury off the Point of Park yesterday (Friday 20 June). The lifeboat launched at 11.44am and was on scene at 11.47am. Volunteer lifeboat crew member…

Skerries Lifeboat Launches To Swimmer In Difficulty

18th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI launched on Monday afternoon 16 June to a swimmer in difficulty off nearby Red Island. The volunteer crew launched their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson shortly after 4.30pm. The lifeboat, helmed by Joe May with…

Crosshaven RNLI Helped in Race to Save Cork Harbour Scuba Diver

15th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnil – As Afloat.ie reported earlier Crosshaven Lifeboat were paged at 6.08pm (14 June) to a Dive Boat near Roches Point with an unresponsive diver on Board. The lifeboat met with the Dive Boat off Fort Camden and transferred volunteer Ian Venner, who…

Dunmore East Lifeboat Assists Yacht With Fouled Propeller In Busy Shipping Lane

11th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat launched yesterday (Tuesday 10 June) to assist a yacht that fouled its propeller on a mooring on the northern side of Cheekpoint in the Waterford Estuary. At lunchtime the Irish Coast Guard's Marine Rescue…

Arklow RNLI To Feature In RTÉ Series 'Abhainn'

9th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Volunteers from Arklow RNLI in Co Wicklow are to feature in RTÉ's Irish language programme Abhainn. The TV series features the rivers of Ireland, and this episode (to be broadcast in September) looks at the Avoca River from…

Friends Of Cheeki Rafiki Skipper Raise £20k In A Day For RNLI

7th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Friends of Andrew Bridge, the 21-year-old skipper of the lost yacht Cheeki Rafiki, are setting sail in his memory to raise money for the RNLI. And donations to their fundraising page for the lifeboat charity have reached £20,000…

Arklow Lifeboat Assists Adrift Fishing Vessel

5th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s volunteers were alerted by pager at 09:47am yesterday morning (Wednesday 4 June) to a call for help from a local fishing boat. The vessel had suffered a fouled propeller and was adrift just south of Cahore Point, halfway…

Vessel Aground On Lough Derg, RNLI Lifeboat Launches

4th June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist two people whose vessel ran aground at the entrance to Terryglass Harbour, at the northern end of Lough Derg This evening, June 4, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat…

Lough Derg Lifeboat Investigates Drifting Dinghy

3rd June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI's lifeboat launched on Sunday 1 June to investigate reports of a dinghy adrift off Parker's Point on the Clare shore. At 6.35pm Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI to investigate reports of a dinghy…

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Celebrates Tenth Birthday

3rd June 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#rnli – On May 25, 2014, the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station celebrated its tenth birthday. In those ten years, the lifeboat has launched 236 times, 60 of those at night. Volunteer crews have rescued 322 people and saved the…

Wicklow Lifeboat Launches To Fishing Vessel

31st May 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The Wicklow lifeboat launched shortly after 10.30am yesterday morning (Friday 30 May) to assist a fishing vessel 13 miles off Wicklow harbour. The 13-metre vessel was fishing for whelk when a rope fouled its propeller and it was…

Four Calls In 24 Hours For Portaferry Lifeboat

31st May 2014 RNLI Lifeboats

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI responded to four separate calls in the space of 24 hours between Thursday 29 and Friday 30 May. The first call was received at 6.07pm on Thursday to help four people…

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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