RNLI Lifeboat News From Ireland

Clogherhead RNLI Lifeboat with the motorboat that broke its mooring

Clogherhead RNLI Lifeboat Rescues Drifting Motor Boat

2nd July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Clogherhead RNLI volunteers were tasked by the Coast Guard on Saturday, 1 July, to aid a drifting 19 ft. motorboat. The Clogherhead volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch their all-weather Shannon class lifeboat at 12.22 pm following a request…

The 12-metre-long sailing yacht is towed to Rosslare Harbour by the RNLI

Rosslare Harbour RNLI Tows Sailing Yacht with Fouled Propellor

2nd July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Rosslare Harbour RNLI lifeboat was tasked by the Coast Guard at 8 45 am on Saturday (July 1) to assist a 12-metre-long sailing yacht that had fouled its propellor half a mile from the Splaugh Buoy. The yacht crew were wearing…

Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat en route to the stricken cruiser on Saturday afternoon 1 July

Lough Derg Lifeboat Launches to Two on Cruiser Aground Near Terryglass

2nd July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

On Saturday afternoon (1 July) Lough Derg RNLI was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard following a report from a member of the public of a vessel aground close to Terryglass at the northern end of Lough Derg. The…

Valentia RNLI lifeboat returning from Friday 29 June’s call-out to a fishing boat with a snagged propeller

Valentia Lifeboat Assists Fishermen After Boat Nets Get Caught in Propeller

2nd July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Three fishermen were brought to safety by Valentia RNLI on Thursday afternoon (29 June) after their nets were caught in the propeller of their 14m fishing boat. At 3.17pm, Valentia Coast Guard requested Valentia RNLI’s volunteer crew to launch their…

Row Hard or Go Home team members Jim Bailey, Derek McMullen (with his son Fionn), Frankie Mohan and Eugene Mohan are pictured with Howth RNLI crew member Killian O’Reilly, coxswain/mechanic Ian Sheridan (with daughter Amelia) and crew member Aidan Murphy

‘Row Hard or Go Home’ Teams Raise €35K for RNLI in Ireland to Fund Lifesaving Rescue Work

1st July 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Four members of Ireland’s Row Hard or Go Home team visited Howth RNLI recently to present a cheque for €35,096 to the lifeboat crew. The funds were raised through the teams taking part in the World’s Toughest Row (formerly the…

Wicklow RNLI relief fleet all-weather lifeboat RNLB Ruth and David Arthur

Three Fishermen in Vessel with Fouled Propellor are Rescued by Wicklow RNLI

28th June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Three fishermen were brought to safety by Wicklow RNLI on Tuesday afternoon (27 June), after their 14-metre vessel got into difficulties ten miles northeast of Wicklow harbour. The RNLI relief fleet all-weather lifeboat RNLB Ruth and David Arthur put to…

Kilmore Quay's all-weather Tamar class lifeboat Killarney pictured alongside at Kilmore Quay with a Coastguard vehicle on the slipway on Saturday afternoon following the first call-out

Kilmore Quay RNLI Aids Yacht That 'Lost All Power'

26th June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Kilmore Quay RNLI volunteer crew were called late on Saturday night to assist a yacht with four people on board that had lost power at sea, having also launched in the afternoon to reports of four swimmers in difficulty at…

Wicklow RNLI Inshore and all-weather lifeboats rescue sailors from a capsized yacht where one person was trapped in rigging

Five Rescued from Capsized Yacht by Wicklow RNLI

26th June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Both Wicklow RNLI Inshore and all-weather lifeboats launched this afternoon (Sunday, 25 June) after the Irish Coast Guard received a distress call on Marine VHF Channel 16, reporting an 8-metre racing yacht had capsized during a squall in Wicklow bay,…

Sligo Bay RNLI’s inshore lifeboat crew right one of the capsized dinghies on Thursday evening (22 June). The sailing club reported that conditions on the water changed quickly before the incident

Sligo Bay Lifeboat Launches to Sailing Dinghies Caught in Squall

24th June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Sligo Bay RNLI’s volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat to reports of sailing dinghies caught in a squall on Thursday evening (22 June). Following reports from an onlooker on the beach at Rosses Point that there appeared…

Enniskillen's new RNLI station on the Killadeas Road

Enniskillen RNLI to Open State of the Art Station and Name Atlantic 85 Class Lifeboat

23rd June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Volunteers at Enniskillen RNLI will host a dual celebration at 2 pm next Saturday, 1 July, when the charity’s new state-of-the-art lifeboat station will be officially opened on Killadeas Road. The charity’s Atlantic 85 class lifeboat, John and Jean Lewis,…

Pictured at the launch of the 2023 Runway Fun Run at Ireland West Airport are (from left) Eilish Power of Achill Island RNLI, Carmen Taheny of ISPCC, Marion Biesty and Mary Russell of Mayo SPCA, Alanna O’Boyle of Diabetes Ireland, Geraldine Molloy of the Cancer Fund for Children and Eoghan O’Sullivan or Breakthrough Cancer

Achill Island and Ballyglass RNLI Among Charities to Benefit From Popular Airport Run

23rd June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Achill Island and Ballyglass RNLI in Co Mayo are among six charities that will benefit from the proceeds raised from the hugely popular annual 5k Runway Fun Run, which will take place on the runway at Ireland West Airport this…

File image of Sligo Bay RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Sligo Bay Lifeboat Launches to Four Swimmers in Difficulty at Strandhill

22nd June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Sligo Bay RNLI’s volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat to reports of four swimmers in difficulty on Wednesday afternoon (21 June) at Strandhill beach. On arrival at the scene less than 20 minutes after pagers sounded, the…

File image of Portrush RNLI’s inshore lifeboat

Portrush Lifeboat Crews Assist Evacuation of Casualty Who Fell onto Rocks

21st June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Portrush RNLI was requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard at 7.15pm on Tuesday evening to reports of a person who had fallen onto rocks between Portrush and Portstewart on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast. The all-weather lifeboat was already out on…

Wexford RNLI crew setting up a towline with the grounded motorboat

Wexford Lifeboat Rescues Two After Boat Runs Aground on Rocks

21st June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Wexford RNLI rescued two people on Tuesday night (20 June) after their boat ran aground on rocks. The volunteer crew were just completing a routine training exercise when they were requested by the Irish Coast Guard at 9.30pm to go…

File image of Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier

Lough Derg Lifeboat Launches in Darkness to Search for Two Reported Overdue

20th June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

In the early hours of Tuesday morning (20 June), Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI to launch to search for and assist two people reported to have set out from Portumna for Mountshannon seven hours earlier but who had…

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI inshore lifeboat

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Tows Small Boat with Four People Onboard

20th June 2023 RNLI Lifeboats

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI had a late call from the Irish Coast Guard last night, Monday (19 June) to assist four people on a small boat with engine trouble, close to Carlisle Pier. The volunteer crew were alerted at 10.11pm…

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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