Rescue boats

I originally had two pages about workboats on Irish inland waterways. One page covered Waterways Ireland’s fleet; the other covered the rest. However, the number of workboats is far greater than I had imagined and I have to split up the two pages. To start with, I’ve given rescue boats a page of their own. This page includes boats originally covered on the Non-WI workboats page as well as a few additions.

I don’t have photos of all the rescue boats on the waterways: for instance, I have none of the Lough Erne RNLI boats, the Irish Red Cross Lough Corrib/Lough Mask rescue boat or the Lough Neagh Rescue service. However [addendum January 2013] I now have some pics of the Lough Ree RNLI boat, thanks to Giles Byford.

My understanding is that some rescue services are official “designated resources”, which the Coast Guard (or NI equivalent) can call on at any time. They include all the RNLI boats, the Lough Neagh boats and the Killaloe- and Limerick-based boats. The Killaloe service began as Killaloe-Ballina Search and Rescue but became itself a unit of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard provides VHF cover and coordinates rescues on the Shannon.

There are other voluntary services, some dedicated to rescue and others run eg by diving clubs, that offer their services and take part in both searches and rescues. These include the Mountshannon and Athlone Sub-Aqua Club boats. If anyone can improve on that explanation, do please leave a comment. And if you feel your service should be included here, I’d welcome photos and information.

Killaloe–Ballina Search and Rescue

The Killaloe-Ballina Search and Rescue (KBSR) service started with the two shown below.

However, the Coast Guard prefers rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), so it re-equipped the unit.

RNLI Lough Derg

Here is the RNLI boat based at Dromineer on Lough Derg, escorting a cruiser to Rossmore Pier.

And here is the RNLI taking over the tow of a crippled cruiser to take it to Williamstown.

RNLI Lough Ree

The Lough Ree lifeboat station is on a one-year trial to enable the RNLI to assess whether to station a boat there permanently. The photos below were taken by Giles Byford, writer of the unmissable Hawthorn Blog, to whom I am grateful for permission to reproduce them.

Athlone SubAqua Club

This is the Athlone SubAqua Club’s RIB on its way to look at a grounded cruiser near Clonmacnois.

Portumna Water Rescue Service

Here is the Portumna Water Rescue Service at Dromaan on Lough Derg.

Waterford City River Rescue

This service is based on the tidal River Suir.

Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue

The Suir is tidal up past Carrick, but the River Rescue service gets around. I spotted the van and trailer at Cahir Castle, beside the Suir.

Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue doesn’t seem to have a website, but it is in need of funds; read about it here.

North Tipperary Civil Defence

I photographed the North Tipperary Civil Defence 4WD vehicles at Ballina on the Shannon: they had launched their RIBs and were out on exercise.

I didn’t manage to photograph their boat until January 2012, when they kindly posed at the start of a training session on a very cold day.

Kilkenny Civil Defence

LiMerick marine rescue

Here’s their Land Rover at Shannon Sailing for a training session …

… with their boat and the training boat.

More information and photos welcome.
[non-wi wb 10]