The arrival of a new RNLI lifeboat in a West Cork harbour that witnessed one of Ireland’s worst fishing tragedies of recent times, offers hope to all putting to sea in the area, according to a leading local figure in the charity set up to save lives at sea.
Union Hall RNLI Lifeboat operations manager John Kelleher said the arrival of the new Atlantic 85 Lifeboat, Christine and Raymond Fielding, marks an important day for the RNLI in the busy fishing port located in Glandore Harbour in West Cork.
‘This is a very special occasion for our station. As well as giving us the opportunity to give thanks to our donor and acknowledge this wonderful couple, we want to share this day with our community and to thank them for their continued support,” he said.
Mr Kelleher explained that funding for the new B class inshore boat came from the late Dr Raymond Fielding, a keen mariner who wanted to fund a lifeboat in memory of his late wife, Christine, who often sailed with him around his beloved West Cork.
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“The lifeboat has been on service here in Union Hall since June 2021 but the ceremony to name her was postponed, to allow the community to celebrate together and remember Raymond and Christine and their generous gift,” he added.
Glandore Harbour was the scene of one of Ireland’s worst fishing tragedies of recent times when on the morning of January 15th, 2012, the fishing vessel Tit Bonhomme sank in stormy seas at the mouth of Glandore Harbour with the loss of five crew, en route to tying up at the quayside at Union Hall.
Following that tragedy, the RNLI decided in 2013 to trial an inshore lifeboat based at Union Hall to complement the existing nearest all-weather RNLI lifeboats based at Courtmacsherry and Baltimore — and following a 24-month trial period, the decision was taken to retain the inshore boat.
“While we have seen a fair share of tragedy in our maritime community in this part of the world, the arrival of a new lifeboat is a beacon of hope and an investment in life-saving,” said Mr Kelleher, who noted everyone involved in the RNLI locally in Union Hall was a volunteer.
The Atlantic 85 class lifeboat is one of the fastest vessels in the RNLI fleet in Ireland with a top speed of 35 knots and while it is designed to operate in shallower water, it can also handle challenging open sea conditions.
“It is ideal for rescues close to shore, near cliffs and rocks and areas inaccessible to all-weather lifeboats. It is also capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to the engines,” he said.
In addition to night vision equipment, the vessel carries a searchlight and parachute illuminating flares to light up the surrounding area, helping to keep crew members safe as well as locate those in need of help.
