Ireland – Aran Islands

The Aran Islands (Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr) are a trio of Irish-speaking islands located in Galway Bay, famous for their rugged limestone landscapes, ancient stone forts and traditional knitwear. They are accessible by seasonal ferries from Galway. The largest of the Islands, Inis Mór, has the Aran Islands Lifeboat Station located in the pretty harbour.

It was a glorious sunny morning and we walked from our hotel to the port where we had visited the lifeboat station the afternoon before. We waited in line to board the Saoirse na Farraige - Freedom of the Sea which was due to leave on time at 9:30am.

The short 90 minute ferry crossing was flat calm and we enjoyed the stunning views of the surrounding coastline. Arriving into the small harbour of Kilronan, we disembarked and took the short walk to the lifeboat station

Aran Islands Lifeboat Station

At the station we called up the stairs and were greeted by Lifeboat Press Officer Treasa. We were introduced to the crew who had kindly come to the station to meet us. The boat crew had endured a hectic weekend of three shouts in as many days including a dramatic rescue which undoubtedly saved a young life. So for that we were extremely grateful to them for spending time with us.

Over a lovely cup of tea and biscuits, we had a great chat with Coxswain Aonghus, Crew members Daniel and Leah, Treasurer Margaret and LPO Treasa.

The station was first established in 1927 by the RNLI and was named Galway Bay Lifeboat Station. In 1990, the station facilities were improved, when a derelict boathouse adjacent to the current boathouse was renovated and added to the station, the works being completed in October 1990. The name of the Lifeboat Station was changed to Aran Islands Lifeboat Station with effect from 1 August 1995.

The station is no stranger to big seas and tough rescues. In a three day period from the 3 October 2000, their Severn Class lifeboat, 17-06 David Kirkaldy, spent over 30 hours at sea, searching for survivors of the Spanish Fishing trawler Arosa, which sank near Skerd Rocks, 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Inishmore. Just one man survived of the 13 crew. "The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum" were accorded to Second Coxswain Patrick Mullen in recognition of his dedication, leadership and skilful seamanship. Mechanic John Mulkerrin received a "Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution".

After some group photos outside the station, Aonghus offered to drive us the short distance up to the jetty where the Lifeboat was moored. He showed us onboard and we had a long chat about the boat and the crew. 17-06 was on station in 1997. You may notice from the photos a slight discrepancy between the name on the manufacturers plate and the side of the boat, a unique feature of this Severn Class.

After thanking Aonghus for his time we headed back to the village to find some lunch and await our ferry trip back to Galway. The return journey was spectacular as we sailed below the imposing Cliffs of Moher.

As we moored in Galway we noticed the crew and lifeboat at the Galway Lifeboat Station were out and about to launch. So we quickly made our way over to watch the Davit launch of the Atlantic 85 and the crew set off on exercise.

Another fantastic day and a wonderful visit to the Aran Islands Lifeboat Station thanks to the amazing crew.