Lough Swilly Lifeboat Station is located next to Ned's Point Fort in Buncrana, a town and former naval port, which sits on the eastern shore of Lough Swilly, on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, on the north coast of Ireland
The lifeboat station at Buncrana was first established as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1988 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). In 2000, the station was also assigned an All-weather lifeboat.
The station currently operates a All-weather lifeboat, 13-08 Derek Bullivant (ON 1315), on station since 2015, and a Inshore lifeboat, Davdot (B-958), on station since 2026.
History In the early 1980s, a campaign was started to get a lifeboat stationed on Lough Swilly. Previously there had been two lifeboat stations on the Inishowen peninsula; at (closed 1913), and at (closed 1928). By 1988, the nearest All-weather lifeboat stations were at to the west, and to the east, separated by a gap of approximately .
One of the people instrumental in the campaign was Irish musician, songwriter and record producer Phil Coulter, who had lost both a sister and brother in separate incidents on the lough, with the latter, Brian, drowning in a windsurfing accident in 1984. Coulter would later write and record the "RNLI anthem" Home from the Sea. At a ceremony on 24 July 1988, in front of a crowd of over 1000 people, a new Inshore lifeboat (D-356) was formally handed over to the care of the new Lough Swilly Lifeboat Station. The station was the 26th RNLI station in Ireland, the first to be opened in County Donegal for 96 years, with a large part of the cost coming from a concert by Mr Coulter in aid of the appeal.
On the night of 24 August 1992, a man reported missing from a speedboat was rescued from the rocks at the foot of the cliffs at Dunree Head. One of the lifeboat crew swam to the shore with a line, while the other descended the cliffs and crossed a water-filled gully to reach the man. Both were accorded "The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum".
In 1995, work began to construct a new boathouse, capable of housing not only the lifeboat, but also a and the Talus MB-764 County launch tractor, which had been assigned to the station. The Atlantic 21 'Foresters (B-531), from the relief fleet, was initially placed on station on 25 March 1995, followed by the permanent station lifeboat Daisy Aitken (B-717), a new updated larger , on 5 October 1995.
Lough Swilly lifeboat station would receive another class of lifeboat in 2000, when it was decided that the station was to operate an All-weather lifeboat. The relief lifeboat 47-012 Good Shepherd (ON 1115) was initially placed on service on 29 September 2000, followed by the permanent Tyne-class lifeboat 47-009 William Luckin (ON 1111), which had previously served at the flank station of since 1986. The All-weather lifeboat is kept at Buncrana Pier. For the next five years, Lough Swilly would be one of just a handful of stations operating three classes of lifeboat, until the (D-502) was withdrawn in 2005.
At midnight on 12 November 2006, the Lough Swilly lifeboat William Luckin was launched to the aid of the fishing vessel Mary Ellen, in difficulties off Dunaff Head. In winds gusting up to gale force 8, and seas, the lifeboat arrived on scene at 01:20. A line to the vessel was established after four attempts, and considering the conditions, it was opted to tow the vessel to Greencastle. The line parted twice during the journey, and the lifeboat 17-23 Kate Hannan was also called to stand by. It would be 10:30 before the three boats arrived at Greencastle. Coxswain Mark Barnett was accorded "The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum".
A new Inshore lifeboat was placed at Lough Swilly in 2007, funded by the bequest of Mrs Minnie Barry in memory of her late husband, and duly named Minnie & Ernest George Barry (B-819).
In 2015, the fifth Tyne-class lifeboat to be stationed at Lough Swilly, 47-013 Robert and Violet (ON 1116), was retired to the relief fleet. In its place, the station would received a new €2.4 million lifeboat, the first to be placed at a station in Ireland. Funded primarily by the legacy of Mr Derek Bullivant, an aluminium recycling entrepreneur of Bewdley, Worcestershire, and from Mrs. Valerie Walker from Portsmouth, at a ceremony on 25 June 2016, the lifeboat was named 13-08 Derek Bullivant (ON 1315).
On 9 April 2026, after 19 years service, Minnie & Ernest George Barry (B-819) was replaced by Davdot (B-958). The lifeboat was funded by long-time lifeboat supporters David and Dorothy Robinson of Surrey.
Station honours The following are awards made at Lough Swilly. 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' Bernard Devlin, crew member – 1993 Mark Porter, crew member – 1993 Mark Barnett, Second Coxswain – 2007 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' Mr Frank O'Hagan, skipper of a 20-foot RIB – 1993 George O'Hagan, Helm – 1993 George O'Hagan, Deputy Second Coxswain – 2007 Vellum Service Certificate Gregory McDaid, crew member – 2007 Alan O'Hagan, crew member – 2007 Stephen McGavigan, crew member – 2007 Dan Gallanagh, crew member – 2007 National Marine Gallantry and Meritorious Service Award Lough Swilly RNLI – 2016
Lough Swilly lifeboats Inshore lifeboats D class Op.No. Name Class Comments D-356 1988–1996 1996–2005 D-class withdrawn, 2005
B class Op.No. Name Class Comments B-531 Foresters 1995 B-717 Daisy Aitken 1995–2007 B-819 2007–2026 2026–
All-weather lifeboats ON Op.No. Name Built Class Comments 1115 Good Shepherd 1987 2000–2001 First deployed in the Relief fleet. 1111 47-009 William Luckin 1986 2001–2007 Previously at . 1142 47-029 Mariners Friend 1989 2007–2012 First deployed in the Relief fleet. 1157 47-039 1989 2012–2013 First deployed at . 1116 47-013 Robert and Violet 1987 2013–2015 Previously at . 1315 13-08 Derek Bullivant 2015 2015–
Launch and recovery tractors Op.No. Reg.No. Type Comments TW08 1995–1996 TW33 M562 OUX Talus MB-764 County 1996–2001 TW14 87-D-38843 Talus MB-764 County 2001–2007 TW47 99-D-87952 Talus MB-764 County 2007–2021 TW31 L526 JUJ Talus MB-764 County 2021–2022 TW47 99-D-87952 Talus MB-764 County 2022–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
References
Sources
External links Lough Swilly RNLI Lifeboat Station