Lough Derg Lifeboat Station is located at Lough Derg Yacht Club, in Dromineer, a small village on the eastern shore of Lough Derg, the largest lake on the River Shannon, in County Tipperary, Ireland.
A lifeboat station was established on Lough Derg in 2004 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The station currently operates the Inshore lifeboat, Jean Spier (B-911), on station since 2019.
History In 2003, the Irish Coast Guard took over responsibility for Inland Search and Rescue. A request was made of the RNLI to place a lifeboat on Lough Derg, the largest lake on the River Shannon. At approximately long and up to wide, it is effectively a small sea, and attracts thousands of leisure craft each year onto its waters.
A site at the Lough Derg Yacht Club at Dromineer was deemed strategically suitable, both physically, and with sufficient local population to provide crew. A group of volunteers were selected, and training was undertaken at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The relief Inshore lifeboat Clothworker (B-586) was initially sent to the station, and the station was declared operational at 8.45pm on Tuesday 25 May 2004.
On the 18 July 2007, another lifeboat from the relief fleet, the larger Vera Skilton (B-705), was placed at the station. Over the next twelve years, a succession of lifeboats from the relief fleet were placed on station, the last being Elsinore (B-781), previously on service at .
After 15 years on service, Lough Derg would finally get a 'new' lifeboat assigned to the station. The Jean Spier (B-911) arrived on station on 5 March 2019. The boat was funded by Mr Robert Spier, and named after his late wife. At a naming ceremony on Saturday 11 May, the lifeboat was formally accepted by Paddy McLaughlin, RNLI Irish Council Member, and then handed to the care of Lough Derg RNLI.
The Lough Derg crew would feature in Series 5, Episode 4, of the BBC Television series 'Saving Lives at Sea' in 2020, to rescue a man who had fallen overboard in rough weather, and a night time launch into the fog responding to voices heard.
Lough Derg lifeboats Op. No. Name Class Comments Clothworker B-705 Vera Skilton 2007–2010 B-736 Toshiba Wave Warrior 2010–2012 B-755 2012–2013 B-747 Rockabill 2013–2015 B-781 Elsinore 2015–2019 B-911 Jean Spier 2019–
Launch and recovery tractors Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments TA52 New Holland TN55D 2022–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
References
External links Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station