Kildare volunteers raising €117k for new lifeboat

A group of volunteer RNLI fundraisers based in North Kildare are launching an appeal this weekend to raise €117,000 to purchase a new state of the art lifeboat for Wexford RNLI lifesavers.

The inland fundraising branch, which has been going strong for well in excess of fifty years, want to fund a lifeboat, in recognition of the Institution’s Bi-centenary last year, which will be used to save lives on the south-east coast of Ireland and which will be named Cill Dara after the county that raised the funds to purchase it.

North Kildare RNLI have raised funds for the lifeboat charity over the years, through holding events, selling lifeboat merchandise and carrying out street and bucket collections. However, they’ve long held the dream of fully funding a lifeboat to go on station in Ireland.

The ambitious €117,000 target is the full cost of a new D-class inshore lifeboat and the branch have a year to reach their target.

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The charity’s D-class lifeboat is highly manoeuvrable and operates close to shore.

Often described as the ‘workhorse’ of the RNLI, due the amount of rescues it carries out, the lifeboat can be launched in minutes and comes into its own during searches and rescues in surf, shallow water and confined locations, often around cliffs, rocks and caves. With a top speed of 25 knots, the lifeboat can spend three hours at sea at this speed on search and rescue missions, crucial when lives are at risk. Over the last 60 years, the D-class lifeboat has helped RNLI volunteers save thousands of lives at sea.

The new home of the Cill Dara lifeboat will be Wexford RNLI, situated at the bridge in the town. The original Wexford Lifeboat Station, was established in 1838 and located at the mouth of Wexford Harbour. It was moved to Rosslare after a severe storm
decimated the Fort village and finally closed in 1927 due to coastal erosion. In 1993, following a drowning, Wexford Harbour Inshore Rescue was set up and in 2002, became part of the RNLI. In this year the station received their first D class lifeboat Winifred & Cyril Thorpe, which was replaced by the Philip Robert Booth in 2005 and in 2015 Wexford RNLI received the Alfred William Newman, which is shortly due to be replaced by a new lifeboat, Cill Dara. The volunteer lifeboat crew with Wexford RNLI have launched on service 313 times since 2002, rescuing 258 souls and saving 18
lives.

Commenting on the launch of the appeal North Kildare RNLI Wexford Appeal fundraising volunteer, Brian Bradshaw said, ‘ It has been a dream of our fundraising branch to fund a lifesaving vessel for many years, in honour of the generosity of the
people who have supported the charity from this area, over many years. Kildare is an inland county but we are not far from the coast. Many of us have grown up visiting the coast or enjoy spending time there and our lifeboat crew on this island, rescue hundreds of people every year, many of them visitors. Most lifeboats are funded through legacies but this one will be from living donors and named in honour of the generous people of Kildare, who made it possible. Once on service the Cill Dara will save many lives during its lifetime, keeping the volunteer lifeboat crew safe and protecting the coastline.’

Wexford RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager David Sherwood added, ‘Wexford RNLI is delighted to have North Kildare RNLI fundraise for our new D-class lifeboat. The new boat will help us carry out our vital work saving lives at sea and assisting those in need. It is very fitting for the lifeboat to be called Cill Dara.’

The official launch of the appeal will see the start of an exciting programme of fundraising events which will be announced on the day. Volunteers from Wexford RNLI will be present with a D-class lifeboat on site, to discuss their lifesaving work and
answer questions on the lifeboat. For further details of the appeal or to donate visit RNLI.org/CillDara