Achill Island Lifeboat Station
| All-Weather Lifeboat | |
|---|---|
| Launch Method | Afloat |
| Address | Cill Damhnait, Achill Sound, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Telephone | 098 45612 |
Explore two centuries of RNLI lifeboat history, heroic rescues, and the enduring tradition of saving lives at sea.
Achill Island Lifeboat Station guards the wild Atlantic coast of County Mayo from Cill Damhnait, near Achill Sound, on Ireland’s largest island. Established in 1996 to strengthen cover along the remote west coast, the station looks out on towering sea cliffs, Clew Bay and the open ocean. It operates a Trent-class all-weather lifeboat, ready to launch into some of the most exposed waters in Ireland.
Through the 1990s the RNLI greatly strengthened its cover on the sparsely served west coast of Ireland, and after the need was resolved in 1995, a lifeboat station was established at Achill Island in 1996. A site was developed at Cill Damhnait, on Achill Sound, where the all-weather lifeboat could lie afloat. In 1999 the station received the Trent-class lifeboat 14-28 Sam and Ada Moody, funded by a substantial legacy from Ada Moody. From this remote base the Achill crew cover a dramatic and dangerous coast — the great cliffs of Croaghaun and Minaun, the entrance to Clew Bay and its islands, and the open Atlantic beyond — often launching far offshore to fishing vessels and yachts. Achill is the largest of Ireland’s islands, joined to the mainland by a road bridge at Achill Sound, and the lifeboat ranges north towards the Mullet peninsula and west into the open ocean. The station has built a strong record of long, demanding services in heavy seas, and its volunteers have been recognised for their gallantry.
