Lough Derg Lifeboat Station
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| Lough Derg Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Lough Derg Harbour, County Tipperary | |
  Dromineer, County Tipperary | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | Lough Derg Yacht Club, Dromineer, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°55′36.1″N 8°16′30.9″W / 52.926694°N 8.275250°W |
| Opened | 25 May 2004 |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website | |
| Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station | |
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).[1]
The station currently operates the B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Jean Spier (B-911), on station since 2019.[2]
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 39 kilometres (24 mi) long and up to 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) wide, it is effectively a small sea, and attracts thousands of leisure craft each year onto its waters.[3]
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 B-class (Atlantic 21) 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.[1][3]
On the 18 July 2007, another lifeboat from the relief fleet, the larger B-class (Atlantic 75) Vera Skilton (B-705), was placed at the station. Over the next twelve years, a succession of Atlantic 75-class lifeboats from the relief fleet were placed on station, the last being Elsinore (B-781), previously on service at Sligo Bay.[1][4]
After 15 years on service, Lough Derg would finally get a 'new' lifeboat assigned to the station. The B-class (Atlantic 85) 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.[5]
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.[6]