Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Mike Cubbard, welcomed representatives from the RNLI Galway Lifeboat Station to City Hall this month for a Mayoral Reception celebrating 30 years of lifesaving service.
The Galway Lifeboat Service was established in 1995, following a number of incidents on Galway Bay. The local RNLI fundraising committee campaigned for the lifeboat service, led by Pat Lavelle, a founding member of Galway RNLI.
Following a public meeting, where support for a lifeboat service was unanimous, in April 1994 the RNLI announced that an Atlantic 21 lifeboat would be placed on a year’s evaluation in Galway.
In October 1995 the first volunteer crew went to the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes on the Isle of Wight for training, and the following month, the temporary lifeboat arrived in Galway.
It was 30 years ago last month that crew training started in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. March 2026 will officially mark the 30th anniversary of the first lifeboat coming into service in Galway.
Mayor Cubbard commented, “Water has shaped our city – giving us a rich maritime and built heritage over the centuries, a legacy of milling, distilling, boating and fishing, wonderful spaces for recreation, and inspiration for culture and folklore.”
“The promise and power of water unfortunately also brings its own great challenges. Unfortunately, Galway City and coastal communities are no strangers to tragic losses of much loved family members and friends to the immense energy and power of water.”
“It is tragedies such as these that inspire ordinary people to rally together to show dedication, courage and support – becoming the heroes their local community need most.”
“Galway Lifeboat Service is one such exemplar of a community banding together to deliver a vital service for the community.”
Since the station was established, the volunteer lifeboat crews of RNLI Galway Lifeboat have been on call 24/7, ready to launch and rescue those in danger on the water.
35 volunteers are attached to the Galway Lifeboat station, providing vital services – from the crew who go out to sea, the shore crew and support crew, and other roles such as admin and fundraising.
Last year, the Galway lifeboat was called out on 23 different occasions, coming to the aid of 17 people in distress or danger on the water.
“That is 17 anxious families standing on the shore, waiting for news of loved ones,” Mayor Cubbard said. “And likewise, no doubt, the loved ones of the Galway Lifeboat Volunteers are waiting for the call to say they are back on dry land, and on the way home.”
“No matter the time of day or night, any day of the year – when the call comes in, the crew of Galway Lifeboat will leave their work, or home behind, to come to the aid of those who need them.”
On behalf of Galway City Council, Mayor Cubbard commended and acknowledged all the volunteers who have played a role in three decades of service of Galway Lifeboat.
Paul Carey, Lifeboat Operations Manager with Galway RNLI, said, “It is a privilege to be here today to be recognised by the City for the work of our volunteer crew to provide a 24 hour search and rescue service on Galway Bay.”
“This is not something we do alone and we would like to acknowledge the emergency services that we work closely alongside including the Irish Coast Guard, An Garda Siochána, Galway Fire and Rescue, the National Ambulance Service, other volunteer agencies and our RNLI flank stations on the Aran Islands and in Clifden.”
“I would also like to thank the people of Galway for their support over the last thirty years, as we look forward to the next thirty years and more of helping to save lives on our lovely Galway Bay.”
Mayor Cubbard presented Pat Lavelle and Paul Carey with a framed scroll and Galway Crystal vase, to commemorate the occasion of the Mayoral Reception in honour of thirty years of Galway Lifeboat.
