Cork Coasts: 'Seeing mum on RNLI boat, I knew it was for me...'

BALLYCOTTON Lifeboat Station stands proudly at the helm of the village bay, in the shadow of the imposing lighthouse that guards the harbour.

The Mary Stanford lifeboat that was once used here is part of the rich maritime history of the village, and of the RNLI itself.

Regarded as the most famous incident in Irish Lifeboat history, the rescue of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork harbour, carried out aboard the Mary Stanford, is now preserved in the village as a commemorative memory of what that crew achieved on February 7, 1936.

That day, Patrick Sliney, the Ballycotton Coxswain, led the village lifeboat crew at sea for 49 hours in the worst weather conditions. He was awarded the RNLI Gold Medal for Gallantry, and his son William received a Bronze medal for Gallantry.

For so many RNLI volunteers through the years, saving lives has been a family affair.

Eolan Walsh, Coxswain, and his niece, Sile Scanlon, are modern-day of the dedicated Ballycotton Lifeboat crew.

The Coxswain is responsible for steering the boat and co-ordinating the power and the rhythm of the rowers.

“You could say the Coxswain is the ‘coach’ on the boat,” explains Eolan.

He is in charge of steering around any obstacles, maintaining a safe distance between other crews, and navigating turns on the course.

“There are 26 sea-going crew and 40 Ballycotton RNLI in total, including the fund-raisers and the shop,” says Eolan, who has been involved with the local lifeboat for more than 30 years.

Back in the day, the RNLI crew and were predominantly from fishing and sea-faring backgrounds.

“We made our living from fishing,” says Eolan. “That is what we did.

The biggest change over the years is that there are not as many fishermen volunteering for the RNLI.

“People are moving away, others are moving in. These days, people who volunteer for the RNLI are from all walks of life.”

Eolan says that teamwork and commitment is key to the operations involved in saving lives at sea.

“The training is standardised and is always progressing,” he says. “If any of us served at another lifeboat station, procedures remain the same.

We do things the same way every time, and we all slot in.

“We are like family and it’s always great to see new crew coming on board.”

Everyone counts.

“Whether a volunteer is a sea-going member or is on-shore helping to prepare the lifeboat for launch, or fundraising to make rescue possible, their contribution really does make a difference,” says Eolan.

There is a ripple effect where, traditionally, generations of East Cork families ed the RNLI Ballycotton.

“My mum, Maura, was a volunteer with Ballycotton Lifeboat for 15 years,” says Sile. “And she was one of two female boat mechanics. She was a huge influence on me ing the RNLI.

“Seeing her on the boat, holding her own with the lads, I knew it was for me.”

When Sile herself was rescued by a crew, she became one of the youngest volunteers with Ballycotton RNLI.

“I always knew I wanted to the crew, but when I was rescued myself, I experienced first-hand the value of the charity’s life-saving work. Now I am part of a great team.”

Sile always had a connection to the sea.

“Growing up in Ballycotton, I have always had a love for the sea with my family being so involved,” says Sile. “The RNLI has always been close to my heart.”

The organisation came to her rescue one idyllic summer’s day in 2016.

“Me and three pals took off for Ballycotton Island two kilometres from the village in kayaks. It seemed the perfect day,” recalls Sile.

“Four of us decided to kayak out as far as Ballycotton Lighthouse. We spent a couple of hours out on the island enjoying the sunshine and then noticed the weather was beginning to freshen. There was a big swell between the two islands.

“We decided not to risk kayaking back to land in case the kayaks capsized. We put in a call to the lifeboat before we got into any more danger.

We raised the alarm and made our way to the lighthouse where Ballycotton’s all-weather lifeboat came to our assistance.

The group were in no imminent danger. But the weather had changed for the worst.

“We called 112, ing there was a problem,” says Sile. “The lifeboat responded to us at once. We were told to stay put and the lifeboat would be with us in 10 minutes.”

Sile and her companions were soon back on terra firma, safe and sound.

Sile, steeped in Ballycotton’s rich lifeboat history was later welcomed aboard as a volunteer and went on three lifeboat exercise trips as part of her training.

“I did a stint in the RNLI Survival Centre in Poole in Dorset, England,” says Sile.

“The UK college on the south coast welcomes lifeboat and lifeguards from around the UK and Ireland. It gives crew practical experience in sea safety and survival techniques.”

What is required to the RNLI crew?

“You have to be able to swim at least 10 metres to become a lifeboat crew member,” says Sile. “Also, a good level of fitness is required and good eyesight. Anyone can a lifeboat crew for training from age 17 upwards. It costs €1,502 a year to train a lifeboat member.”

Successful rescues are all about the team working together, and this happens even before the lifeboat has been launched.

The crew and shore helpers all work together to make sure the lifeboat is launched safely. The average time to launch a boat is seven minutes. Sile and her uncle Eolan, born and bred in Ballycotton, derive huge satisfaction from being involved in sea rescues.

“The Venom Ker 39 had 10 people on board returning from the Fastnet Race in the summer of 2017,” says Eolan. “The yacht lost a rudder and was unable to steer. St Mary’s from the Scilly Isles also requested a launch. They arrived before us but were unable to hold a straight line behind the lifeboat and required assistance from us.

“We returned to Ballycotton at 11.30pm after 10 hours at sea. It was the furthest offshore operation that I was personally involved in,” says Eolan.

He was proud of his ship-mates.

My volunteer crew had a long, tiring launch and they focused on bringing home everybody safely. 

Sile was focused on doing her job.

“The yacht was 90 miles out and it was towed to safety,” she says. “The crews communicate with the coastguard and work together for a successful outcome.”

Lifeboat Station manager, Jerry Lynch, who ed the Ballycotton RNLI crew back in 1977, says the period between 1977 and 2000 was particularly busy.

“For some reason, there were a lot more incidents during that period,” says Jerry.

“We all recall the end of the Fastnet Race in 1979. 24 boats had been abandoned, five boats had sunk, 136 sailors had been rescued and 15 sailors died.”

Jerry recalls other nasty incidents during the 1980s and early ’90s.

“There was a lot happening, so much chaos and bad weather. When the Air India airline crash occurred, we were heading out to Mizen Head, but we were called back because we wouldn’t make it.”

Jerry was involved in many successful sea rescues over the years.

I tell him it intrigues me why volunteers would face the power of the mighty waves, inclement weather, and unpredictable conditions - maybe risking life and limb?

“You get a sense of satisfaction,” explains Jerry.

“For me, it was a family tradition; it was natural to us. We just did it.

I was always proud to be associated with Ballycotton RNLI and when I retired from work it proved to be a great interest for me.

Jerry likes being part of the tight-knit team. “It can be hectic at times,” he its.

“The RNLI is a big organisation and there is a lot of work involved. Technology plays a big part and there is more training involved now safety-wise.”

What about getting the jitters at the mercy of the ocean?

“Bad nights prove a hazard,” says Jerry, a crew member for 20 years.

“We got a lot of bad nights over us. We knew what we were doing.

“Yes, you do get scared being tossed around like a cork and with no control over your future. And there’s no guarantee what you may be able to do.”

What is guaranteed is that the RNLI team of Ballycotton lifeboat station is one unit; one crew, with one mission; saving lives at sea.

TOMORROW: Our RNLI series heads to the Kinsale and Castletownbere stations.