Clogherhead RNLI to name €2.5m lifeboat funded by farmer and named in memory of friend

A new Shannon class lifeboat for Clogherhead RNLI will be officially named Michael O’Brien during a ceremony at Clogherhead lifeboat station at 3pm this Saturday August 31.

The lifeboat, which went on service last month, was funded by a legacy from Wexford farmer Mr. Henry Tomkins and is named after Michael O’Brien, a former lifeboat Coxswain with Arklow RNLI, and a dear friend of Mr. Tomkins. 

The lifeboat will be officially named by relatives of Mr. Tomkins, Roy and Barbara Hill. Mr. David Delamer, Chairperson of the RNLI Irish Council will accept the lifeboat into the care of the Institution before passing it into the safe keeping of the station. The short ceremony will be held at the county Louth station before the lifeboat is then launched for the spectators.

The Shannon class lifeboat is jet driven which gives the vessel increased manoeuvrability. It is also the first lifeboat station in Ireland will use a SLARS (Shannon Launch and Recovery System) to launch and recover a lifeboat. The SLARS acts as a mobile slipway for the lifeboat and has a unique turntable cradle, which can rotate the lifeboat 180º, ready to be launched again within 10 minutes.

Clogherhead RNLI’s Shannon class lifeboat is unique in the RNLI’s fleet as it has been funded by an Irish legacy, named after an Irish lifeboat volunteer, designed by an Irish engineer and is the first class of lifeboat to be called after an Irish river.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s lifeboat naming ceremony, Declan Levins, Clogherhead RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: "This is a very special occasion for our lifeboat station, and we are grateful to the late Henry Tomkins for his generous legacy. On researching his story, we learned so much about the man and his close friend Coxswain Michael O’Brien.  Henry was at Clogherhead for the naming ceremony of our former lifeboatDoris Bleasdale and he will be with us in spirit for this one. Little did we know that we had our future donor in the crowd that day. We are looking forward to sharing this special event with the community we serve, and we hope that our new lifeboat will save many lives in the years ahead."