Bicentenary of Irish Coast Guard to be marked today

Today, at Greenore in Co Louth, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton, will attend a commemorative event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Irish Coast Guard, to thank all full-time staff and volunteers, past and present, for their dedication and commitment to the Irish Coast Guard over the past 200 years.

The Irish Coast Guard comprises of 80 full time staff and almost 1,000 volunteers who together provide a 24/7 search and rescue (SAR) service. Originally under the UK, the service was enacted in 1822 and following independence in 1922, and through various guises, the Irish Coast Guard of today can trace its origin back to 1822. On average, the Coast Guard responds to over 2,600 call outs annually with around 400 lives saved each year in responding to maritime and inland SAR incidents as well as providing assistance to the National Ambulance Service.

The Coast Guard is a unique organisation that includes generations of families volunteering to support this life saving work. Examples include Anita Gallagher who is an IRCG Volunteer from Achill Island, Mayo. She is employed in post-primary education and has been a member of Achill CGU for 16 years. Her primary roles include rescue boat coxswain and cliff climbing instructor.

The event will include presentations of plaques to both the volunteer and full-time staff and a number of long service medal presentations. There will also be a fly-past of a Coast Guard helicopter.