Fethard RNLI receives €12,000 donation from Loftus Hall towards lifeboat appeal

Ahead of the much anticipated RNLI Waves Festival at the end of the month which is being headlined by singing sensation Nathan Carter, Aidan and Shane Quigley from Loftus Hall presented Fethard RNLI with a donation of €12,000 towards their special appeal, which was launched earlier this year to raise €65,000 for a new D class inshore lifeboat for the station. 

The current lifeboat, Trade Winds, has been operational for almost ten years and is due for retirement in 2017. After ten years of saving lives at sea Trade Winds has served the community well. The lifeboat has launched 119 times rescuing 85 people. 

Aidan Quigley, proprietor of Loftus Hall said: ‘We are delighted to support such a worthy cause. The RNLI plays such a vital role in the lives of those who live by, work on and visit our coasts. The lifeboat service is kept going by the generosity, dedication and commitment of volunteers, who give selflessly of their time and skills. This donation will hopefully ensure the provision of a new D class lifeboat in Fethard to operate in the area over the coming years.  Not only is it reassuring to know that many more lives will be saved, but also that the volunteer crew who work tirelessly in saving those lives will be kept safe on their way to a rescue.’

Speaking following the presentation, Rebecca Doyle, Fethard RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer said: ‘We are overwhelmed by the support from Loftus Hall with their donation of €12,000 towards our appeal and also by providing us with the astounding and historic location for one of our main fundraising events to be held at the end of the month’.

Waves music festival will be held in the walled gardens in Loftus Hall on Sunday 28th of August.  The setting of the walled gardens in Loftus Hall will add a real family friendly dimension to the one-day music festival. Fans of country, pop, indie and folk can not only enjoy some of their favourite acts, but also some of the Loftus Hall legacy.

Aidan explains: ‘This year is quite momentous for Loftus Hall as we celebrate 666 years of history, heritage and intrigue.  We undertook to create an eclectic programme of events for 2016 and one of those projects was the restorative walled garden project because the gardens and grounds of the Hall are hugely significant. What better way to showcase the newly restored walled gardens than with a music festival’.


Tickets for the RNLI Waves Festival, Sunday, August 28th are available from www.wavesfestival.ie


Ends

Photo
Primary Shot:
Left to right: Rebecca Doyle (Fethard RNLI Lifeboat Press Office), Aidan Quigley (Loftus Hall), Joseph Dwyer (Fethard RNLI Crew), Shane Quigley (Loftus Hall), Oonagh Hearne Messette ( Fethard RNLI Fundraising Chair)

Secondary Shot:
Presentation to the Fethard RNLI Volunteers
Presentation to: Rebecca Doyle (Fethard RNLI Lifeboat Press Office), Aidan Quigley (Loftus Hall), Shane Quigley (Loftus Hall), Oonagh Hearne Messette ( Fethard RNLI Fundraising Chair)
Front row Fethard RNLI Crew – Rory O Connor (Fethard RNLI Helm), Damian Murphy (Crew) Joseph Dwyer (Crew)

Accreditation of photos to Patrick Browne

RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Rebecca Doyle Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Fethard RNLI Tel: 087 9285594 or Niamh Stephenson RNLI Public Relations Manager Tel: 087 1254 124 / 01 8900 460 email [email protected] or Nuala McAloon RNLI Press Officer Tel: 087 6483547 email: [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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