A popular local priest has revealed how he literally fell into becoming a member of the RNLI.
Fr Liam Boyle is the latest member of the lifeboat service based on Arranmore Island.
Fr Boyle, who is originally from Fanad, had never been at sea before until curiosity took him to inspect the Arranmore lifeboat at the local pier several months ago.
“I literally went over to have a look at the boat. I almost fell down the steps of the pier and the lads showed me around the boat.
“I joked about becoming a member and the lads said “why not?” I thought nothing more of it then but as the months passed I thought a little more about it and decided to undertake the training.
“And now I am a full volunteer and ready to answer emergency calls,” revealed Fr Boyle.
To date the curate has been out on four emergency calls as part of the dedicated 21 member lifeboat crew based in the island who are all kitted with emergency pagers.
He has missed a number of calls due not to responding as quickly as other responders as is the case.
Fr Boyle with fellow RNLI crew members on Arranmore.
The last which Fr Boyle took part in was to a stricken yacht belonging to a Canadian couple which had gone aground off the coast of Donegal a few weeks back.
Thankfully Fr Boyle and his fellow crew members, assisted by the Rescue 118 helicopter and the Killybegs lifeguard, managed to lead the couple to safety.
“It a real rush of adrenalin to be woken by your emergency beeper at 4.15am and to take to rough seas and not to return home until 10am the following morning.
“Thankfully it ended well and everyone returned home safely in the end,” he said.
Fr Boyle said he had absolutely no seafaring experience before he became curious about becoming a member of the RNLI on the island.
In fact, the only time he had been on water was on a paddling lake “in a tub” in the nearby lake in Dunlewey.
He says that people understand that his duties are to his parishioners on the island first and foremost but he also recognises the responsibility he now has to the RNLI.
On the boat he says his fellow lifeboat crew members do not give him any special treatment and he is not always referred to as Fr Boyle.
“They sometimes call me different names than that but I can’t repeat those,” he laughed.
Fr Boyle says due to his vocation he does not know where his future postings will take him but he is looking forward to the immediate future on the island among its 550 strong population and fulfilling his role as a member of the RNLI.
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