THERE was a “very proud moment” for Dunmore East RNLI and the communties along the South East as a €2.4m Shannon class lifeboat arrived at its new home.
Crew from Dunmore East RNLI travelled to collect the state-of-art lifeboat from the RNLI’s All-Weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole, last Sunday.
A warm welcome awaited the crew as lifeboats from Kilmore Quay and Fethard RNLI formed a guard of honour, alongside the station’s retiring Trent class lifeboat Elizabeth and Ronald, which has been on service since 1996.
The new lifeboat is to be named William and Agnes Wray and it’s the first of its class in the south-east. Its arrival was a particularly special day for two of Dunmore East’s lifeboat crew.
Coxswain/Mechanic Roy Abrahamsson brought the new lifeboat into Dunmore East harbour, just as his late father, Coxswain/Mechanic Walter Abrahamsson, did before him.
huge investment by the RNLI in lifesaving for this area
This is also the third all-weather lifeboat that Brendan Dunne, a volunteer crew member with the RNLI for 36 years, will have served on.
Commenting on the arrival, Dunmore East RNLI Coxswain Roy Abrahamsson said: “This is a very proud moment for the lifeboat crew, the station’s fundraisers and the community of Dunmore East.
“It’s a huge investment by the RNLI in lifesaving for this area and will help us to continue to save lives at sea for generations to come.”
