Lifeboat comes to the rescue of stranded Leaving Cert student

A Co Mayo Leaving Cert student living on Inisturk island was lucky to make it in to school for her second Maths paper on Monday…

A Co Mayo Leaving Cert student living on Inisturk island was lucky to make it in to school for her second Maths paper on Monday morning.

Fiona O'Toole, a student at Sancta Maria college in Louisbourg, was stranded on Inisturk when the ferry service was suspended on Sunday evening last due to bad weather.

Inisturk is about nine miles off the Mayo coast and there is no second-level school on the island and so students must travel to the mainland for their education.

Fortunately, the Achill lifeboat crew were visiting both Clare Island and Inisturk on Sunday with the senior area organiser of the RNLI, Anna Classon.

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Mr Paddy McNulty of the Achill lifeboat said that when the lifeboat crew arrived in Inisturk they became aware of the Leaving Cert student's crisis and they offered to bring Fiona into Cloch Mor, in Achill.

From there Fiona was driven the 40 miles back to Louisbourg and had plenty of time to compose herself for the Maths paper the following morning.