A new £1 million lifeboat has, taken up service in Arklow, Co Wicklow. The Treat Class vessel arrived into port yesterday, from Poole, Dorset where six of its crew members had been trained.
The Ger Tigchelar, named after the wife of an Englishman who donated most of the cost to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, has a top speed of 25 knots. Its operational range of 250 miles far exceeds that of the vessel it replaces.
The new boat was welcomed at the quayside by a crowd of several hundred. A dedication ceremony will take place in September.