A range of coast guard skills were tested at the seventh Joint Search and Rescue Competition between the Irish Coast Guard and HM Coastguard Northern Ireland in Youghal, Co Cork, over the weekend.
The purpose of the games is to increase the level of professionalism of all coast guard members on the island.
Spokesman for the Irish Coast Guard Gerard O’Flynn says the annual event enhances co-operation between the divisions through friendly competition.
“It was very intensive with teams from all over Ireland. The chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in England, Sir Alan Massey, attended and took part. It was a very successful event.”
Twelve team members from each of the divisions – Dublin, Malin, Valentia and HM Coastguard Northern Ireland – competed.
There has been a tradition of co-operation and joint training between many of the participants going back to the 1980s. The modern Irish Coast Guard began to develop its cliff-rescue capability from that time when personnel from Belfast Coastguard District provided training and external assessment to coast guard units.
Organisers say the games are another step in developing joint training programmes between the Irish Coast Guard and HM Coastguard Northern Ireland.