Aran Islands RNLI welcome historic sailing vessel

The vessel began its journey from Lorient, northwest France to The Claddagh in Galway City as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Galway-Lorient Town Twinning.

The vessel made a special visit to the Aran Islands on Wednesday (14 May) to allow the public to go on board the 21-metre vessel offering a rare glimpse of the traditional tuna fishing boat.

Crew members from Île de Groix, an island off Lorient, were amongst those on board. Île de Groix is home to the lifeboat ‘Notre-Dame-du-Calme’ which is operated by the SNSM (Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer) France’s national sea rescue Organisation.
As a mark of appreciation and respect between the SNSM and the RNLI, the SNSM crew presented the Aran Islands RNLI with a flag signed by the Île De Groix lifeboat crew. In return, the RNLI volunteers gifted the Le Biche with a signed RNLI flag to be brought back to Île De Groix and presented to the SNSM lifeboat crew.

Speaking about the event, Aonghus Ó hIarnáin, Station coxswain said: ‘It’s great to be a part of the celebration to mark 50 years Galway-Lorient Town Twinning. We are honoured to receive the flag from SNSM and mark the close relationship between two island communities and maritime search and rescue organisations. Île de Groix and Inis Mór have a longstanding relationship as just last month, students from Île de Groix visited the Lifeboat station and learned about the RNLI.’

Aran Islands RNLI wish the crew of the Le Biche fair winds and kind seas as they depart Galway on Saturday and make their way to Baltimore and then onto Brittany, France.

ENDS

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