My Job: The round-the-clock commitment keeping West Cork waters safe

Odharnait Collins combines her day job as a primary school teacher with raising much-needed funds to keep Baltimore RNLI saving lives at sea

Odharnait Collins, chair of the Baltimore RNLI Fundraising Committee.

Name: Odharnait Collins

Occupation: Chair of the Baltimore RNLI Fundraising Committee

Background: The committee has raised more than €250,000, with a target of €500,000 by the end of this year

August is traditionally the month when much of Ireland goes on holiday, with many enjoying the pleasures of sailing and fishing around the coasts of the country. It is also a time when the guardians of our seas have an extra eagle eye on anticipating the possible dangers of those waters. 

When Odharnait Collins was growing up in Baltimore, the sound of the RNLI pager in the middle of the night was regular part of family life — a call to action that frequently saw her father Pat heading out to sea with the Baltimore RNLI lifeboat crew. 

Service to the RNLI runs deep in the Collins family, with her grandfather Christy having served for many years as coxswain of Baltimore RNLI lifeboat, and who led crews during some of Ireland’s most significant maritime emergencies, including the 1979 Fastnet Race disaster, when 303 yachts were caught in a Force 10 storm, claiming 21 lives. 

The crew were also involved at the scene of the Whiddy Island tragedy later that year in Bantry Bay, as well as rescuing the Celtic Mist yacht in 1985, famously owned by Charles Haughey. 

Odharnait’s mother Joan was also heavily involved in the RNLI, until she died in 2018. One year later, she herself joined the RNLI to continue the extended family tradition with the highly regarded organisation. 

The RNLI has always been part of our family, and I grew up seeing first-hand the commitment and dedication of RNLI volunteers. We all have different skills to offer as volunteers and I really value being an active member in our community.

In addition to her career as a primary teacher at Rath National School since 2017, she has been an RNLI volunteer since 2019 and chair of the Baltimore RNLI Fundraising Committee since 2021. 

Balancing her teaching with the demands of chair of the RNLI are roles that keep her busy 12 months of the year: “Being a primary school teacher in the local community gives me the opportunity to dedicate more time to the RNLI during the summer, which is by far our busiest period. 

"As more people head onto the water, our volunteer crews are called to everything from yacht breakdowns and paddleboard incidents to medical evacuations from the islands and assisting other emergency services.” 

Taking on the role of chairperson of the RNLI Fundraising Committee in 2021 was particularly challenging as the covid pandemic continued to impact on fundraising events and activities. 

“It was a difficult time, and our annual fundraising revenue was approximately €60,000. We needed to build on this year on year, and thanks to the generosity of volunteers, donors and the local community, we had a strong year last year, raising significant funding for Baltimore RNLI.”

In its mission dedicated to saving lives at sea, RNLI volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. It operates 238 lifeboat stations, in addition to more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches and coastal areas. 

As it is independent of coastguard and Government funding, it depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,700 lives.

During Odharnait’s tenure, the Baltimore committee has raised over €250,000, with an ambitious target of reaching €500,000 in total fundraising by the end of this year. 

"Every euro raised makes a genuine difference. None of our lifeboat crews are paid — they are all volunteers. However, the cost per crew member is approximately €1,600 per annum which covers dry suits, lifejackets, helmets, training and safety equipment."

The Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat would have more than 20 voluntary crew members at any given time: 

“When you add the cost of lifeboat maintenance to the annual overheads, you can understand why we have a busy schedule of fundraising events and activities throughout the year,” she says. 

There are 100 Carbery Isles including Sherkin, Cape Clear and Heir Island, encompassing a significant geographic spread. In any given year, the Baltimore RNLI lifeboat crew responds to a varied range of emergencies, from rescuing sailors, kayakers, paddleboarders and swimmers, to providing sea ambulance service, bringing people on the islands to the mainland for urgent medical treatment, as well as often supporting the Fire Service during island emergencies. 

Maintaining a constant responsive readiness to call outs, the Baltimore RNLI lifeboat activity peaks during summer months, with the 35 voluntary crew members drawn from all sectors of society, including publicans, professionals, ferry boat crew and retail management,

“We have a busy fundraising calendar throughout the year, to manage costs,” Odharnaith explains. 

Being a small community, we are mindful that we can’t always ask the same people for funding, so we do call on the support of the many holidaymakers and summer homeowners in the area, and strategically time the peak of our fundraising schedule during the summer months.

Among this year’s highlights are the popular biannual ‘Women on the Water’ fundraiser on August 13. Women on the Water is an event very close to Odharnait’s heart as the fundraising goes to Breakthrough Cancer Research, and Marymount. The event was inaugurated by her mother Joan when she was commodore of Baltimore Sailing Club, and battling a cancer diagnosis. 

The Baltimore RNLI barbecue on September 5 is another high-profile event, featuring chefs Derry Clarke and Youen Jacob.

“These events are about much more than fundraising — they bring the community together and they’re enormous fun. Everyone is welcome — you certainly don’t have to be local to enjoy them.” 

Derry Clarke’s involvement with the RNLI goes back many years: “The more I got into boating, the more I realised how important lifeboat crews are. When I hear bad weather is on the way, I go for port and batten down the hatches — but the lifeboat crew are doing the opposite and heading right into it. The RNLI brings such a sense of spirit and community to a town, and I’m delighted to be part of it.”

Odharnait readily agrees the RNLI is an integral part of the local landscape, where crew members and the fundraising committee work together to deliver for the community. She added the Baltimore RNLI lifeboat crew won the Beaufort Cup this year during the RCYC Cork Week on board ‘Storm’, and were the first team ever to win all the races against entries from the Defence Forces, Royal Navy, and the army, as well as other RNLI stations. 

Currently in the thick of a hectic event schedule, she continues the ongoing balancing act of communicating with volunteers, sponsors and supporters, as well as ensuring compliance and strong corporate governance for all the charity activities. 

“My job as chair of the RNLI Fundraising Committee is a busy one, but I wouldn’t swap it for the world.”