Modern rescue vessel cheered

Flares burned and horns sounded as one of Ireland’s busiest lifeboat crews sailed their new hi-tech vessel into its new harbour home yesterday.

A flotilla of leisure craft escorted the €3 million Tamar class vessel, the Alan Massey, on the final leg of her journey from RNLI headquarters in Poole, England into Baltimore Harbour in West Cork.

Onboard were coxswain Kieran Cotter, mechanic Cathal Cottrell, Jerry Smith, Ronald Carthy and Patrick Collins, along with RNLI training divisional inspector Owen Medland and deputy divisional engineer Michael Carmody. Hundreds of people at the pier cheered as the lifeboat tied up.