When the pager goes, Christmas dinner stops — meet the West Cork RNLI family on call this festive season

Teenage volunteer Muireann O’Donnell and her father will spend Christmas on call with Union Hall’s RNLI lifeboat crew

Aodh O'Donnell (left), Union Hall RNLI helm and Lifeboat Trainer Assessor (LTA), with his daughter and fellow volunteer lifeboat crew member, Muireann. Picture: Neil Michael

Like most teenagers, Muireann O’Donnell has a gadget that is never far from her side and Christmas Day will be no different.

But unlike her peers, she won’t be worrying about friend updates or viral videos trending on TikTok. She will instead be keeping a close eye on a gadget few of her Gen Z friends even know exists — the pager the RNLI has supplied her and the other 20 or so volunteers with Union Hall’s RNLI lifeboat station.