Donegal husband and wife, Richard and Laura Gillespie are preparing for a family Christmas knowing they may have to drop all if a lifeboat “shout” comes in to rescue someone in danger at sea.
The Bundoran couple both crew the town’s lifeboats, serving the west coast and are fronting-up the RNLI Christmas appeal. This year’s appeal, marking the end of the RNLI’s milestone 200th anniversary, is focusing on the volunteer crews around the island of Ireland who respond to help those in peril on the seas.
For Laura, the RNLI is part of her DNA as her dad, Joe McNulty was one of the founders of the original Bundoran inshore rescue service 30 years ago. Her dad still serves the RNLI as station treasurer while her brother, Kealan answer the call as a helm. The Bundoran woman recalls playing around the lifeboat station as a child.
“I grew up with it. I remember as a child after there was a storm and a bit of damage to the station, the lifeboat was stored in our garage for a period and I would go out and play in it,” she said.
Like his wife, Richard is steeped in the lifeboat charity. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Brian, he joined as a volunteer in 210 and became a helm in 2020. It was only natural that they should fall in love and eventually marry.
Now with three young children, Matthew (6), Eibhlin (4) and Darragh (1), the buzz of the pager alert creates a family life like few others. Laura said the children enjoy coming to the station and seeing mum and day in their full kit or “heading out on a shout”.
She said: “I took a break when having the children and have only recently returned to training but we have discussed taking it in turns when I am back fully,” she said.
Seeing the impact of their work as volunteers is the most fulfilling part of the RNLI world to the Donegal woman, especially around Christmas.
“There’s no feeling quite like bringing someone home safe to their families, especially at Christmas. Even at this time of the year, people still get in trouble in the water and, like all RNLI crews, we at Bundoran are prepared to leave our own celebrations to help others,” she said.
However, as a volunteer lifeboat crew, Laura said Bundoran could not launch without help from the public and she urged people to donate to the RNLI appeal at RNLI.org/WinterAppeal.
