Sky Lanterns

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These airborne Chinese lanterns have become increasingly popular in recent years as a way of marking special events. However, they do pose a significant danger to aviation traffic and can cause the deployment of Irish Coast Guard resources on false rescue missions. Chinese lanterns, drifting across a night sky, are commonly mistaken by the public for marine distress flares.

If you are intending to release sky lanterns:

You must, before the release date, obtain permission in writing from the Flight Operations Dept of the Irish Aviation Authority.  You can contact them at fod@iaa.ie or by phone at 01 603 1148

Just before releasing the lanterns:

To ensure your lanterns are not confused as a sighting of a distress signal, you must contact the following agencies just prior to releasing the lanterns:

  • Irish Coast Guard
  • Nearest Air Traffic Control unit
  • Nearest Garda station

The detailed advice and all contact phone numbers are contained in the IAA’s Sky Lantern safety leaflet, available from their website or by clicking here.

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Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard

Night search training at Barnageera Bay

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This evening, the Skerries Coast Guard team were out in force at Barnageera Bay, 2 miles North of Skerries for some night search training. The exercise was centred on a missing person scenario, with the difficult on scene weather conditions of gale force winds adding to the challenge. Several search teams were deployed with their full rescue kit to cover the various sections of the rocky search area, which stretched for over one mile along the coast. 

White parachute flares were deployed from the high cliffs overlooking the bay, proving very effective at illuminating large sections of the shoreline. Overall, the exercise was very useful with all the search teams successfully and quickly locating their missing person “targets”.

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard.

Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty, even if you only think someone could be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.

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Report of person in difficulty – 24th November 2011

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At 06:10 this morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team were paged by the Coast Guard’s Marine Operations Centre (MOC) to assist with an incident at Balbriggan harbour, 5 miles north of Skerries. Balbriggan Gardai had received a public report of a person near Balbriggan harbour who may have required assistance. The Skerries Coast Guard team arrived on scene at the harbour and within minutes the casualty was successfully assisted from danger by Balbriggan Gardai. No further action was required and the team returned to base.

Incident #26 of 2011

Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty, even if you only think that someone could be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard.

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Search training at Bremore, Balbriggan

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This morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team conducted a search training exercise at Bremore, one mile north of Balbriggan harbour. This scenario based exercise included a detailed shore search covering several miles of the North Balbriggan coast. Weather on scene was favourable, with good visibility and dry conditions. As part of the exercise, the team also fired several marine flares. Photos of this exercise are available in our online gallery.

Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty, even if you only think that someone could be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard

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