OVER the past three years, Arranmore’s parish priest Fr Liam Boyle has been an important part of community life on the island. This week he bids farewell to the place he has called home as he moves to take up the role of Chaplain at Letterkenny Institute of Technology.

On moving to Arranmore in 2016, Fr Liam immersed himself in every aspect of parish life, including taking up an role as volunteer crew member with Arranmore RNLI.

 

Last weekend, family and friends gathered in the lifeboat station for a barbecue to say farewell to Fr Liam Boyle. Shortly after his appointment to the Island, Fr Liam was given a tour of the lifeboat and upon finding out about the essential work the lifeboat does in saving lives at sea signed up to become a volunteer. 

 

Speaking as he prepares to bid farewell to the Island, Fr Liam said: “My motivation for joining this important service was prompted by being involved in all aspects of the community and the essential service provided by the lifeboat, not just to the Arranmore community, but the wider community of all those who use the sea for work and pleasure. My father used to fish and I remember him telling me about life as a fisherman, the dangers involved and the role the various lifeboats played in rescues.”

 

Fr Liam continued: “My reasons for joining the priesthood are constantly changing to adapt to modern needs and so were my reasons to join the crew of the lifeboat. The service is still about saving lives but now crews are highly trained in all aspects of lifesaving. This training involves an apprenticeship of two years before becoming a fully-fledged member and provides each crew member with the skills to work as a team.

“At the start of my training I quickly became aware of the camaraderie within the RNLI and how each crew member supported their fellow crew members. It’s not just the thrill and adrenaline rush of being part of the crew in an emergency call out, it’s the inspiration you get from being part of a crew who are ready to drop everything when the pagers go off. It’s a huge departure from cushioned pulpits to standing on the bow of a lifeboat traveling at top speed in all kinds of weather to a call for help which could last for hours.”

 

The popular priest added: “After being ordained, my single most privilege is being involved with Arranmore RNLI and the crew. I thank them for their support and making me part of this really great service. My new role as chaplain to the LYIT will also be a challenge as you’re dealing with a different demographic and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my ministry.”

 

Arranmore RNLI Coxswain, Mr Jimmy Early paid tribute to Fr Liam for his role as crew member on the lifeboat over the last three years and stated: “On behalf of all the crew, fundraising committee and extended lifeboat family, I want to thank Fr Liam for his support and great effort in responding to the call whenever the lifeboat was called out. He really integrated very well and was a valuable part of the lifeboat team, he will be missed. It takes a lot of commitment, time and effort, not only to volunteer and be on call 24/7 but to be available for training and all the other duties involved in the rescue services.

 

“We always welcome new crew members, male and female and will continue to give them all the support we can. At present we have a crew list of 22 members which is fairly unique for a small, rural community and we pay tribute to the extended lifeboat family for their support for this vital service which has been on Arranmore since 1883.”