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A symbiotic relationship stretching back nearly two centuries, the Arklow community and its RNLI Lifeboat crews have supported one another to make the ancient Viking town and its stunning coastline safer for generations.
Arklow RNLI marked the end of an era on Friday last as the station's full-time mechanic Michael Fitzgerald retired after 40 years of dedicated service to the charity. Michael, who grew up on Harbour Road, first joined the RNLI in 1980 at the age of 16. At the time, the station had a wooden lifeboat. It was his uncle, also Michael, a second mechanic on the crew, who inspired the then young Michael with a love for all things lifeboating. While not eligible to officially join the crew until he was 17, Michael's early passion shone through and to his delight, his name was registered a year early ...