The Duke of Kent, who is patron of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, has visited a number of lifeboat stations in Co Tipperary, Clare and Kerry as part of a two-day tour.
The duke, who has been patron of the RNLI for over 50 years, is visiting the inshore station at Dromineer in Co Tipperary and the coastal stations at Kilrush in Co Clare and at Fenit in Co Kerry.
He will be talking to staff thanking them for their work and getting an update on their equipment.
He is presenting long-service awards to two staff at the Fenit station, where two lifeboats are based and which is one of the biggest RNLI stations in the Republic.
The RNLI has had a presence in Ireland since 1824 when its first station was opened in Arklow.
It now has 46 stations located in Ireland, the bulk located along the coast, but three are located inland on Lough Derg, Lough Ree and Lough Erne, to support rescue and recovery work on busy inland lakes.
The duke will visit a number of RNLI stations in Co Cork tomorrow.
