116. Home from Home: Nora Flanagan

Having lived in a former boathouse, Nora Flanagan was destined to join the RNLI. In Gaelic, we hear from Arranmore’s first female crew member

Speaking in Gaelic, Nora Flanagan describes the old boathouse she grew up in, with the Arranmore lifeboat anchored just outside the door. Though she trained as a nurse in Edinburgh and worked in London, Nora was an islander at heart and returned to Arranmore in 1982.

There she joined the all-male lifeboat crew and wasn’t sure what she could offer, until a shout came in for which her nursing skills were called upon – helping Nora realise that everyone has a role to play.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI  

Interview by John McCafferty

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200