Paddy McLaughlin
‘Coming from a beautiful coastal community, the RNLI has been part of my life for many years. It’s a privilege to support and honour the lifesaving work of the Institution.’
Paddy McLaughlin joined our Board of Trustees in November 2020 having been a volunteer with the RNLI since 1981, when he joined his local lifeboat station at Red Bay in County Antrim. A Coxswain on the station’s Trent class lifeboat, he has also served as both a helm and crew on the station’s inshore lifeboats, which have included the D-class, C-class, Atlantic 21, Atlantic 75 and the present day Atlantic 85.
He became a member of the RNLI’s Irish Council in 2012 and the RNLI Council in 2014. He is currently Deputy Chair of the Irish Council and a member of the RNLI’s People Committee since 2019.
An active member of his local community in Cushendall, Paddy is a strong advocate for partnerships and local enterprise. He was the architect of the RNLI’s hugely successful partnership with the Gaelic Athletic Association, Ireland's largest sporting organisation which plays an influential role in Irish society. Through this partnership, both organisations work alongside each other across Ireland and the UK with the shared goal of saving lives.
Paddy is a company director with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality supply industry in Ireland, with operational bases in both Dublin and Belfast.
He is a past Commodore of Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club and a Qualified RYA Yachtmaster Offshore. In his spare time, Paddy enjoys sailing, photography and spending time with family and friends in the beautiful Glens of Antrim.