[2] After representations to the RNLI in 2010 from the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, supported by the Irish Coast Guard and various local groups, it was decided in 2011, to place a lifeboat at Lough Ree.

The relief B-class (Atlantic 75) lifeboat Dorothy Mary (B-728), funded by the legacies of Miss Dorothy Mary Rainie and Mr David Stanley Rainie, and previously on service at Red Bay, was delivered to the temporary base at Lough Ree Yacht Club on 1 March 2012.

The initial setup cost was estimated at £150,000, and some funds were raised towards the project with street collections and various fundraising events in Athlone, and the surrounding counties of Westmeath, Longford, and Roscommon.

[2] A contract for the construction of a purpose built lifeboat station was awarded in September 2020, on a site donated by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, and located next to the existing temporary facilities.

At a ceremony on 22 June 2022, the station was formally opened by Chief Executive of the RNLI Mark Dowie.