Naval Service (Ireland)

Naval Service An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh
Emblem of the Naval Service
Founded	1 September 1946[1]
Country	Ireland
Size	994 personnel[2] 8 ships
Part of	Irish Defence Forces
Naval Base	Haulbowline, County Cork, Ireland
Colours
Commanders
FOCNS	Commodore Hugh Tully[3]
Insignia
Naval ensign
Naval jack

The Naval Service (Irish: an tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces.^[4] Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork.

Though preceded by earlier maritime defence organisations, the modern Naval Service was formed in 1946.^[5] Since the 1970s a major role of the Naval Service has been the provision of fisheries protection in Ireland's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).^[6][7][8] Other roles include sea patrol, surveillance, and smuggling prevention.^[9] Occasionally the Service undertakes longer missions in support of other elements of the Defence Forces, Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, or humanitarian and trade missions.^[9]

LÉ Eithne is the current flagship of the Naval Service.

History

Naval Service personnel remove the body of a victim of Air India Flight 182 from the LÉ Aisling (P23) which was sent to search for survivors on 23 June 1985.

Coastal and Marine Service

The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 stipulated that the Irish Free State would be given responsibility to police its customs and fishing, while the United Kingdom would remain in control of Irish waters. In 1923 the Coastal and Marine Service (CMS) was created, yet merely one year later it was disbanded.

During the Civil War, in August 1922, a ship belonging to the British & Irish Steam Packet Company, Lady Wicklow, led by Captain Patrick Ryan, was used to bring Irish National Army troops around the coast to Fenit, the port of Tralee in County Kerry.^[10] This naval involvement technically preceded the foundation of the Irish state, as Ireland was still part of the UK at the time.^[11] Built in 1890 in Dublin Dockyard, the ship measured 262 by 34 feet (80 by 10 m). In all 450 troops, including officers, were landed. Tralee was later captured from local republican forces.

Muirchú, formerly the British armed steam yacht Helga,^[12] which had been used by the Royal Navy to shell Dublin during the 1916 rising, was the only CMS ship during this period. The CMS ship Muirchu continued to patrol Irish fisheries. Muirchu was re-armed in 1936 and purchased by the Irish government on advice of members of the later named Maritime Institute of Ireland for fisheries protection.

In 1938 the United Kingdom handed over three "treaty" ports (Cork Harbour, Bere Haven and Lough Swilly). Consequently, the Royal Navy withdrew from Cork Harbour in July 1938. Fort Rannoch was added to the Irish fleet at that time.

Marine and Coastwatching Service

In 1939 the Irish Government ordered two Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) from Vospers UK. When World War II began in September 1939 the Marine and Coastwatching Service was set up. In order for Ireland to remain neutral, it became clear that a full naval service would be required. The government consequentially ordered an additional 4 MTBs. By the end of 1940 the Irish Marine and Coastwatching Service consisted of 6 MTB's and 4 other assorted craft.

During the War the Service regulated merchant ships, protected fisheries, and laid mines off Cork and Waterford. By 1941 the Marine and Coastwatching Service consisted of 10 craft (6 MTBs plus 4 assorted vessels) and about 300 all ranks. In 1942 the Service was renamed the Marine Service.

Naval Service

In September 1946, the Marine Service was formally disbanded and the Naval Service established as a permanent component of the Irish Defence Forces. The Naval Service purchased three Flower-class corvettes from the United Kingdom in 1946 and 1947. The tradition of naming Irish Naval Ships after figures in Celtic Mythology began, and the ships were named Cliona, Maev and Macha. These three ships were to become a key part of the Naval Service in the 1950s and 1960s. The first formal training of Irish naval cadets took place at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK in 1947.^[13] In 1970, Cliona and Macha were withdrawn from service and scrapped, leaving Maev as the sole ship in the Naval Service. Maev was withdrawn from service in 1972.^[14] In 1971, the Naval Service commissioned three armed minesweepers: Grainne, Banba and Fola.

LÉ Deirdre, the first purpose built ship commissioned by the Irish Naval Service

In 1971 the Naval Service commissioned Verolme Cork Dockyard to build an offshore patrol ship. Named LÉ Deirdre, it was the first naval vessel purpose-built in Ireland to patrol its waters. The Economic Exclusion Zone of Ireland was increased in 1976 from 12 miles (19 km) to 200 miles (320 km)s. The subsequent strain put on the Naval Service prompted funding from the European Economic Community to acquire five additional vessels, four of which were eventually built. Meanwhile, the former Irish Lights vessel Isolda was purchased to act as a training ship, bearing the pennant number A15 and renamed LÉ Setanta. It served until being sold for scrap in 1984. A Danish stern trawler Helen Basse was also leased for a year, serving under the name LÉ Ferdia, pennant number A16.^[15]

The 50th anniversary of the Naval Service took place in 1996. Celebrations included a fleet review by President Mary Robinson. In 1999, a new ship LÉ Róisin was delivered to the Navy, marking the beginning of a new class of larger patrol vessels followed by LÉ Niamh, commissioned in September 2001.

LÉ Niamh cruising off the Skellig Islands in 2013

While most missions undertaken by the Naval Service are in Irish waters, on occasion longer missions are undertaken in support of Irish Peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, representing Ireland, or in support of Irish trade missions. In 2002, LÉ Niamh delivered supplies to Irish troops in Eritrea, then continued on a trade promotional tour to India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Korea, and Japan, becoming the first Irish naval vessel to cross the Equator. In 2006 LÉ Eithne travelled to Argentina, attending ceremonies connected with the 149th anniversary of the death of Irish-born Admiral William Brown, founder of the Argentine Navy, and also visited ports in Uruguay and Brazil. In 2010, Niamh travelled to the Americas, visiting Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and the United States.

In 2010, two new ships were planned for the Naval Service. The first, LÉ Samuel Beckett, was delivered in April 2014 replacing LÉ Emer, and the second, LÉ James Joyce, replaced LÉ Aoife in 2015. The option for a third, LÉ William Butler Yeats, was exercised in June 2014 and is due for delivery during 2016.^[16] The new ships displace over 1,900 tons, have a top speed of 23 knots, a range of 6,000 nautical miles. They are armed with an OTO Melara 76 mm/62, and have a longer deck area that can accommodate deep-sea search-and-rescue submarines and unmanned aircraft.^[17]

In May 2015, it was announced that the Naval Service would deploy a ship to the Mediterranean to form part of the EU humanitarian response to the European migrant crisis.^[18] The fleet flagship, Eithne, left Cork on 16 May 2015, led by Commander Pearse O'Donnell, for an eight-week deployment to the region, during which time the ship picked up a total of 3,377 people in the waters between Libya and Sicily.^[19] In July, the mission was extended with the deployment of first, Niamh from July to September, and then Samuel Beckett from September until November.^[20][21]

Assets

Until 2014, all Naval Service vessels were named with traditional Irish female names, taken from history and Celtic mythology. However, the two newest in the fleet, LÉ Samuel Beckett (commissioned 17 May 2014) and LÉ James Joyce (commissioned in September 2015) take their names from Irish literary figures. The ship prefix LÉ stands for Long Éireannach, "Irish ship" in the Irish language.

Current fleet

Class	Image	Pennant No.	Name	Commissioned	Displacement	Type	Comment
Emer class		P23	LÉ Aisling	1980	1,020 tonnes	Offshore patrol vessel	Due to be decommissioned in 2016 and replaced by LÉ William Butler Yeats[22]
Eithne class		P31	LÉ Eithne	1984	1,910 tonnes	Helicopter patrol vessel	Current fleet flagship.
Peacock class		P41	LÉ Orla	1988	712 tonnes	Coastal patrol vessel
		P42	LÉ Ciara	1988	712 tonnes	Coastal patrol vessel
Róisín class		P51	LÉ Róisín	1999	1,500 tonnes	Large patrol vessel
		P52	LÉ Niamh	2001	1,500 tonnes	Large patrol vessel
Samuel Beckett class		P61	LÉ Samuel Beckett	2014	1,933 tonnes	Offshore patrol vessel
		P62	LÉ James Joyce	2015	1,933 tonnes	Offshore patrol vessel
		(A third Samuel Beckett-class OPV is under construction and due to be named LÉ William Butler Yeats and delivered in 2016)

Other assets

The Naval Service also operates smaller training vessels and rigid-hulled inflatable boats.

Air assets to support naval patrols are provided by the Air Corps with their two CASA CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft and AW139 helicopters operated from Baldonell Aerodrome in County Dublin.

In July 2015, the Irish Naval Service began using an Irish-based satellite communications system for its fleet, with new sat comms equipment installed on all vessels. The Irish National Space Centre (NSC) at Elfordstown, Midleton, County Cork and County Wicklow based company Voyager IP will provide the contract.^[23]

Acquisitions and future

In October 2010 contracts were signed for two new "Offshore Patrol Vessels" (OPVs). The contract provided an option for a 3rd vessel - which was later taken-up. Constructed by Babock Marine in the UK to STX Marine's PV90 design, the first ship, Samuel Beckett, was delivered in May 2014. The second ship, James Joyce, was delivered in 2015.^[24] The third, William Butler Yeats, is due for delivery in 2016.^[16] These vessels replace the ageing Emer class.

A 2015 Whitepaper on Defence calls for the purchase of three new naval vessels over 10 years from 2015 to 2025,^[25] including a multi-role vessel (MRV). While such an MRV would not carry a helicopter, the whitepaper calls for such a ship to be enabled for helicopter operations and have a freight carrying capacity to replace the flagship LÉ Eithne.^[25] Plans expect that LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla be replaced with similar vessels^[25] but with counter-mine and counter-IED capabilities.^[26] In February 2016 it was announced that if the present government was re elected that the Naval Service would be increased to a 9 ship fleet.^[27]

Decommissioned

Irish naval jack flying from bow of LÉ Aoife while docked in Dublin

The following vessels have served in the Service's fleet:^[28]

• LÉ Macha (01) (1946–1970)
• LÉ Maev (02) (1946–1972)
• LÉ Cliona (03) (1947–1970)
• LÉ Grainne (CM10) (1971–1987)
• LÉ Banba (CM11) (1971–1984)
• LÉ Fola (CM12) (1971–1987)
• LÉ Deirdre (P20) (1972–2001)
• LÉ Setanta (A15) (1976–1984)
• LÉ Ferdia (A16) (1977–1978)
• LÉ Emer (P21) (1978–2013)
• LÉ Aoife (P22) (1979–2015)

Weapons

Name	Origin	Type	Caliber	Photo	Notes
Assault Rifle
Steyr AUG	Austria	Assault Rifle	5.56×45mm		The Steyr AUG is the Defence Force's standard service rifle entering service in 1989.
Pistol
Heckler & Koch USP	Germany	Semi-automatic Pistol	9×19mm		Service pistol.[29]
Battle Rifle
FN FAL	Belgium	Battle Rifle	7.62×51mm		Only used for line throwing.
Machine gun
FN MAG	Belgium	Machine gun	7.62×51mm		Fitted onboard Naval Service ships for close range weapons support and anti-air point defence. Also can be mounted on RHIB's.
M2 Browning .5 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG)	Belgium	Machine gun	12.7×99mm (.50)		Fitted onboard Naval Service ships for close range weapons support and anti-air point defence.
Autocannon
Rheinmetall Rh 202	Germany	Autocannon	20×139mm		Fitted onboard all Naval Service ships for close range weapons support and anti-air point defence.
Bofors 40 mm L/70	Sweden	Autocannon	40×364mmR		Main weapon mounted onboard LÉ Aisling.
Bofors 57 mm L/70	Sweden	Autocannon	57×438mm		Main weapon mounted onboard flagship LÉ Eithne.
Naval Gun
OTO Melara 76 mm	Italy	Autocannon	76×900mmR		Main weapon mounted onboard LÉ Orla, LÉ Ciara, LÉ Róisín, LÉ Niamh, LÉ Samuel Beckett and LÉ James Joyce.

Roles and capabilities

The Naval Service's military roles and the functions it carries out are those of a coast guard rather than that of a conventional Navy.^[30] Lacking both anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities, and without standoff weapons such as surface-to-surface missiles, the Naval Service's ability to control Ireland's territorial waters and provide close naval support is extremely limited. Sea lift is also limited and ad hoc. The Naval Service's non-military capabilities in aid to the civil power and other Government departments is almost exclusively fishery protection but also include search and rescue, drugs interdiction and dive support.

Irish territorial waters and EEZ

Since the 1960s Ireland has seen its jurisdiction over the North Atlantic extend from 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) (pre-1967) to 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) (pre-1990s). This was increased to 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) again in 1994 when the introduction of the exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) gave approval to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This convention grants the state sovereign rights over the seabed, its subsoil and the water adjacent to the seabed within the 200 nautical mile limit.

Negotiations are taking place that could see the influence of coastal states extended beyond the 200 nautical miles of EEZs. Part VI of UNCLOS concerns a coastal state's continental shelf out to 350 nautical miles (650 km; 400 mi) from the coastline. In 2007, Ireland became the first country to gain approval for the extension of its continental shelf, to the west of the island, and now has responsibility for an area of some 141,000 square nautical miles (480,000 km²; 187,000 sq mi) – an increase of 100 per cent.

Diving Section

Members of the Naval Service Diving Section

The Naval Service has a specialist diving unit called the Naval Service Diving Section (NSDS), which was established in the 1960s.^[31] They have conducted combat diving training for Army Ranger Wing members after selecting combat diving as a speciality.^[32]

Among the tasks mandated to the NSDS include the following;^[31]

• Search and Recovery
• Underwater Survey
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• Underwater Engineering
• Military Diving Training

Personnel and ranks

There are currently 1,058 personnel of all ranks in the Naval Service plus 180 in the Naval Service Reserve.^[33] The Naval Service is headed by a General Officer Commanding (GOC) known as the Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service (FOCNS), who holds the rank of Commodore.^[34] Non-Military training takes place alongside Mercantile Marine Personnel at the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy, near to the Haulbowline base.^[35]

Irish Naval Service Commissioned Ranks

Equivalent NATO Code	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)
Ireland
Irish	Leas-Aimiréal	Sheachaimiréal	Ceannasóir	Captaen	Ceannasaí	Leifteanant-Cheannasaí	Leifteanant	Fo-Leifteanant	Meirgire	Dalta
English	Vice Admiral	Rear Admiral	Commodore	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant Commander	Lieutenant	Sub Lieutenant	Ensign	Officer Cadet

Irish Naval Service Warrant Officers

Equivalent NATO Code	OR-9
Ireland	Executive	Administrative	Engineering	Communications
Irish	Oifigeach Barántais
English	Warrant Officer

Irish Naval Service Enlisted Ranks

Equivalent NATO Code	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Ireland								No Insignia
Irish	Ard-Mhion-Oifigeach Sinsearach	Ard-Mhion-Oifigeach	Mion-Oifigeach Sinsearach	Mion-Oifigeach	Mairnéalach Ceannais	Mairnéalach Inniúil	Mairnéalach	No equivalent
English	Senior Chief Petty Officer	Chief Petty Officer	Senior Petty Officer	Petty Officer	Leading Seaman	Able Seaman	Ordinary Seaman	Recruit

See also

• Irish Coast Guard
• List of navies

Footnotes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Irish Naval Service.

• Official Defence Forces website
• Official Naval Service website
• Maritime Institute of Ireland – History

Defence Forces of Ireland Army Air Corps Naval Service Army Reserve Naval Service Reserve