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First Foreign Naval Ship to Visit Ireland this Year takes Place During New St. Brigid's Day Bank Holiday Weekend

3rd February 2023
The first foreign naval ship to visit Ireland this year involved the UK Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby which this morning arrived to Dublin Port where the vessel will remain until Monday.
The first foreign naval ship to visit Ireland this year involved the UK Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby which this morning arrived to Dublin Port where the vessel will remain until Monday. Credit: Port of Jersey-facebook

HMS Brocklesby became the first foreign naval ship to visit Ireland this year with an arrival in Dublin Port this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The visit of the UK Royal Navy minehunter in the Irish capital also takes place during the course of this year's new St. Brigid's Day Bank Holiday Weekend.

The 'Hunt' class Mine Counter Measures Vessel (MCMV) departed Britain's biggest naval base in Portsmouth, Hampshire and is on a courtesy call which continues until the bank holiday Monday.

This year also marks the 40th year since HMS Brocklesby was commissioned in 1983 and the 60m minehunter is currently under the command of Lieutenant Commander Matthew Teare. In June 2021 he assumed Command of MCM2 Crew 2 on HMS Cattistock followed by HMS Brocklesby in November.

HMS Brocklesby is usually based in the Middle East and has assisted with operations in Iraq and Libya. Among the ship's deployments has included three years in the Persian Gulf from where HMS Brocklesby returned to its homeport of Portsmouth in 2021.

The minehunter's primary purpose is to seek out and neutralise enemy mines using Sonar technology. This involves a combination of highly trained Mine Clearance Divers and the Seafox unmanned underwater vehicles dispatched from a glass-reinforced plastic hull, one of the largest of its kind and which helps protect the 625 gross tonnage vessel from mines.

During the Dublin bound passage of HMS Brocklesby (M33) through the English Channel on Wednesday night, Afloat tracked the minehunter while offshore of Portland Bill, Dorset.

Further to the south is the Channel Islands where in Jersey, HMS Brocklesby last year paid a visit as part of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The 17 knot capable minehunter also has a secondary role as an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) which has tasks in undertaking coastal patrol duties around the UK and abroad.

As of yesterday the Channel Islands had HMS Severn (P282) a River-Class OPV in waters off Jersey as well as Guernsey, having departed Plymouth in Cornwall.

HMS Brocklesby has previously called to Dublin and likewise of HMS Severn when Afloat.ie reported of a visit in 2017.

On arrival in the port, HMS Brocklesby made a transit through the Thomas Clarke (East-Link) Toll-Lift Bridge from where the minehunter proceeded upriver to berth on the Liffey at Sir John Rogerson's Quay.

The berths along this south quay have traditionally for years been used by numerous naval ship calls. As for larger vessels they occupy berths in the main more modern port estate located east of the toll-bridge.

HMS Brocklesby is to conclude the visit with a scheduled departure on Monday morning.

Published in Naval Visits
Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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Naval Visits focuses on forthcoming courtesy visits by foreign navies from our nearest neighbours, to navies from European Union and perhaps even those navies from far-flung distant shores.

In covering these Naval Visits, the range of nationality arising from these vessels can also be broad in terms of the variety of ships docking in our ports.

The list of naval ship types is long and they perform many tasks. These naval ships can include coastal patrol vessels, mine-sweepers, mine-hunters, frigates, destroyers, amphibious dock-landing vessels, helicopter-carriers, submarine support ships and the rarer sighting of submarines.

When Naval Visits are made, it is those that are open to the public to come on board, provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate up close and personal, what these look like and what they can do and a chance to discuss with the crew.

It can make even more interesting for visitors when a flotilla arrives, particularly comprising an international fleet, adding to the sense of curiosity and adding a greater mix to the type of vessels boarded.

All of this makes Naval Visits a fascinating and intriguing insight into the role of navies from abroad, as they spend time in our ports, mostly for a weekend-long call, having completed exercises at sea.

These naval exercises can involve joint co-operation between other naval fleets off Ireland, in the approaches of the Atlantic, and way offshore of the coasts of western European countries.

In certain circumstances, Naval Visits involve vessels which are making repositioning voyages over long distances between continents, having completed a tour of duty in zones of conflict.

Joint naval fleet exercises bring an increased integration of navies within Europe and beyond. These exercises improve greater co-operation at EU level but also internationally, not just on a political front, but these exercises enable shared training skills in carrying out naval skills and also knowledge.

Naval Visits are also reciprocal, in that the Irish Naval Service, has over the decades, visited major gatherings overseas, while also carrying out specific operations on many fronts.

Ireland can, therefore, be represented through these ships that also act as floating ambassadorial platforms, supporting our national interests.

These interests are not exclusively political in terms of foreign policy, through humanitarian commitments, but are also to assist existing trade and tourism links and also develop further.

Equally important is our relationship with the Irish diaspora, and to share this sense of identity with the rest of the World.