Displaying items by tag: Overseas facility

4th December 2023

LÉ Eithne: Former Flagship of the Naval Service to Be Sent Overseas for Disposal At Scrap Recycling Facility

LÉ Eithne, the former flagship of the Naval Service which was a helicopter patrol vessel (HPV) along with two coastal patrol vessels (CPV), reports The Irish Times, are to be sent abroad and broken up for recycled scrap, after plans to convert the HPV into a museum came to nothing.

The 1,920 displacement tonnes LÉ Eithne (P31) was the Naval Service’s largest vessel and the last to be constructed in Ireland at the Verolme Cork Dockyard (V.C.D.) was decommissioned last year at the same time as the smaller CPV 'Peacock' class pair LÉ Orla (P41) and LÉ Ciara (P42).

The decommisioning of the patrol vessels was partly due to their age, coincidentally all built in 1984, in addition the vessels were taken out of service due to the ongoing crewing crisis that has impacted the service which has led to not enough sailors to crew all its ships. Two other vessels have since been tied up at the Naval Base on Haulbowline, Cork Harbour, leaving just two ships available for duty at any one time, LÉ Samuel Beckett (P61) and LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63), with one more in reserve of the remaining pair of OPV90/P60 class of offshore patrol vessels (OPV).

As for the fate of the decommissioned trio, there has been much speculation. In the former flagships’ homeport county, Cork County Council had expressed an interest in acquiring the 81m Eithne and converting the HPV into a floating maritime museum at a berth within Cork Harbour. Following this proposal, the Dublin Port Company approached the Department of Defence about the former naval vessel to be used for a similar purpose in the capital.

It is understood that the Philippine Navy had expressed a tentative interest in at least one of the vessels, but these inquiries went nowhere. As Afloat previously reported, this navy during the 1980's had also acquired vessels of the CPV 'Peacock' class from the UK Royal Navy which served in the Hong Kong Squadron.

According to a Department of Defence spokeswoman “a number of organisations” had expressed an interest in acquiring the Eithne as a museum piece or tourist attraction “but following, in some cases lengthy, discussions all these parties withdrew their interest in taking the ship”.

Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.