#BeckettHome - In time for Christmas with an arrival home writes The Irish Examiner. Hugs, kisses, and a few tears of joy shed as the crew of the LÉ Samuel Beckett disembarked to be greeted by loved ones yesterday after 85 days on migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

However, many of the sailors will forever remember the horrors they witnessed off the coast of Libya, as merciless people-smugglers knowingly send migrants to a certain death if they’re not rescued.

Ship’s captain Lieutenant Commander Darragh Kirwan said he had no doubt the migrants crammed into inflatable rubber dinghies would never have made it to Italy.

On their first day of operations, six migrants drowned as the ship went to the rescue of a group packed into a dinghy.

“Around 25% of all inflatables we came across had punctured chambers. There isn’t enough food on board them and they are only given enough petrol for 50 miles. They [people smugglers] know they are sending people to their deaths,” the senior officer said.

To add to their woes, “jackals”, as the navy term them, often prey on the migrants at sea, stealing their outboard motors and personal valuables.

For much more on the Haulbowline homecoming click here 

#EuropeAward - The Irish Defences Forces were presented The European of the Year award writes The Irish Times.

The award was given by the European Movement Ireland in recognition of the Defence Forces’ contribution to international peacekeeping and humanitarian work.

The award was presented at a ceremony on Monday in Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who is honorary president of the Movement.

“The Defence Forces have a proud history of international service for Ireland and on behalf of the European Union and the United Nations, ” he said. “They are a very worthy recipient, especially this year, when, as well as their ongoing humanitarian and peace-keeping endeavours abroad, they have played a very prominent and important role in our 1916 Centenary commemorations.”

Approximately 385 Defence Forces personnel are serving overseas at present.

For the past two years, the Naval Service has been involved in Operation Pontus, supporting the Italian Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre which has been overseeing a multi-lateral effort at rescuing migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from north Africa.

Since May 2015, Defence Forces ships rescued over 15,000 would-be migrants attempting to cross the sea. The newapaper has more here.

Afloat adds that the awards ceremony took place also with yesterday's RTE One broadcast of 'The Crossing' 

With unprecedented access, The Crossing tells story of one month in the LÉ Samuel Beckett’s deployment in the southern Mediterranean. It shows the reality for both the crew and the migrants as their worlds meet in the middle of the sea, often in the most difficult of circumstances. To view click this link to the RTE iplayer here.

Following the harrowing reality of The Crossing which examined the humanitarian mission of 'Operation Pontus' RTE also had a follow-up Claire Byrne Live Extras: Defence Forces in the Mediterranean. Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe, actor Liam Cunningham who is a charity ambassador for World Vision and columnist Ian O’Doherty discuss the Irish response to the migrant crisis. Are we suitably equipped to take in large numbers of refugees and how do we treat migrants who have already arrived here?

To also view this current affairs programme click here. 

LÉ Samuel Beckett which was deployed in September is to end its search and rescue missions and is due to return to Irish waters this Friday. 

#Supertrawler - Naval Service personnel from the LÉ James Joyce have boarded a controversial fishing ‘supertrawler’ off the North West coast, according to the Donegal Democrat.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the 9,500-tonne FV Margiris — one of the largest fishing vessels in the world — prompted renewed fears among local fisherman and conservationists last week when it was spotted in fishing grounds off Donegal.

News of the Naval Service inspection has been welcomed by the Irish Wildlife Trust, though it cautioned on the need for a full-time inspection regime for such large-scale factory trawlers to ensure they are fishing legally and within quota, and not causing harm to protected wildlife such as dolphins.

The Donegal Democrat has more on the story HERE.

#AislingsFuture - A decommissioned Naval Service ship may be turned into a museum in Galway, writes The Connacht Tribune.

The idea of using the LÉ Aisling as a visitor attraction in the city, has been floated with Government.

Paul Kehoe, Junior Minister at the Department of Defence, this week said the request is “under consideration”.

The ship, which had been twinned with Galway City for almost 20 years, has travelled 628,856 nautical miles, the equivalent of travelling around the world more than 32 times.

It was decommissioned at a ceremony in Galway Harbour in June after 36 years of service to the State.

At the time, City Councillor Pearce Flannery (FG), the deputy mayor, suggested it could be used as a floating museum in Galway Harbour or off Salthill.

Minister Kehoe this week said he would soon make a decision as what to do with the LÉ Aisling. To read more click here.

#AranIslands - The use of the Irish Naval Service to provide a short-term service to residents on Inis Mór (largest of the Oileán Árann /Aran Islands) is being explored by Gaeltacht Minister Sean Kyne.

As Galway Bay FM reports the proposal follows the planned withdrawal of the winter service to the largest Aran Island until March 2017, with the last ferry set to depart at 6pm this evening (yesterday, 30th November).

Operator Island Ferries Teoranta has reaffirmed it’s intention to suspend the service – citing the ‘negative fiscal conditions’ created by the local authority with the introduction of passenger levies.

For more on the developing story, click here.

Afloat.ie adds that vital sea transportation links to Inis Mór are still been maintained albeit by a cargo-only operator, Lasta Mara Teoranta. This company serves the three islands from the mainland not just out of Rossaveel in Connemara but also Galway Port.

As of this morning Afloat.ie monitored their coastal freighter MV Bláth na Mara that departed Inis Oirr bound for Galway Port's outer pier. This is the final leg of a round trip that previously included calls firstly to Inis Mór followed by Inis Meáin.

Another crises that faced islanders was in August when Lasta Mara's other freight ro-ro vessel MV Chateau-Thierry came to the aid of two of three islands with generators that were used to restore electricity. This followed power-cuts caused by a damaged subsea cable connecting the mainland. 

#NewMedals – New International Operational Service Medals were presented to members of the Defence Forces by Minister Paul Kehoe in Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The medals are in recognition of their humanitarian missions overseas which included Naval Service crew members that were deployed to the Mediterranean Sea due to the migrant refugee crisis. Other members of the Defence Forces that were deployed for example in Sierra Leone, west Africa were also awarded medals.

To mark the occasion that took place on Saturday at the Carlisle Pier was berthed LE James Joyce (P62). The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) had taken part in Operation Pontus during her Mediterranean deployment until replaced in September by a sister LE Samuel Beckett.

Less than 48 hours after the award ceremony LE Samuel Beckett rescued more than 500 migrants off the Libyan coast.

#MigrantsRescue - LÉ Samuel Beckett located and rescued a total of 508* migrants from four separate rubber vessels in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The search and rescue operation according to the Naval Service took place 50 nautical miles NW off Tripoli, Libya and was at the request of the Italian Maritime Co-Ordination Centre.

The first rescue operation began at 02.20am and all migrants were taken on board LÉ Samuel Beckett by 12.20pm. The 508* migrants received food, water and medical treatment where required.

This brings to 2,818* migrants rescued by the LÉ Samuel Beckett since it deployed to the area of operations on 23rd September of this year.

LÉ Samuel Beckett will now bring all rescued persons to a designated Port of Safety.

*Figures for the operation are provisional until confirmed by the Italian authorities.

#ServiceMedal - International Operational Service Medals are to be presented to members of the Permanent Defense Force at a ceremony held in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The ceremony on Carlisle Pier (12 noon Saturday, 26 November) is in recognition of their humanitarian mission overseas. To mark the occasion the Naval Service OPV LE James Joyce (P62) will be berthed alongside. 

The event will not be open the public but can be viewed from the Harbour Plaza next to the former ferry terminal or the East Pier. 

LE James Joyce is the fifth Naval Service vessel to have been deployed since the Irish State joined the Mediterranean mission in May last year. By early September, sixteen bodies were recovered by the 59-strong crew and a total of 1,882 migrants including 56 children were rescued.

Last year the €50m OPV90 class newbuild was docked at Carlisle Pier having been named by Ms Carol Joyce who is a grand-niece of James Joyce.  

#MigrantRescues – Two search and rescue missions (SAR) tasked by LÉ Samuel Beckett last week saved almost 100 migrant refugees off the Libyan coast.

According to the Naval Service the most recent SAR took place on Friday night following a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre. LÉ Samuel Beckett located and rescued a total of 50* migrants from a rubber 25 nautical miles north-west of Tripoli. The rescue operation began at 8.05pm and all migrants were taken on board LÉ Samuel Beckett by 10.20pm. The rescued persons were transferred to the NGO vessel Bourbon Argos.

Three days previously on the Tuesday, LÉ Samuel Beckett was also deployed by the Italian authorities to locate a total of 40* migrants. Again this incident involved a rubber vessel during a the rescue operation that was conducted 44 nautical miles north east off the Libyan capital. The operation began at 11am and all migrants were taken on board the OPV90 class vessel by 1.30pm. The 40 rescued persons were transferred to another NGO vessel, the Aquarius.

This brings to 2,310* migrants rescued by the LÉ Samuel Beckett since it deployed to the Mediterranean area of operations on 23 September of this year.

 *Figures released on the days for both SAR operations are provisional until confirmed by the Italian authorities.

#BusyBeckett - In the space of two days, LÉ Samuel Beckett has carried out three separate rescue operations involving more than 400 people in the Mediterranean off north Africa.

The first incident took place yesterday, almost 40 nautical miles off the Libyan capital, Tripoli, following a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre. This is where the Irish Naval Service OPV90 class vessel located and rescued a total of 299* migrants from three separate rubber vessels during search and rescue (SAR) operations.

The first rescue operation began at 08.50am and all migrants were taken on board LÉ Samuel Beckett by 12.15pm. The migrants received food, water and medical treatment where required.

On the previous day, Wednesday, LÉ Samuel Beckett carried out another SAR which saw 122* migrants from a rubber vessel again in the same area north east of Tripoli. The rescue operation began at 8.00am and all migrants were taken on board LÉ Samuel Beckett by 12.30pm. Likewise migrants recieved assistance including medical treatment where required.

LÉ Samuel Beckett transferred all rescued persons to the VOS Hestia. This vessel transported them to a port of safety and from there they were administered by Italian authorities.

*Figures for both SAR operations are provisional until confirmed by the Italian authorities.