-Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

-Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company

-Dun Laoghaire Chamber of Commerce

-Dun Laoghaire Business Association

and Dun Laoghaire Tourism interests.

The Royal Navy's Type 22 frigate HMS Chatham (F87) which recently returned to UK waters after a seven month deployment on anti-piracy duties off Somalia, visited Dublin Port last weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

HMS Chatham was the lead vessel for NATO's 'Operation Ocean Shield' as part of a multi-national task force in the seas off the African state that in recent years has become notorious for piracy.

HMS Chatham departs Dublin Bay and the rocks off Dalkey Island. Photo: Jehan Ashmore /ShipSNAPS

The frigate departed Dublin on Monday afternoon and set an easterly course off the Baily Lighthouse, but surprisingly the 5,300 tonnes vessel returned into the bay. HMS Chatham then crossed the bay towards Sandycove. From there the 148m vessel which has a draft of 6.7m veered in a south-easterly direction, to sweep past off the rocky outcrop, to the north of Dalkey Island and continued southbound off The Muglins.

In mid-November the frigate visited her namesake port on the Medway to mark the 20th anniversary since the vessel's commissioning at Chatham in 1990. The occasion was also the first time that such an event had taken place outside a Royal Navy establishment. 

Built in 1988, the vessel was launched from the Swan Hunter shipyard on the Tyne and is normally based in her homeport of Devonport, Plymouth.

A list of internships for the international maritime industry for 2011 has been announced and can be viewed on the Maritime Careers section posted on the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). 

The following companies: ABS, BP, Shell, Clarksons, Lloyds Register and the European Maritime Safety Association (EMSA) are offering a broad range of internship positions. 

For further details on the internships and links to the companies, logon here

The Irish Ports Association will hold the annual conference for the industry on Friday, 24 September. The venue is Thomond Park Conference Centre, Limerick and the theme is 'Ports Policy for an export led recovery'.

For further details and enquiries contact Evelyn or Carmel at Shannon Foynes Port Company at Tel: 00 353 (0)69 731 00, Fax: 353 (0)69 731 38 or Email:  [email protected]

In addition a PDF for the conference can be downloaded from the port company website www.sfpc.ie