Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Florida

Dublin Bay Frostbites regulars Roy Van Maanen (Greystones SC) and Noel Butler (National YC) both finished second in their respective fleets at the RS Aero US Midwinters in Florida last weekend.

Varied conditions tested sailors in all wind strengths in very pleasant Florida temperatures across the race week held at Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa.

Butler had a consistent performance in the shifty breeze on day two in the 7 fleet, scoring 3,2,3 to secure his podium, while Van Maanen enjoyed a game battle with Philip Myerson of Cedar Point YC in Connecticut for first in the 5 fleet, with the US sailor coming up trumps this time out.

The Irish contingent also competed in the Florida State Championship, with Butler taking third place and Van Maanen placing a more than respectable sixth.

And in the Round the Bay Long Distance Race on 8 February, Butler narrowly missed out on first place — under 10 seconds on handicap — to make it a trifecta of podium finishes.

Noel Butler and Roy Van Maanen (right) at dinner with fellow RS Aero sailors during the race week | Credit: Noel ButlerNoel Butler and Roy Van Maanen (right) at dinner with fellow RS Aero sailors during the race week | Credit: Noel Butler

Butler commented on social media: “Delighted to finish 2nd 7 rig in the RS Aero Class North America Midwinter Championships and 3rd in the Florida State Championships

“Thanks to organiser Ryan Schenck and all at the beautiful Davis Island Yacht Club for the hospitality and a great event.

“Thanks to the Cedar Point Yacht Club RS Aero sailors for providing charter boats and driving them all the way from CT to FL and back!

“Thanks to the Hummingbird Gang (Jeff Dunmall, Madhavan Thirumalai, Boris Mezhibovskiy, Roy Van Maanen) for the epic accomodation, food and fun!”

Both are back in action in Ireland this weekend, with the INSS RS Aero Super Series on Saturday and the DMYC Frostbites on Sunday.

Published in RS Aero

#Rowing: Ireland’s lightweight pair of Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll took a brilliant gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton in Florida. They got a tough challenge from Italy and Brazil, but O’Donovan and O’Driscoll produced a stunning row, with a stroke rate of well into the 40s right through the race. They took over the lead at 750 metres and never gave it up, despite concerted challenges by, first, Brazil and then Italy, who took second, with the South Americans taking bronze.  

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Ireland pair of Fionnán McQuillan-Tolan and Patrick Boomer finished fifth in their repechage today at the World Rowing Championships in Florida. They will compete in the C Final. The top three secured places in the A/B Semi-Finals. Serbia were impressive winners, taking over from Spain in the middle stages. These two held the top spots to the finish. Behind them the United States clung on to third.

 Ireland pushed fourth-placed Argentina hard in the third quarter, but it was the South Americans who finished best – they came close to ousting the United States and taking the crucial third spot. The host country held on by just .35 of a second.

World Rowing Championships, Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida – Day Three (Irish interest):

Men

Pair – Repechage (First Three to A/B Semi-Final; rest to C Final): 1 Serbia 6:38.05, 2 Spain 6:40.24, 3 United States 6:41.46; 5 Ireland (F McQuillan-Tolan, P Boomer) 6:47.01.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Denise Walsh made it three wins out of three starts for Ireland at the World Rowing Championships in Florida today. The Ireland lightweight single sculler charged to the line to beat Kirsten McCann of South Africa in an exciting finish to their heat.

 Earlier Paul O’Donovan, in the lightweight single and the lightweight pair of Shane O’Driscoll and Mark O’Donovan had also won.  

World Rowing Championships, Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida – Day One – Irish Interest:

Men

Lightweight Pair – Heat One (First to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:33.20, 2 Britain (J Cassells, S Scrimgeour) 6:38.57, 3 Italy 6:40.39.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Four to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechages): 1 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 6:54.68, 2 Brazil 7:05.75, 3 Italy 7:09.88, 4 Thailand 7:17.50.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechages): 1 Ireland (D Walsh) 7:43.87, 2 South Africa 7:44.38, 3 Italy 8:03.34.  

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Ireland team for the World Rowing Championships has been weakened by the non-availability of Gary O’Donovan through illness. The Skibbereen man formed the lightweight double with his brother Paul which took silver at the Olympic Games in 2016. Their 2017 campaign brought them silver at the European Championships and silver and bronze in World Cup regattas. Paul O’Donovan will now defend his World Championship title in the lightweight single sculls at this year’s regatta, which begins on September 24th in Sarasota-Bradenton in Florida.

 Gary O’Donovan will travel to the Championships as a spare.

 Ireland Team for World Rowing Championships, Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, September 24th-October 1st:

 Men

 Pair: F McQuillan-Tolan, P Boomer. Lightweight Pair: M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll. Lightweight Single Sculls: P O’Donovan

 Women

 Pair: A Crowley, A Keogh. Single Sculls: S Puspure. Lightweight Single Sculls: D Walsh.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Hurricane Irma’s impact on Florida left a lot of those interested in the World Rowing Championships, which are set to take place in Sarasota from September 24th to October 1st, worried. Immediately after the storm, this was a statement from the local organisers:  

“The organizing committee of the 2017 World Rowing Championships has started a complete assessment of the impact of Hurricane Irma. The OC is in constant communication with local and state officials to coordinate the recovery initiatives in the area as well as with the airports, hotels, transport partners and vendors. 

 “The Sarasota/Bradenton area did not come under the direct impact of the hurricane as predicted thus, luckily, damage is limited. The area is still under movement restrictions until all services are restored and roadway damage is cleared.

 “The 2017 World Rowing Championships staff is working diligently along with the support of FISA and USRowing to ensure a safe and successful World Championships. 

Further updates will follow in the next 24 to 48 hours.”

Published in Rowing

#PARALYMPICS - Irish team members John Twomey, Anthony Hegarty and Ian Costello are making waves at the World Championships for disabled sailors in Florida this week.

Inside World Parasport reports that the trio from Kinsale Yacht Club are tied for the top spot in the Sonar class, ahead of Norway and France, in the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) event at Laishey Park Marina.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Twomey and his crew have already qualified for the London Paralympics this summer after claiming one of the few rwmaining spots at the IFDS Worlds in Weymouth last July.

Published in Olympics 2012

#CANOEING - The Evening Herald reports that top Irish canoeist Jenny Egan is headed to Florida for a few months of training towards a spot at the 2012 Olympics.

A sprint and marathon racer, Egan was named as The Irish Times/Irish Sport Council's Sportswoman of the Month for May 2010 in recognition of some very impressive performances.

Indeed, the Kildare native enjoyed much success in 2012, with second place in the 5000m at the World Sprint Cup in the Czech Republic and a new Irish record in the 500m at the Canoe Slalom Worlds in Hungary among her achievements.

Heading into 2012, the Salmon Leap club member will surely be shrugging off setbacks like her crash in the heat and humidity of Singapore at the Canoe Marathon Worlds last October.

The new year brings a new focus, as Egan will concentrate on the 500m and 200m K1 sprint distances for the London games, with the final qualifiers - for just 15 spots - taking place in Poland in April.

The Evening Herald has more on the story HERE.

Published in Canoeing
Two of Ireland's 2012 Olympic squad crews are ranked in the top twenty in World sailing rankings announced this week.

Peter O'Leary who has been sailing with three different crews, David Burrows, Frithjof Kleen and Timothy Goodbody to date is ranked 17th by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

O'Leary and Burrows sailing in the Star keelboat class were recent top finishers at 93-boat fleet in Miami. They finished second overall after they lost the overall lead in the last race of the 2011 Bacardi Cup.

Listen into a podcast about Peter O'Leary's Olympic sailing plans HERE.

Fellow Olympic squad member, 21-year old Annalise Murphy from Dun Laoghaire is now ranked 12th in the Laser radial class counting seven ISAF events. Murphy has also had success in Florida this season, she finished fourth in the Miami Olympic Classes regatta in January.

Listen to what Team Manager James O'Callaghan has to say about her progress:

The next release of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings will be on 13 April 2011 and will include the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia Mapfre in Spain.

The ISAF World Sailing Rankings rate skippers based on their performances over the last two years. Skippers score points by competing in ISAF Graded events. The top finishers at all ISAF Graded events score Rankings points, with the highest points awarded to the event winner and then decreasing down relative to position.

More Irish Olympic Sailing News HERE.

Published in Olympics 2012
26th January 2011

Murphy Stays in Top Five

Annalise Murphy stays in the top five of the Laser Radial fleet after another solid performance at the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta in Florida today. The Dun Laoghaire sailor has slipped one place overall from third to fourth but she will be more than happy to count a fifth from today's race sailed in 15 knots that lightened up towards the finish. 

Murphy's rival for London selection 2012, Tiffany Brien from Belfast Lough, lies 26th. The Laser Radial results are HERE.

Annalise training in Fremantle

Meanwhile the Star duo of Peter O'Leary and David Burrows recovered after a DSQ on Tuesday and are back to 15th overall, some 20 points adrift of the top ten in the 56-boat fleet. Star results HERE.

Things started out slowl at US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR when all but one class was postponed ashore due to light wind that followed morning showers, but the entire fleet of 716 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls from 53 nations were back in action on Biscayne Bay by afternoon, with sunshine and fresh breezes to improve their day. This is the second stop on the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup circuit and is considered a major stepping stone on a sailor's path to securing a berth at the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Regattas scheduled for Weymouth, England in 2012.

starsstart

Ireland's O'Leary and Burrows start mid line in race two. Photo: Daniel Forster

After two days of maintaining a lead in the 41-boat Men's 470 class, Nic Asher/Elliot Willis (GBR) were edged out today (day three) by fellow national teammates Luke Patience/Stuart Bithell for the top spot on the scoreboard. Patience/Bithell won today's single race while Asher/Willis took a sixth, using it as a discard race. (After six races, teams are allowed to drop their worst score.) They are now three points behind the new leaders.

"It was a tricky day," said Asher, who with Willis has won the Men's 470 Worlds twice. The wind was off the land so it was shifty and gusty, lots of places changed, but our sixth was solid. Tomorrow it's all to play for."

Patience said his team's victory today came after a disappointing start. "We didn't pop out in front until about two-thirds up the second windward leg; that's pretty late in the race, but as it developed, the lanes opened up. There was not much pattern to the wind, which went from 10 knots up to 15 knots, so it was an active kind of sailing-- a lot of dividing our time between looking around and driving."

Leaders from day one in the 24-boat Women's 470 class, Ingrid Petijean/ Nadege Douroux (FRA), had a "disappointing" race—a 12th—but still hang on for a one-point lead over Penny Clark (GBR), who won today's race to move to second

"Before the start, you could see the dark clouds approaching," said US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics 470 coach Mark Ivey (San Francisco, Calif.), and the teams were scrambling to adjust their rig settings for high wind, but as the race went on, the squall line passed, more toward the Star course (farther out), and it lightened into a leftover westerly breeze."

The 470s are in for a long day tomorrow, as it is anticipated they will sail three races to catch up with their two-races-a-day schedule before the final medal races (for top-ten in each of the ten Olympic classes) conclude the regatta on Sunday.

With two races today in the 56-boat Star class, Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada (BRA) still shine. They finished 9-7 while Fredrik Loof/Max Salminen (SWE) posted a 15-5. Only two points separate them from the leaders and the third-place finishers Xavier Rohart and Pierre Alexis Ponsot (FRA).

Yet another GBR team leads the 49ers, and they have done so since yesterday in the 29-boat fleet. John Pink/ Rick Peacock finished 4-6-1 today and used the sixth as a permitted discard in their final score, which is 18 points to the 19 carried by Dave Evans/Edward Powys, also from the UK.

The 49er, a skiff that flies across the water with its skipper and crew hanging out over the water on "trapezes," is considered the Ferrari of sailboat racing and can reach blazing speeds. The class started in 1995 and parachuted into the Olympic Games in 2000. The fleet has grown substantially over the last decade, attracting sailors from other classes who seek fast and exhilarating racing. Their races are only 30 minutes long, so they can squeeze in up to four races a day in perfect conditions

"It's going well – we've had some great races really and a mixed bag with conditions," said Pink, noting a total of five victories in his team's nine-race score line. "Yesterday was very boat speed oriented and we managed to crack that quite well and today was a lot more shifty so it was more about minimizing risk. The results could have been a lot worse today, so we battled through and we've been enjoying it." Pink and Peacock won a silver medal here at the 2009 Rolex Miami OCR.

"You get a little confidence boost," said Pink about being lucky enough to do well here among so many of the world's leading sailors, "and aside from that it's just a nice place to be with good weather and good training conditions."

For fleet racing in the Olympic classes, the regatta consists of a five-day opening series (Monday – Friday) and a double-point medal race (Saturday). The top 10 finishers in the opening series of each class will advance to the medal race. For match racing (Elliot 6m), which makes its debut in the 2012 Olympic Games, the regatta consists of an opening series, a knockout series, and a sail-off for boats not advancing to the knockout series. Competitors in the Paralympic classes will have five days of fleet racing (Monday-Friday) and no medal race. Medals will be awarded to the top three boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class on Saturday, January 29.

US SAILING has partnered with the city of Miami to provide world-class venues for competition. Additional hosts for the event include Coral Reef Yacht Club, Key Biscayne Yacht Club, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Miami Rowing Club and Shake-a-Leg Miami. These sailing organizations host classes onshore, as well as help run the on-the-water racing. The Coral Reef Yacht Club also hosts the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., US SAILING's 2011 Rolex Miami OCR is also sponsored by AlphaGraphics, Gowrie Group, Chubb Insurance, Sperry Top-Sider, Harken McLube, Trinity Yachts, University of Miami Hospital and Kattack.

A complete roster of competitors can be viewed at the event website, RMOCR.ussailing.org, where real-time racecourse blogging, commentary and fan interaction, regatta results, photos and news updates will be integrated into a live coverage platform once racing begins. Video highlights produced by Gary Jobson and presented by Rolex air daily and are available on-demand on the event website. Fans can also follow the event on Facebook/RMOCR and Twitter/RMOCR.

US SAILING's 2011 Rolex Miami OCR
Top-three Finishes
Day 3

49er (29 boats) – 9 races
1. John Pink/ Rick Peacock (GBR) 4- 1- 5-1-1-1-4-[6]-1 (18)
2. Dave Evans/Edward Powys (GBR) 2- [6]-1-3-3-2-5-1-2 (19)
3. Paul Brotherton/Mark Asquith (GBR) 1-3-2-5-2-[10]-2-10-5 (30)

Laser Radial (58 boats) – 6 races
1. Marit Bouwmeester (NED) [4]-1-3-3-4-1 (12)
2. Evi Van Acker (BEL) 2-2-1-1-7-[16] (13)
3. Paige Railey (USA) 1-[59/BFD]-4-6-2-5 (18)

Laser (104 boats)-6 races
1. Rasmus Myrgren (SWE) [7]-3-1-1-1-3 (9)
2. Paul Goodison (GBR) 1-2-8-1-[53/DSQ]-1(13)
3. Nick Thompson (GBR) [7]-4-1-2-2-5 (14)

Finn (37 boats) – 5 races
1. Giles Scott (GBR) 1-1-1-1-[38/OCS] (4)
2. Brendan Casey (AUS) 3-4-3-[7]-1 (11)
3. Zach Railey (USA) 2-3-4-[6]-4 (13)

470 Men (42 boats) – 5 races
1. Luke Patience/Stuart Bithell (GBR) 3-2-2-[5]-1(8)
2. Nic Asher/Elliot Willis (GBR) 1-3-5-2-[6] (11)
3. Mathew Belcher/ Malcolm Page (AUS) 2-8-[10]-3-3(16)

470 Women (24 boats) – 5 races
1. Ingrid Petijean/ Nadege Douroux (FRA) 1-2 3-4-[12] (10)
2. Penny Clark/ Katrina Hughes (GBR) 4-4-2-[6]-1 (11)
3. Camille Lecointre/Mathilde Geron (FRA) 3-1-1-8-[25/BFD] (13)

Skud-18 (7 boats) – 5 races
1. Daniel Fitzgibbon/Liesl Tesch (AUS) 1-1-4-1-[8/OCS] (7)
2. Jennifer French/ Jean-Paul Creignou (USA) [3]-3-1-2-2 (8)
3. Alexandra Rickham/Niki Birrell (GBR) 2-4-3-[5]-1 (10)

Star (57 boats) – 6 races
1. Robert Scheidt/Bruno Prada (BRA) 1-2-[9]-1-9-7 (20)
2. Fredrik Loof/Max Salminen (SWE) 5-3-7-3-[15]-6 (24)
3. Xavier Rohart/Pierre Alexis Ponsot (FRA) [7]-7-1-6-7-5 (26)

RS: X Men (37 boats) – 6 races
1. Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) 1-[4]-1-1-2-4 (9)
2. Nick Dempsey (GBR) 2-2-[4]-4-3-1 (12)
3. Nimrod Mashiah (ISR) 7-3-2-2-1-[11] (15)

RS: X Women (30 boats) – 6 races
1. Marina Alabau (ESP) [1]-1-1-1-1-1 (5)
2. Bryony Shaw (GBR) [7]-2-2-2-2-6 (14)
3. Charline Picon (FRA) 2-6-3-5-[9]-2 (18)

2.4mR (30 boats) – 4 races (No Races Sailed Today)
1. Damien Seguin (FRA) 2-5-1-1 (9)
2. Allan Leibel (CAN) 3-2-2-2 (9)
3. Thierry Schmitter (NED) 1-1-4-4 (10)

Sonar (12 boats) – 5 races
1. John Roberston/ Hannah Stodel/ Steve Thomas (GBR) 3-2-1-[7]-2 (8)
2. Albert Foster/David Burdette/Mike Hersey (USA) 1-[12]-5-1-5 (12)
3. Udo Hessels/ Mischa Rossen/Marcel van de Veen (NED) 2-1-4-[13/DNS]-6 (13)

Elliott 6m -- Gold Round Robin Results

Lucy Macgregor/Mary Rook/ Kate Macgregor (GBR); 2-1
Claire Leroy/ Elodie Bertrand/Marie Riou (FRA); 2-1
Anna Tunnicliffe(/Molly Vandemoer/Debbie Capozzi (Plantation, Fla., USA/Redwood City, Calif., USA/(Bayport, N.Y., USA);2-1
Ekaterina Skudina/Elena Syuzeva/Irina Lotsmanova (RUS); 2-1
Silja Lehtinen/Silja Kanerva/Mikaela Wulff (FIN); 1-2
Nicky Souter/Jessica Eastwell/Olivia Price (AUS); 0-3

Repechage Round Robin Results
Stephanie Hazard/ Susannah Pyatt/ Jenna Hansen (NZL); 3-0
Julie Bossard/Pauline Chalaux/ Nolwenn Combeaux (FRA); 2-1
Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI., USA)/ Alana O'Reilly (Charleston SC, USA)/ Elizabeth Kratzig-Burnham (Miami Beach FL, USA); 2-1
Renee Groeneveld/Mandy Mulder/Merel Witteveen(NED);1-2
Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen/Christina Refn/Susanne Boidin (DEN); 1-2
Rita Goncalves/Mariana Lobato/Diana Neves (POR); 0-3

Silver Round Robin Results- No Races Sailed
Silke Hahlbrock/ Kerstin Schult / Maren Hahlbrock (GER)
Genny Tulloch/Alice Leanoard/Jennifer Chamberlin (Sausalito, CA.,USA/East Haven, CT., USA/Washington, DC., USA)
Anne-Claire Le Berre/ Alice Ponsar/ Myrtille Ponge (FRA)
Anna Kjellberg/ Malin Kallstrom/ Lotta Harrysson (SWE);
Renata Decnop/Fernanda Decnop/Tatiana Ribeiro (BRA);
Katie Spithill/Nina Curtis/Angela Farrell (AUS);

Bronze Round Robin Results
Vesna Dekleva Paoli/ Katarina Kersevan/ Lena Koter (SLO); 2-0
Annemiek Bekkering/ Brechtje van der Werf/ Annemiek Bes(NED); 1-1
Rebecca Dellenbaugh (Easton CT, USA)/ Maggie Shea (Wilmette, IL USA)/ Janel Zarkowsky (Annapolis, MD USA); 1-1
Jinny Gordon/Crystle Numan/ Laurel Gordon-Taylor (CAN); 0-2
Juliana Senfft/Gabriela Sa/Daniela Adler (BRA); 1-1
Katie Abbott/ Joanne Prokop/ Caroline Kaars Sijpesteijn (CAN); 1-1

 

Published in Olympics 2012
Tagged under

About the Irish Navy

The Navy maintains a constant presence 24 hours a day, 365 days a year throughout Ireland’s enormous and rich maritime jurisdiction, upholding Ireland’s sovereign rights. The Naval Service is tasked with a variety of roles including defending territorial seas, deterring intrusive or aggressive acts, conducting maritime surveillance, maintaining an armed naval presence, ensuring right of passage, protecting marine assets, countering port blockades; people or arms smuggling, illegal drugs interdiction, and providing the primary diving team in the State.

The Service supports Army operations in the littoral and by sealift, has undertaken supply and reconnaissance missions to overseas peace support operations and participates in foreign visits all over the world in support of Irish Trade and Diplomacy.  The eight ships of the Naval Service are flexible and adaptable State assets. Although relatively small when compared to their international counterparts and the environment within which they operate, their patrol outputs have outperformed international norms.

The Irish Naval Service Fleet

The Naval Service is the State's principal seagoing agency. The Naval Service operates jointly with the Army and Air Corps.

The fleet comprises one Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV), three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), two Large Patrol Vessel (LPV) and two Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV). Each vessel is equipped with state of the art machinery, weapons, communications and navigation systems.

LÉ EITHNE P31

LE Eithne was built in Verlome Dockyard in Cork and was commissioned into service in 1984. She patrols the Irish EEZ and over the years she has completed numerous foreign deployments.

Type Helicopter Patrol Vessel
Length 80.0m
Beam 12m
Draught 4.3m
Main Engines 2 X Ruston 12RKC Diesels6, 800 HP2 Shafts
Speed 18 knots
Range 7000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 55 (6 Officers)
Commissioned 7 December 1984

LÉ ORLA P41

L.É. Orla was formerly the HMS SWIFT a British Royal Navy patrol vessel stationed in the waters of Hong Kong. She was purchased by the Irish State in 1988. She scored a notable operational success in 1993 when she conducted the biggest drug seizure in the history of the state at the time, with her interception and boarding at sea of the 65ft ketch, Brime.

Type Coastal Patrol Vessel
Length 62.6m
Beam 10m
Draught 2.7m
Main Engines 2 X Crossley SEMT- Pielstick Diesels 14,400 HP 2 Shafts
Speed 25 + Knots
Range 2500 Nautical Miles @ 17 knots
Crew 39 (5 Officers)

LÉ CIARA P42

L.É. Ciara was formerly the HMS SWALLOW a British Royal Navy patrol vessel stationed in the waters of Hong Kong. She was purchased by the Irish State in 1988. She scored a notable operational success in Nov 1999 when she conducted the second biggest drug seizure in the history of the state at that time, with her interception and boarding at sea of MV POSIDONIA of the south-west coast of Ireland.

Type Coastal Patrol Vessel
Length 62.6m
Beam 10m
Draught 2.7m
Main Engines 2 X Crossley SEMT- Pielstick Diesels 14,400 HP 2 Shafts
Speed 25 + Knots
Range 2500 Nautical Miles @ 17 knots
Crew 39 (5 Officers)

LÉ ROISIN P51

L.É. Roisin (the first of the Roisín class of vessel) was built in Appledore Shipyards in the UK for the Naval Service in 2001. She was built to a design that optimises her patrol performance in Irish waters (which are some of the roughest in the world), all year round. For that reason a greater length overall (78.8m) was chosen, giving her a long sleek appearance and allowing the opportunity to improve the conditions on board for her crew.

Type Long Offshore Patrol Vessel
Length 78.84m
Beam 14m
Draught 3.8m
Main Engines 2 X Twin 16 cly V26 Wartsila 26 medium speed Diesels
5000 KW at 1,000 RPM 2 Shafts
Speed 23 knots
Range 6000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 44 (6 Officers)
Commissioned 18 September 2001

LÉ NIAMH P52

L.É. Niamh (the second of the Róisín class) was built in Appledore Shipyard in the UK for the Naval Service in 2001. She is an improved version of her sister ship, L.É.Roisin

Type Long Offshore Patrol Vessel
Length 78.84m
Beam 14m
Draught 3.8m
Main Engines 2 X Twin 16 cly V26 Wartsila 26 medium speed Diesels
5000 KW at 1,000 RPM 2 Shafts
Speed 23 knots
Range 6000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 44 (6 Officers)
Commissioned 18 September 2001

LÉ SAMUEL BECKETT P61

LÉ Samuel Beckett is an Offshore Patrol Vessel built and fitted out to the highest international standards in terms of safety, equipment fit, technological innovation and crew comfort. She is also designed to cope with the rigours of the North-East Atlantic.

Type Offshore Patrol Vessel
Length 90.0m
Beam 14m
Draught 3.8m
Main Engines 2 x Wärtsilä diesel engines and Power Take In, 2 x shafts, 10000kw
Speed 23 knots
Range 6000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 44 (6 Officers)

LÉ JAMES JOYCE P62

LÉ James Joyce is an Offshore Patrol Vessel and represents an updated and lengthened version of the original RÓISÍN Class OPVs which were also designed and built to the Irish Navy specifications by Babcock Marine Appledore and she is truly a state of the art ship. She was commissioned into the naval fleet in September 2015. Since then she has been constantly engaged in Maritime Security and Defence patrolling of the Irish coast. She has also deployed to the Defence Forces mission in the Mediterranean from July to end of September 2016, rescuing 2491 persons and recovering the bodies of 21 deceased

Type Offshore Patrol Vessel
Length 90.0m
Beam 14m
Draught 3.8m
Main Engines 2 x Wärtsilä diesel engines and Power Take In, 2 x shafts, 10000kw
Speed 23 knots
Range 6000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 44 (6 Officers)

LÉ WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS P63

L.É. William Butler Yeats was commissioned into the naval fleet in October 2016. Since then she has been constantly engaged in Maritime Security and Defence patrolling of the Irish coast. She has also deployed to the Defence Forces mission in the Mediterranean from July to October 2017, rescuing 704 persons and recovering the bodies of three deceased.

Type Offshore Patrol Vessel
Length 90.0m
Beam 14m
Draught 3.8m
Main Engines 2 x Wärtsilä diesel engines and Power Take In, 2 x shafts, 10000kw
Speed 23 knots
Range 6000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 44 (6 Officers)

LÉ GEORGE BERNARD SHAW P64

LÉ George Bernard Shaw (pennant number P64) is the fourth and final ship of the P60 class vessels built for the Naval Service in Babcock Marine Appledore, Devon. The ship was accepted into State service in October 2018, and, following a military fit-out, commenced Maritime Defence and Security Operations at sea.

Type Offshore Patrol Vessel
Length 90.0m
Beam 14m
Draught 3.8m
Main Engines 2 x Wärtsilä diesel engines and Power Take In, 2 x shafts, 10000kw
Speed 23 knots
Range 6000 Nautical Miles @ 15 knots
Crew 44 (6 Officers)

Ship information courtesy of the Defence Forces

Irish Navy FAQs

The Naval Service is the Irish State's principal seagoing agency with "a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements". It is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles.

The Naval Service is based in Ringaskiddy, Cork harbour, with headquarters in the Defence Forces headquarters in Dublin.

The Naval Service provides the maritime component of the Irish State's defence capabilities and is the State's principal seagoing agency. It "protects Ireland's interests at and from the sea, including lines of communication, fisheries and offshore resources" within the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Naval Service operates jointly with the Army and Air Corps as part of the Irish defence forces.

The Naval Service was established in 1946, replacing the Marine and Coastwatching Service set up in 1939. It had replaced the Coastal and Marine Service, the State's first marine service after independence, which was disbanded after a year. Its only ship was the Muirchú, formerly the British armed steam yacht Helga, which had been used by the Royal Navy to shell Dublin during the 1916 Rising. In 1938, Britain handed over the three "treaty" ports of Cork harbour, Bere haven and Lough Swilly.

The Naval Service has nine ships - one Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV), three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), two Large Patrol Vessel (LPV) and two Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV). Each vessel is equipped with State of the art machinery, weapons, communications and navigation systems.

The ships' names are prefaced with the title of Irish ship or "long Éireannach" (LE). The older ships bear Irish female names - LÉ Eithne, LÉ Orla, LÉ Ciara, LÉ Roisín, and LÉ Niamh. The newer ships, named after male Irish literary figures, are LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ James Joyce, LÉ William Butler Yeats and LÉ George Bernard Shaw.

Yes. The 76mm Oto Melara medium calibre naval armament is the most powerful weapon in the Naval Services arsenal. The 76mm is "capable of engaging naval targets at a range of up to 17km with a high level of precision, ensuring that the Naval Service can maintain a range advantage over all close-range naval armaments and man-portable weapon systems", according to the Defence Forces.

The Fleet Operational Readiness Standards and Training (FORST) unit is responsible for the coordination of the fleet needs. Ships are maintained at the Mechanical Engineering and Naval Dockyard Unit at Ringaskiddy, Cork harbour.

The helicopters are designated as airborne from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours, and 45 minutes at night. The aircraft respond to emergencies at sea, on inland waterways, offshore islands and mountains and cover the 32 counties. They can also assist in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and can transport offshore firefighters and ambulance teams. The Irish Coast Guard volunteers units are expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time of departing from the station house in ten minutes from notification during daylight and 20 minutes at night. They are also expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time to the scene of the incident in less than 60 minutes from notification by day and 75 minutes at night, subject to geographical limitations.

The Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service (FOCNS) is Commodore Michael Malone. The head of the Defence Forces is a former Naval Service flag officer, now Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett – appointed in 2015 and the first Naval Service flag officer to hold this senior position. The Flag Officer oversees Naval Operations Command, which is tasked with the conduct of all operations afloat and ashore by the Naval Service including the operations of Naval Service ships. The Naval Operations Command is split into different sections, including Operations HQ and Intelligence and Fishery Section.

The Intelligence and Fishery Section is responsible for Naval Intelligence, the Specialist Navigation centre, the Fishery Protection supervisory and information centre, and the Naval Computer Centre. The Naval Intelligence Cell is responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of naval intelligence. The Navigation Cell is the naval centre for navigational expertise.

The Fishery Monitoring Centre provides for fishery data collection, collation, analysis and dissemination to the Naval Service and client agencies, including the State's Sea Fisheries Protection Agency. The centre also supervises fishery efforts in the Irish EEZ and provides data for the enhanced effectiveness of fishery protection operations, as part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The Naval Computer Centre provides information technology (IT) support service to the Naval Service ashore and afloat.

This headquarters includes specific responsibility for the Executive/Operations Branch duties. The Naval Service Operations Room is a coordination centre for all NS current Operations. The Naval Service Reserve Staff Officer is responsible for the supervision, regulation and training of the reserve. The Diving section is responsible for all aspects of Naval diving and the provision of a diving service to the Naval Service and client agencies. The Ops Security Section is responsible for the coordination of base security and the coordination of all shore-based security parties operating away from the Naval base. The Naval Base Comcen is responsible for the running of a communications service. Boat transport is under the control of Harbour Master Naval Base, who is responsible for the supervision of berthage at the Naval Base and the provision of a boat service, including the civilian manned ferry service from Haulbowline.

Naval Service ships have undertaken trade and supply missions abroad, and personnel have served as peacekeepers with the United Nations. In 2015, Naval Service ships were sent on rotation to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean as part of a bi-lateral arrangement with Italy, known as Operation Pontus. Naval Service and Army medical staff rescued some 18,000 migrants, either pulling people from the sea or taking them off small boats, which were often close to capsizing having been towed into open water and abandoned by smugglers. Irish ships then became deployed as part of EU operations in the Mediterranean, but this ended in March 2019 amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the EU.

Essentially, you have to be Irish, young (less than 32), in good physical and mental health and with normal vision. You must be above 5'2″, and your weight should be in keeping with your age.

Yes, women have been recruited since 1995. One of the first two female cadets, Roberta O'Brien from the Glen of Aherlow in Co Tipperary, became its first female commander in September 2020. Sub Lieutenant Tahlia Britton from Donegal also became the first female diver in the navy's history in the summer of 2020.

A naval cadet enlists for a cadetship to become an officer in the Defence Forces. After successfully completing training at the Naval Service College, a cadet is commissioned into the officer ranks of the Naval Service as a Ensign or Sub Lieutenant.

A cadet trains for approximately two years duration divided into different stages. The first year is spent in military training at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Cork. The second-year follows a course set by the National Maritime College of Ireland course. At the end of the second year and on completion of exams, and a sea term, the cadets will be qualified for the award of a commission in the Permanent Defence Force as Ensign.

The Defence Forces say it is looking for people who have "the ability to plan, prioritise and organise", to "carefully analyse problems, in order to generate appropriate solutions, who have "clear, concise and effective communication skills", and the ability to "motivate others and work with a team". More information is on the 2020 Qualifications Information Leaflet.

When you are 18 years of age or over and under 26 years of age on the date mentioned in the notice for the current competition, the officer cadet competition is held annually and is the only way for potential candidates to join the Defence Forces to become a Naval Service officer. Candidates undergo psychometric and fitness testing, an interview and a medical exam.
The NMCI was built beside the Naval Service base at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, and was the first third-level college in Ireland to be built under the Government's Public-Private Partnership scheme. The public partners are the Naval Service and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the private partner is Focus Education.
A Naval Service recruit enlists for general service in the "Other Ranks" of the Defence Forces. After successfully completing the initial recruit training course, a recruit passes out as an Ordinary Seaman and will then go onto their branch training course before becoming qualified as an Able Body sailor in the Naval Service.
No formal education qualifications are required to join the Defence Forces as a recruit. You need to satisfy the interview board and the recruiting officer that you possess a sufficient standard of education for service in the Defence Forces.
Recruit training is 18 weeks in duration and is designed to "develop a physically fit, disciplined and motivated person using basic military and naval skills" to "prepare them for further training in the service. Recruits are instilled with the Naval Service ethos and the values of "courage, respect, integrity and loyalty".
On the progression up through the various ranks, an Able Rate will have to complete a number of career courses to provide them with training to develop their skills in a number of areas, such as leadership and management, administration and naval/military skills. The first of these courses is the Naval Service Potential NCO course, followed by the Naval Service Standard NCO course and the Naval Service senior NCO course. This course qualifies successful candidates of Petty officer (or Senior Petty Officer) rank to fill the rank of Chief Petty Officer upwards. The successful candidate may also complete and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership, Management and Naval Studies in partnership with Cork Institute of Technology.
Pay has long been an issue for just the Naval Service, at just over 1,000 personnel. Cadets and recruits are required to join the single public service pension scheme, which is a defined benefit scheme, based on career-average earnings. For current rates of pay, see the Department of Defence website.