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.