#FemaleCaptains -For the first time the command handover ceremony between female captains of the Naval Service took place in Waterford City quays on Friday.

The ceremony held on board L.É. Aoife (P22) saw outgoing Captain, Lieutenant Commander Erika Downing hand over to Lieutenant Commander Marie Gleeson.

Waterford was approriately the location for the historic occasion as L.É. Aoife's adopted home-port is the south-eastern city. All Naval Vessels are individually associated with ports around the coastline.

Female personnel first joined the Irish Naval Service in 1995. Eighteen years later female personnel are fully operationally deployed and integrated, making significant contributions to the Naval Service whilst advancing their careers in line with their male colleagues.

Currently one in four of serving Naval Officers are female and earlier this year the Navy promoted two female Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) to the senior enlisted rank of Petty Officer.