#NavalNewNames – According to The Irish Times, the Government has decided to name the two new OPV patrol vessels after Nobel prize-winning Irish writers. The move is a departure from the policy of naming vessels after female mythical figures.

The newbuilds are to be named L.E. Samuel Beckett and L.E. James Joyce, the first of the pair is due for delivery in early 2014 and the second in 2015 respectively.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the keel-laying ceremony of the first of two PV90 OPV's took place more than a year ago at Babcock Marine's shipyard in north Devon. They are an enhanced version of the 'Roisin' (PV80) class and are to be 10m longer.