Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Belgians Follow In Wake of French and Dutch Navies to Dublin Port

29th April 2016
Belgium Navy's auxiliary command and logistical support ship, BNS Godetia is one of three vessels visiting Dublin over the May Bank Holiday Belgium Navy's auxiliary command and logistical support ship, BNS Godetia is one of three vessels visiting Dublin over the May Bank Holiday Credit: Belgium Navy

#ThirdNavyVisitor – It’s been a busy week so far in Dublin Port in terms of visiting European navies, as the Belgians are the latest to call to the capital from where French and Dutch vessels in recent days have departed, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Of the Belgium Navy, three vessels this morning berthed at Sir John Rogersons Quay. They are BNS Godetia, an auxiliary command and logistical support ship, BNS Lobelia a ‘Tripartite’ class minehunter and BNS Pollux a patrol vessel. A sister of Lobelia, the BNS Primula formed one of the six NATO flotilla vessels that called to Dublin at the beginning of this month.

The Belgium trio have been honing naval exercise skills off the Welsh coast before heading off Wicklow Head and their arrival to Dublin Port around dawn. Their Irish visit takes place over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Of the most recent departures, that was the French destroyer Cassard from Alexandra Basin yesterday, and on the previous day fleetmate Var, an auxiliary tanker.

Also to depart on Wednesday was Dutch submarine, HNLMS Walrus. The 68m long ‘Walrus’ class submarine departed Alexandra Basin with the assistence of tug sisters, Beaufort and Shackleton.

Published in Naval Visits
Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

Email The Author

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button

Naval Visits focuses on forthcoming courtesy visits by foreign navies from our nearest neighbours, to navies from European Union and perhaps even those navies from far-flung distant shores.

In covering these Naval Visits, the range of nationality arising from these vessels can also be broad in terms of the variety of ships docking in our ports.

The list of naval ship types is long and they perform many tasks. These naval ships can include coastal patrol vessels, mine-sweepers, mine-hunters, frigates, destroyers, amphibious dock-landing vessels, helicopter-carriers, submarine support ships and the rarer sighting of submarines.

When Naval Visits are made, it is those that are open to the public to come on board, provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate up close and personal, what these look like and what they can do and a chance to discuss with the crew.

It can make even more interesting for visitors when a flotilla arrives, particularly comprising an international fleet, adding to the sense of curiosity and adding a greater mix to the type of vessels boarded.

All of this makes Naval Visits a fascinating and intriguing insight into the role of navies from abroad, as they spend time in our ports, mostly for a weekend-long call, having completed exercises at sea.

These naval exercises can involve joint co-operation between other naval fleets off Ireland, in the approaches of the Atlantic, and way offshore of the coasts of western European countries.

In certain circumstances, Naval Visits involve vessels which are making repositioning voyages over long distances between continents, having completed a tour of duty in zones of conflict.

Joint naval fleet exercises bring an increased integration of navies within Europe and beyond. These exercises improve greater co-operation at EU level but also internationally, not just on a political front, but these exercises enable shared training skills in carrying out naval skills and also knowledge.

Naval Visits are also reciprocal, in that the Irish Naval Service, has over the decades, visited major gatherings overseas, while also carrying out specific operations on many fronts.

Ireland can, therefore, be represented through these ships that also act as floating ambassadorial platforms, supporting our national interests.

These interests are not exclusively political in terms of foreign policy, through humanitarian commitments, but are also to assist existing trade and tourism links and also develop further.

Equally important is our relationship with the Irish diaspora, and to share this sense of identity with the rest of the World.