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#HeritageWeek – As part of Heritage Week events, Norwegian tallship, Statsraad Lehmkuhl will be open today, Saturday, 20 August at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin, with 'shanty' singing sailors between 2 and 4pm. No booking required nor admission fee.

In addition to the nautical theme, an exhibition to capture the history of Dublin Docks and surrounding dockland communities for the period 1960 to 1973, is to be held in Dublin next week.

The exhibition will feature photographs, memorabilia and copies of the Waterfront News, which was a unique publication/newspaper, that not only captured what was going on in Dublin Docks and the dockland communities but gave a flavour of what was going on in Irish society at that time.

The exhibition organised by Dublin Dock Workers Preservation Society will be held at Dublin City Council Civic Offices on Wood Quay.

Opening dates are from Monday 22 to Friday 26 August, and times are between 09.00 – 17.00. No booking is required nor admission fee.

Further exhibition details: 

Suitable for Children: No
Wheelchair Access: Full
Car parking Available: No
Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor

Organiser Details website: www.bluemelon.com/alanmartin

Published in Dublin Port

#LectureTributeDrIreland - The final of the 1916 Easter Rising maritime themed lectures held to commemorate the centenary takes place next week in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire.

The lecture programme with the support of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council culminates next Thursday, 9 June with the talk: Dr. John de Courcy Ireland - A tribute to a Maritime Historian. 

John Ellis who is to present the free lecture beginning at 7.30, was a pupil and close friend of Dr John de Courcy Ireland. Ellis will pay tribute to the noted maritime historian whose seminal work on the maritime aspects of the Easter Rising opened up this hitherto little researched field for future historians.

A special centenary version of Dr. Ireland's 'The Sea and the 1916 Easter Rising' is available to buy from stockists including the musuem's souvenir and gift shop.

The book when first published was commissioned by the state on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Rising in 1966. Funding for that edition was provided by Irish Shipping Ltd. 

 

 

Published in Sailing Events

#1916maritime - The Winter lecture 2015/16 season of the Glenua Sailing Centre concludes with a lecture entitled: ‘Maritme Aspects of the 1916 Rising’ by Dr Edward Bourke.

The illustrated lectures will take place on Thursday 14 April (20:00hrs) at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Ringsend, Dublin. There will be an entry fee of €5 in aid of the R.N.L.I.

Edward Bourke is an industrial microbiologist recently retired from brewery research. He is also maritime historian and has published five books on Irish shipwrecks as well as a history of Guinness. Currently he is working on the role of intelligence during the war of Independence in Ireland.

In his illustrated lecture, Edward will explore several maritime aspects of the 1916 events. Foremost among them being the role played by the Royal Navy in suppressing The Rising by strategic interventions.

He will assess the view that the impact of the Helga is greatly exaggerated on the basis that most of the shelling of Dublin was done by field artillery or whether the import of guns for the Volunteers in 1914 was carefully controlled by the British authorities. How plausible is the opinion that the navy had ample forewarning of the intentions of the Volunteers but allowed the 1916 Rising to proceed?

Edward will also discuss the significance of the 1916 rising in the wider context of the Great European War.

Published in Boating Fixtures

#1916Lectures – On this centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, a series of lectures themed on the lesser known maritime aspects of the rising continue to be held at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland.

The second of the seven free talks running to June, will be presented by Dr. John Treacy on the topic: The Silent Shore, The AUD, Roger Casement and Banna Strand.

The lecture takes place on Tuesday, 5 April (7.30 to 9:30 pm). The lecture will trace the story of the Aud from its departure from Lubeck to its scuttling off the Daunt Rock, plus the ill-fated landing of Roger Casement from U-19 on Banna Strand.

Dr. John Treacy has previously lectured extensively on the development of the modern Irish Naval Service.

The NMMI's commemoration of the Rising is supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and the Ireland 1916 – 2016 Centenary Programme.

Also running at the museum is a specially produced 1916 Rising exhibition held in the former Mariners Church which houses the maritime museum.

Published in Ilen

#DoubleLecture - The Winter lecture 2015/16 season of the Glenua Sailing Centre continues with a double lecture programme at the March meeting entitled: ‘The Sea From Two Perspectives’.

The illustrated lectures will take place on Thursday 3 March (20:00hrs) at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Ringsend, Dublin. There will be an entry fee of €5 in aid of the R.N.L.I

The first lecture, “Art and The Sea-An Enduring Fascination” will be given by Jessica O’Donnell who is Collections Curator at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane. She is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and the University of St Andrews. Her publications include Discover Art (shortlisted for CBI Children’s Book of the Year in 2008) and Harry Clarke The Eve of St Agnes (2012). She also enjoys sailing and is a member of Sailing in Dublin (SID) Club.

The talk will explore how artists have been captivated by the sea from many perspectives including how the Impressionists loved portraying people at leisure by the sea; how safeguarding the freedom of the seas was represented in artworks commissioned as war time propaganda; to contemporary artists whose fascination with the sea and marine life continues to inspire.

The second lecture is entitled, “Putting Eyes In The Deep Ocean” by Dr Fiona Grant, Ocean Science & Information Services (OSIS), Marine Institute, Ireland. Fiona began her studies in geology before going on to specialise in marine geophysics and earth system dynamics.

Her first job was as conservation coordinator for wild salmon and sea trout before taking responsibility for research infrastructures in the Marine Institute.

The talk will focus on some of the challenges in observing the deep ocean environment, how to harness ocean energy in Galway Bay and present some of the latest results from studies in the Atlantic Ocean

Published in Boating Fixtures

#1916Lectures – A series of 1916 Easter Rising themed lectures on the lesser known maritime aspects of the rising accompanied by a specially produced exhibition will be held in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, Dun Laoghaire.

As its contribution to the 1916 commemorations, supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and the Ireland 1916 – 2016 Centenary Programme, the Maritime Institute of Ireland (founders of the NMMI) is presenting seven lectures at the museum venue located in the Old Mariners Church, which is only minutes away from the DART and off Dun Laoghaire’s main street.

1916 Exhibition: The exhibition will tell the story of the 1916 Rising from a maritime viewpoint and is to include a display of a gun from the Asgard and a map showing the Helga's movements in 1916.

1916 Lectures: The maritime dimension to the Easter Rising commenced in 1914 and two lectures will examine the role of the Asgard and the lesser known yacht Kelpie in running arms to the Irish Volunteers into Howth and Kilcoole.

The story of the Aud from its departure from Lubeck to its scuttling off the Daunt Rock, plus the ill-fated landing of Roger Casement from U-19 on Banna Strand and the shelling by the Dun Laoghaire based HMS Helga of Boland’s Mill and Liberty Hall during the Rising will be the focus of two further lectures.

The working conditions of Seamen and the prevailing social divisions between Kingston/Dun Laoghaire seafarers in 1916 will also be explored.

Concluding the series will be a tribute to the immense contribution of the noted historian Dr John de Courcy Ireland to the little known maritime history of the Rising when he first penned ‘The Sea and the Easter Rising 1916’.

The publication was timed for the 50th anniversary of this historic event which heralded the birth of the new Irish Nation.

Inaugural 1916 Lecture: ASGARD on the Road to the Rising and Beyond, will be held on 15th March (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

The presenter, Pat Murphy a well-known yachtsman who has broadcast extensively on RTE Radio One’s maritime programme ‘Seascapes’ explores the role of the Asgard in the run up to the Rising.

Below is a list of the following lectures

April

The Silent Shore, The AUD, Roger Casement and Banna Strand – 5th April (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

The AUD and the HELGA in the 1916 Rising – 26th April (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

May

Working Conditions of Seamen in 1916 – 12th May (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

Conor O'Brien, KELPIE and the 1914 Gun Running – 19th May (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

Kingstown: A Divided Seafaring Town – 26th May (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

June

Dr John de Courcy Ireland: A Tribute to a Maritime Historian – 9th June (7:30 pm - 9:30 pm)

Further information on opening exhibition times and updates are available from the NMMI website: www.mariner.ie 

To contact: Tel: (01) 214 3964 and by email: [email protected]

Published in Boating Fixtures

#Lecture - The Winter lecture season of the Glenua Sailing Centre continues with the February lecture, ‘George Forbes –Longford’s Forgotten Admiral’.

The illustrated lecture to be presented by Joe Varley next Thursday 4th February (20:00hrs) takes place at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Ringsend, Dublin. There will be an entry fee of €5 in aid of the R.N.L.I.

Joe has a reputation for being an engaging and entertaining lecturer. With a passion for the sea from his seagoing experience as a radio officer and his time as a sailing instructor with Glenans, Joe is now active as a maritime researcher. In addition as a volunteer with the Maritime Institute of Ireland which has its premises at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire.

His illustrated presentation on the colourful life and remarkable achievements of George Forbes, 3rd Earl of Granard, will reveal a neglected naval tradition in the quiet Longford village of Newtownforbes where Forbes was born in 1685.

Forbes was a Royal Navy commander, diplomat and politician who held posts of high distinction throughout Europe. He went to sea at a young age and was present at some of the most significant events of his age, including the Capture of Gibraltar in 1704. He acted as advisor for the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, in the foundation of the short-lived Austrian navy. Similarly, in 1734, while on a trade visit to Russia, he was invited to assist in the development of the Russian Navy. On his retirement from the Royal Navy, he returned to Newtownforbes where he lived until his death in 1785.

Published in Boating Fixtures

#Lecture - The Winter lecture 2015/16 season of the Glenua Sailing Centre continues with this year’s first lecture, ‘Solo from Brittany to Guadeloupe The Story of the Mini-Transat 2015’.

Tom Dolan will present an illustrated lecture on Thursday 21 January (20:00hrs) at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Ringsend, Dublin. There will be an entry fee of €5 in aid of the R.N.L.I.

So what a year 2015 has been for Tom! Just twelve months ago on a wet and windy Thursday night at the Ringsend venue, he gave a short presentation to Glenua members and friends on his bid to race alone in a 6.5m boat for 4,000 miles in the Mini Transat 2015 from Brittany to the Caribbean.

This race began on 19 September and Tom promised he would report back to Poolbeg in January 2016!

Tom’s rapid progression in the Glenans Irish Sailing School from volunteer to sailing instructor, to sailing centre manager in Ireland and France and his passion for the sea, earned him an enviable reputation in the sail training world. However, below the radar, so to speak, was an increasing engagement with the challenges of ocean racing. Apart from the expense of equipping his borrowed boat, he was on a steep race-training curve and very much “a rookie”!. However, after 3,000 miles training and racing, he qualified for the Transat and secured 10th in the rankings.

From then on, it was downwind all the way to Guadeloupe via Lanzarote in the fastest ever Transat.

After two and a half weeks alone at sea, the final result for Tom was 22nd out of 46 starting yachts, less than 20 minutes off the top twenty.

The story behind that fine achievement is what Tom will tell in next week’s presentation and which is to include a Q & A session.

Published in Boating Fixtures

#SeafarersCommemorations -The Maritime Institute of Ireland which organises the annual Dublin Ecumenical Memorial Commemoration Service for seamen lost at sea will be held this Sunday, 15th November.

A second service takes place in Cork the following weekend, see details below.

Dublin Services

The service this Sunday is take place at 12.30 in the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, City Quay, Dublin 2 which is located close to both Pearse and Tara Street DART and suburban railway service stations.

The annual commemoration also involves tributes paid by organisations laying wreaths from both north and south of this island to all seafarers lost on Merchant ships during WW2. This takes place at the Irish Seaman’s National Memorial also located on City Quay.

Light refreshments will be available during this occasion. After a break for lunch the company will reassemble for Evensong at 3.15 held in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Cork Service

On the following weekend, the annual Cork Ecumenical Memorial Commemoration Service for seamen lost at sea will take place in the Board Room of the Port of Cork Company’s offices, Custom House Quay, Cork on Sunday, 29th November at 1200 noon.

The Martime Institute it should be noted also has the National Maritime Museum of Ireland on Haigh Terrace, Dun Laoghaire. For more details on museum times, what to see and events visit here.

Published in Boating Fixtures

#KishLight@50 – In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Kish Lighthouse off Dublin Bay, the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire is host to a lecture about what is one of Ireland’s most famous and unique lighthouses.

The impressive 12-storey structure of the lighthouse (towering 31 metres high when in situ) was constructed five decades ago in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Tugs brought out the 'floating' 7,000 tonnes lighthouse in the summer of 1965 to the the Kish Bank from where it was sunk into position on the sandbank. It was not until November 9th that year that the light was first exhibited having replaced a lightship.

To hear more on the details of how the lighthouse was built, a two-hour lecture takes place in the NMMI this Thursday, 12 November. The lecture “Kish Lighthouse –Before the Build” begins at 8pm and will be co-presented by Brian Kelly and Eoghan Lehane.

Tickets cost €10.00 and for more details including an exhibition held in the NMMI click here.

In addition the RTE Archives has a link, click here for the ‘Newsbeat’ programme from 1965 on the construction of the lighthouse.

Published in Lighthouses
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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.