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Irish Naval Service
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Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service (Irish: An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork.
Though preceded by earlier maritime defence organisations, the Naval Service was formed in 1946. Since the 1970s a major role of the Naval Service has been the provision of fisheries protection in Ireland's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Other roles include sea patrol, surveillance, and smuggling prevention. Occasionally the service undertakes longer missions in support of other elements of the Defence Forces, Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, or humanitarian and trade missions.
The Naval Service has an active establishment of 1,094 and a reserve establishment of 200. Like other components of the Defence Forces, the Naval Service has struggled to maintain strength and as of late 2024 had only 719 active personnel, and 77 reserve personnel.
The international ship prefix for Naval Service vessels is LÉ or Long Éireannach (Irish Ship). Naval Service ships are traditionally named with mainly female names taken from Celtic mythology and Irish folklore. In 2014, the government controversially broke from tradition and decided to name the new P60 class ships after famous Irish writers, but in 2024 the traditional naming conventions was restored with the naming of the P70 class patrol vessels.
The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which created the Irish Free State, stipulated that it was to be given responsibility to police its customs and fishing, while control of its seas remained with the United Kingdom and its Royal Navy, who also retained the "Treaty Ports" of Cork, Berehaven and Lough Swilly.
During the Irish Civil War, due to the lack of an established navy for the Irish Free State, the Royal Navy provided some support, patrolling and searching incoming ships to prevent gun-running to the Irish Republican Army. Actually backing the Free State in combat was considered, but never implemented, as British military intervention would have been politically-embarrassing for the new Irish government. Anti-Treaty IRA units occasionally fired on Royal Navy vessels, though these efforts were ineffective.
Several coastal landings were undertaken by the Irish National Army using commandeered civilian passenger ships such as the Arvonia and the SS Lady Wicklow. On 2 August 1922, the Lady Wicklow, commanded by Captain Patrick Ryan, landed 450 troops under the infamous Paddy Daly at Fenit, the port of Tralee. On 8 August, the Arvonia and Lady Wicklow were used to land over 1,000 troops at Youghal and Passage West liberating Cork unopposed two days later.
In May 1923, Major General Joseph Vize, a colleague of Michael Collins, established the Coastal and Marine Service (CMS) with fourteen patrol vessels, each armed with a 12 pounder gun, and several other boats armed with machine guns. As the civil war concluded the same month, the vessels were soon disposed of, and the service was disbanded in March 1924.
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Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service (Irish: An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork.
Though preceded by earlier maritime defence organisations, the Naval Service was formed in 1946. Since the 1970s a major role of the Naval Service has been the provision of fisheries protection in Ireland's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Other roles include sea patrol, surveillance, and smuggling prevention. Occasionally the service undertakes longer missions in support of other elements of the Defence Forces, Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, or humanitarian and trade missions.
The Naval Service has an active establishment of 1,094 and a reserve establishment of 200. Like other components of the Defence Forces, the Naval Service has struggled to maintain strength and as of late 2024 had only 719 active personnel, and 77 reserve personnel.
The international ship prefix for Naval Service vessels is LÉ or Long Éireannach (Irish Ship). Naval Service ships are traditionally named with mainly female names taken from Celtic mythology and Irish folklore. In 2014, the government controversially broke from tradition and decided to name the new P60 class ships after famous Irish writers, but in 2024 the traditional naming conventions was restored with the naming of the P70 class patrol vessels.
The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which created the Irish Free State, stipulated that it was to be given responsibility to police its customs and fishing, while control of its seas remained with the United Kingdom and its Royal Navy, who also retained the "Treaty Ports" of Cork, Berehaven and Lough Swilly.
During the Irish Civil War, due to the lack of an established navy for the Irish Free State, the Royal Navy provided some support, patrolling and searching incoming ships to prevent gun-running to the Irish Republican Army. Actually backing the Free State in combat was considered, but never implemented, as British military intervention would have been politically-embarrassing for the new Irish government. Anti-Treaty IRA units occasionally fired on Royal Navy vessels, though these efforts were ineffective.
Several coastal landings were undertaken by the Irish National Army using commandeered civilian passenger ships such as the Arvonia and the SS Lady Wicklow. On 2 August 1922, the Lady Wicklow, commanded by Captain Patrick Ryan, landed 450 troops under the infamous Paddy Daly at Fenit, the port of Tralee. On 8 August, the Arvonia and Lady Wicklow were used to land over 1,000 troops at Youghal and Passage West liberating Cork unopposed two days later.
In May 1923, Major General Joseph Vize, a colleague of Michael Collins, established the Coastal and Marine Service (CMS) with fourteen patrol vessels, each armed with a 12 pounder gun, and several other boats armed with machine guns. As the civil war concluded the same month, the vessels were soon disposed of, and the service was disbanded in March 1924.
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