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List of Irish state vessels

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This list identifies active and former maritime vessels of the Irish state, both civilian and military. This list is incomplete.

Active

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Irish Naval Service

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Ships
Class Image Type Ships No. Comm. Displacement Note
Patrol vessels
Samuel Beckett class LÉ Samuel Beckett (P61) Offshore patrol vessel (OPV) LÉ Samuel Beckett P61 2014 2,256 tonnes In service on a "three-ship [..] operational rotation" as of July 2024[1]
LÉ James Joyce P62 2015
LÉ William Butler Yeats P63 2016
LÉ George Bernard Shaw P64 2019[2]
Róisín class LÉ Niamh (P52) Large patrol vessel (LPV) LÉ Róisín P51 1999 1,500 tonnes In reserve as of July 2024.[1]
LÉ Niamh P52 2001 Under re-fit as of July 2024.[1]
Lake class LÉ Aoibhinn (P71) Inshore patrol vessel (IPV) LÉ Aoibhinn P71 2024[3] 340 tonnes Undertaking "Maritime Defence and Security Operations" as of July 2024[4]
LÉ Gobnait P72 2024[3]
Other vessels
Class Image Type Name No. Comm. Displacement Note
Motor launches
Cygnus Typhoon[5] Motor launch Fionnghuala YP01 2024[6][7] 30 tonnes Multi-purpose motor launch used by Naval Service Reserve for coastal patrols, port security and training.[8] Three more on order.[9]

Garda Síochána

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Garda Patrol Boat Colm na Cora on the Liffey
Quantity Type Commissioned
1 Arvor 250 Inland Patrol Boat 2007
1 Targa 31 Colm na Cora Inland Patrol Boat[10] 2000
1 Osprey Rigid Inflatable Boat 1996
3 Delta Inflatable Boat 2007
1 Zodiac Inflatable Boat 1999
3 Zodiac Inflatable Boat 2013
5 Other inflatable boats 2009–2011[11]

Revenue Commissioners

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Type Image Name Commissioned Length Displacement
Customs Cutter RCC Faire RCC Suirbhéir[12] 2004 23.6 metres 50 tonnes
RCC Faire[13] 2009

Marine Institute

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Name Image Commissioned Displacement (t) Length (m) Type
RV Tom Crean Tom Crean 2022[14] 52.8[14] Multi-Purpose Research Vessel[14]
RV Celtic Explorer [15] Celtic Explorer 2003 2425 [16] 65.5 Multi-Purpose Research Vessel

Geological Survey of Ireland

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Name Image Class Commissioned Displacement (t) Length (m) Type
RV Keary [17] Keary-class 2009 36 15.5 Near-Shore Hydrographic Survey Vessel
RV Geo [18] Stormforce RIB 2007 7.4 Shallow Water Survey Vessel
RV Tonn [19] Tonn-class 2015 7.9 Shallow Water Survey Vessel
M.V. Cosantóir Bradán [20] Cosantóir Bradán-class 2012 (ex-Inland Fisheries Ireland vessel) 32 17 Near-Shore Hydrographic Survey Vessel

Commissioners of Irish Lights

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Name Image Class Commissioned Displacement (t) Length (m) Type
ILV Granuaile [21] ILV Granuaile Granuaile-class 2000 3,903 [22] 80 Multipurpose Support Vessel

Dublin Fire Brigade

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Name Image Class Commissioned Displacement (t) Length (m) Type
Rescue One [23] Redbay Stormforce RIB 2022 7.4 Search and rescue

Dublin Port

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Name Image Class Commissioned Displacement (t) Length (m) Type
Shackleton [24] Dublin Port Tugs, Beaufort and Shackleton Bureau Veritas 2010 24 Harbour Tug
Beaufort [24] Bureau Veritas 2010 24 Harbour Tug

Former

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Irish Naval Service

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The following vessels have served with the Naval Service:[25][26][27]

Type Image Ships No. Service Years Fate Notes
Flower-class corvette HMS Borage before it became LÉ Macha LÉ Macha 01 1946-1970 Sold for scrap Former HMS Borage (K120)
LÉ Maev 02 1946-1972 Former HMS Oxlip (K123)
LÉ Cliona 03 1947-1970 Former HMS Bellwort (K114)
Ton-class minesweeper HMS Glasserton, a similar Ton minesweeper LÉ Grainne CM10 1971–1987 Sold to a Spanish company for scrap Former HMS Oulston
LÉ Banba CM11 1971–1984 Former HMS Alverton
LÉ Fola CM12 1971–1987 Former HMS Blaxton
Offshore patrol vessel LÉ Deirdre LÉ Deirdre P20 1972–2001 Sold for scrap Prototype of the P20 class
Auxiliary ship LÉ Setanta A15 1976-1984 Sold for scrap Former Irish Lights vessel Isolde
Patrol vessel LÉ Ferdia A16 1977-1978 Chartered for one year Former MFV Helen Basse
Offshore Patrol Vessel LÉ Aisling LÉ Emer P21 1978-2013 Acquired by Nigerian Navy
LÉ Aoife P22 1979–2015 Donated to Maltese Navy
LÉ Aisling P23 1980–2016 Acquired by Libyan National Army
Helicopter patrol vessel LÉ Eithne LÉ Eithne P31 1984-2022 Sold for scrap Equipped with helicopter hangar and deck
Coastal Patrol Vessel LÉ Orla LÉ Orla P41 1989–2022 Former HMS Swift
LÉ Ciara P42 1989–2022 Former HMS Swallow

Marine and Coastwatching Service

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The Marine and Coastwatching Service was a naval service that operated during The Emergency. In 1946, the service was integrated into the Defence Forces as the Naval Service and these ships were sold off.[28][29][30]

Type Image Ship(s) Service Years Fate Notes
Patrol vessel HMCS Malaspina of the same design as the Muirchú PV Muirchú 1939–1947 Sold in Jan 1947 for scrap, but sank off Saltee Islands in May. Launched in 1908 and served the Irish Free State from 1923 as an unarmed fisheries protection vessel. Later armed with a 12 pounder gun.
Armed trawler SS Fort Rannoch[31] 1939–1947 Sold in July 1947 to commercial service, and scrapped in 1963. Leased by Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1937 for fisheries protection. Later armed with a 12 pounder gun.
Minelayer SS Shark 1940–1948 Sold in 1948 and scrapped in 1952. Built in 1891 as trawler, and later a salvage vessel.
Sail training Isallt 1940-1945 Sold in 1945 and sank off Wicklow in December 1947. A wooden three masted schooner built in Wales in 1909.
Motor Torpedo Boat M1 Irish motor torpedo boat M1 1940-1948 Sold between 1948-50 to Colonel James Fitzmaurice M1 and M2 were originally built for Estonia and Latvia respectively. Built by Thornycroft, they were 72 feet in length, displaced 32 tons, a crew of ten, and powered by Isotta-Fraschini engines giving a top speed of 40 knots. They were armed with two 18" torpedoes, a 0.303" Hotchkiss machine gun, and two depth charges.

M4-6 were slightly larger, powered by Rolls Royce engines with a lower speed of 28 knots, and replaced the Hotchkiss with a 20mm Madsen cannon. Their small size meant that these boats were not suited to Atlantic waters.[32][33]

M2 1940-1948
M3 1940-1948
M4 1942-1948
M5 1942-1948
M6 1943-1948

Coastal and Marine Service

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The Coastal and Marine Service was a short-lived naval service that operated during The Irish Civil War. The Service was disbanded in March 1924 after only several months of existence, and all of its ships, except Muirchú, were sold off.[28][30][34][35]

Type Image Ship(s) Notes
Salvage Tug/Patrol sloop SS Dainty STOIC class tug built in Chepstow in 1918 for the Admiralty. She had a length of 142 feet, a displacement of 468 tons, and armed with a 12-pounder gun.

Sold to French interests, renamed SS Cherbourgeois.[36]

Patrol vessel Sister ship HMCS Malaspina PV Muirchú Launched in 1908 as HMY Helga (Pendant No 064). Armed with a 12 pounder gun.

Disarmed and transferred to Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for fisheries protection.

Mersey-class trawler Comparable Mersey trawler, HMT George Bligh John Dunn (Adty No 3741) The Mersey trawlers were a class of over 100 naval trawlers built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

The trawlers were 148 feet in length, with a displacement of 438 tons, a crew of 15, a speed of 11 knots, and armed with a 12-pounder gun.

John Dutton (Adty No 3739)
William Honnor (Adty No 3796)
Robert Murray (Adty No 4256)
Thomas Thresher (Adty No 3572)
Christopher Dixon (Adty No 3563)
TR series trawler Comparable TR trawler, TR 9 TR.24 The TR trawlers were a Canadian version of the Castle-class trawler built by Canadian Vickers, Montreal during World War I.

The trawlers were 133 feet in length, with a displacement of 279 tons, a crew of 15, a speed of 10 knots, and armed with a 12-pounder gun.

TR.25
TR.27
TR.29
TR.30
TR.31
Drifter Inishirrer (Official No. 135637) Built in Arklow in 1913, she was 65 feet in length, and displaced 51 gross registered tons.[37][38]

Acquired from Congested Districts Board in August 1922. Armed with machine guns

John S Summers

(Official No 125960) (Admiralty No 2147)[39]

Built in Lowestoft in 1910, she was 77 feet length, and displaced 62 gross registered tons.[40]

Was hired by Royal Navy as a net vessel during World War I.[41] Armed with machine guns

Motor Launch A comparable ELCO motor launch, ML 59 ML1 Four ELCO motor launches were acquired in May 1922 for the Marine Investigations Department.

ML2 sank off Cornwall in July 1922 while being delivered. The launches were 80 feet in length, with a displacement of 37 tons, a crew of 8, a speed of 19 knots, and armed with a 3-pounder gun.[42]

ML2
ML3
ML4
Steam pinnace An example of an naval pinnace 190 A pinnace is a type of ship's boat.

They were 50 feet in length, displaced 14.4 tons, a speed of 12 knots, and armed with machine guns.[43]

199

There were also five unnamed patrol boats of unknown type used for river patrol.

Marine Institute

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Name Image Commissioned Retired Displacement (t) Length (m) Type
RV Lough Beltra[44] 1976[45] 1997[46] 21 Fishing trawler/research vessel
RV Celtic Voyager [47] Celtic Voyager 1997 12 July 2022[48] 340 [49] 31.4 Multi-Purpose Research Vessel

Coiste an Asgard

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Type Image Name Sail plan Service Years Fate
Sail training Asgard II Asgard II[50] Brigantine 1981-2008 Sunk in Bay of Biscay[51]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 2 Jul 2024 - Vol. 1056 No. 6 - Other Questions". oireachtas.ie. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024. The Naval Service is currently adopting a three-ship operational posture, which sees the four P60 class vessels on patrol in operational rotation [..] In addition [..] the LÉ Róisín is currently in operational reserve while the LÉ Niamh is in the process of completing a mid-life extension programme, after which she will enter operational reserve
  2. ^ McDermott, Stephen (30 April 2019). "Ireland's fourth offshore patrol vessel, the LÉ George Bernard Shaw, has been officially commissioned". TheJournal.ie. Dublin. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Two inshore patrol vessels commissioned in Haulbowline". RTÉ News. 4 September 2024.
  4. ^ @naval_service; (26 July 2024). "LÉ Aoibhinn (#P71) on Maritime Defence and Security Operations off the East Coast, passing the Arklow Bank Wind Farm" – via Instagram.
  5. ^ "Cygnus Typhoon 33ft - 46ft". cygnusboats.com. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  6. ^ "New Irish Navy vessel launches in Co Kerry". rte.ie. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  7. ^ "FM Marine Services Announces the Launch of the Naval Vessel Fionnghuala, Built for the Irish Naval Service Reserve". marine-ireland.ie. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Naval Service Reserve Vessel Fionnghuala Launched Off Kerry's Valentia Island". afloat.ie. Afloat Magazine. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  9. ^ Gallagher, Conor (19 April 2021). "Naval Service to acquire four new boats over coming years". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Gardai to keep the peace afloat on Shannon". Irish Times. 18 May 2000. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Dail Debates - Garda Equipment". Oireachtas.ie. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Custom-built craft to be used by Revenue". Irish Times. 29 June 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  13. ^ "New Customs Cutter Named in Howth". afloat.ie. 17 October 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "Tom Crean". Marine.ie.
  15. ^ "Celtic Explorer". Marine.ie. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  16. ^ "Celtic Explorer.pdf" (PDF). Marine.ie. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  17. ^ "INFOMAR Surveying Vessels Keary". INFOMAR. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  18. ^ "INFOMAR Surveying Vessels RV Geo". INFOMAR. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  19. ^ "INFOMAR Surveying Vessels RV Tonn". INFOMAR. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  20. ^ "INFOMAR Surveying Vessels M.V. Cosantóir Bradán". INFOMAR. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  21. ^ "ILV Granuaile". Commissioners of Irish Lights. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  22. ^ "Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) Multi-Purpose Support Vessel Granuaile". European Border and Coast Guard. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  23. ^ "VESSEL REVIEW | Dublin Fire Brigade Rescue One – Versatile response RIB for Irish waters". bairdmaritime. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  24. ^ a b "Notice to Mariners Towing" (PDF). Dublin Port. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  25. ^ "History of the Naval Service". Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  26. ^ "Naval Service > History > Fleet History". Irish Defence Forces. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  27. ^ "LÉ Eithne: Former Flagship of the Naval Service to Be Sent Overseas for Disposal At Scrap Recycling Facility". afloat.ie. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  28. ^ a b "The Irish Naval Service". corkshipwrecks.net. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  29. ^ "Naval Association". irishnavalassociation.ie. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  30. ^ a b MacGinty, Tom (1995). The Irish Navy - A Story of Courage and Tenacity. Tralee: The Kerryman. ISBN 0-946277-22-2. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  31. ^ "Scottish Built Ships". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  32. ^ "Defending Ireland's Coastline | Irish Torpedo Boats in the 1940s". coastmonkey.ie. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  33. ^ "MTB questions". irishmilitaryonline.com. 10 January 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  34. ^ Bourke, Dr Edward. "Early Irish Free State Naval Activity". lugnad.ie. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  35. ^ "World War 1 at Sea - Ships of the Royal Navy". naval-history.net. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  36. ^ "1939-40 Lloyd's Register Steamers & Motorships under 300 tons, trawlers, etc". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  37. ^ "TYRELL". nautipedia.it. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  38. ^ "Crew List Index Project". crewlist.org. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  39. ^ Colledge, J. J. (1987). Ships of the Royal Navy, Volume 2. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  40. ^ "Crew List Index Project". crewlist.org. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  41. ^ "Royal Navy Auxiliary Patrol ships of World War 1, based on British Warships, 1914-1919 by Dittmar and Colledge". naval-history.net. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  42. ^ "M.L.'s in the Service of the Irish Free State". motorlaunchpatrol.net. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  43. ^ "50 ft Steam Pinnace". onetheslipway.com. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  44. ^ "Oceans of Learning celebrates Irish Marine Research Vessels, the Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  45. ^ "Oceans of Learning Celebrates Irish Research Vessels and Ocean Explorers". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  46. ^ "RV Lough Beltra Cruise Survey Track Inventory". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  47. ^ "Celtic Voyager". Marine.ie. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  48. ^ "Retirement of the RV Celtic Voyager". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  49. ^ "Celtic Voyager.pdf" (PDF). Marine.ie. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  50. ^ "Coiste an Asgard". Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  51. ^ "Asgard II sinks off French coast". RTE. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
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