An Cosantóir

50 They were the ships onboard which a generation of sailors came of age, and they lead the way for others to follow. Built in Cobh, they were designed for hard work in Irish waters, these remarkable ships delivered incredible service. The PVs occupied a special place in the heart of all who sailed on them. The Dark Days In January 1970 the NS faced the new decade with only a single warship in commission, the venerable LÉ MAEV. For a number of months, which found LÉ MAEV non-operational, Ireland was left without any armed seagoing patrol vessel. It was late in 1970 when three Coniston class minesweepers were purchased. The first LÉ GRÁINNE was commissioned in January 1971, with LÉ BANBA and LÉ FOLA arriving in March. The minesweepers were capable ships, however, the need for a more suitable all-weather offshore patrol vessels was recognised. A contract with Verolme Cork Dockyard Ltd was signed in February 1971. From laying the keel in August, to its launch on 10th December 1971, the build may have only taken months, but the impact of the first homegrown warship would last for decades. Verolme Dockyard LÉ DEIRDRE was 205 feet in length, and she displaced 960 tons, and was the first custom-built ship for the NS. All prior commissioned warships had been purchased from the UK. Most having seen long service in the Royal Navy before they arrived to Haulbowline. To the sailors who had endured the dark days, it must have been an enormous occasion to see her launched. Modestly armed when she arrived with just a single 40mm L60 BOFORS, her internal spaces and outfitting represented a huge advancement from the corvettes. FAITH OF THE PV'S THE FATE OF THE PV'S LE DEIRDRE pictured very early before her FR 20 was changed to P20. Photo: Supplied from NS Archives by SCPO Gordon Kinsella LE AISLING (P23) underway in perfect conditions. Photo: SCPO Gordon Kinsella By SCPO/ERA Ruairí de Barra MComm Photos by SCPO Gordon Kinsella Advancements we take for granted today, but ones we never should. Notable Early Operations In 1973 LÉ DEIRDRE joined the minesweepers LÉ FOLA and GRÁINNE in intercepting the MV Claudia. This arms interdiction operation garnered international attention. The seizure of over five tons of weapons and explosives removed any doubts that this island nation required a larger naval force. It was also in 1973, that Ireland joined the European Economic Community (EEC), which brought with it, what its todays Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). In 1975, with the fisheries limit due to be increased to 200 miles from 12 Miles, the NS was on the brink of a remarkable expansion. The Government signed a contract for a new Mark 2 DEIRDRE class PV, and began evaluating the LÉ DEIRDRE to bring improvements for the next generation. LÉ SETANTA and LÉ FERDIA joined the flotilla to assist in the extra duties required of the service. LÉ FERDIA decommissioned again 1977 and LÉ SETANTA remained in service as an auxiliary until 1984. Between 1977 and 1980 came LÉ EMER, AOIFE and AISLING. In 1977, the then Minister of Defence Robert Molloy TD laid out a plan which envisioned eight OPVs being built, one per year, to bring the NS to 15 offshore and 10 coastal patrol vessels. Sadly, this plan was never realised, yet three Mark 2 PVs, with their increased hull length, upgraded armaments, and improved seaworthiness were here. They contributed to maintaining the core of the NS for years to come. They were to be followed in 1984 by our flagship, the helicopter patrol vessel LÉ EITHNE, the very last ship to be built in Verolme. Fisheries Protection and Arms Interdiction With the creation of the PV being due in no small part to European funding, it is no surprise that a day-to-day operational priority was fishery protection. Yet the primary role of the Defence Forces in to protect the state against armed aggression, so the military taskings of the NS were never far from the surface. 1984 was a most memorable year, when the two PVs LÉ Emer and LÉ Aisling carried out a significant arms interdiction operation when they seized the Marita Ann. On the night of September 29th, the trawler carrying nearly seven tonnes of arms was seized off the Kerry coast. The international intelligence operation found that the arsenal of weapons was been delivered from Gloucester, Massachusetts, supplied with connections to an organised crime gang. The huge haul included heavy machine guns, 300 rifles and over 50,000 rounds of ammunition.

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