Haulbowline

Haulbowline Island

We were surprised to see navy ships docked around a small island in Cork Harbour. Turns out it’s Haulbowline Island, the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service, the maritime component of the Irish Defence Forces. Why should I be surprised that the Republic of Ireland has a navy? The country is almost entirely surrounded by water.

the LÉ Samuel Beckett

Current fleet size: 9 patrol vessels, plus several smaller training vessels. Four of the patrol vessels are named after Irish authors. Now, that’s my kind of navy!

the LÉ James Joyce

Major roles (according to Wikipedia): fisheries protection, sea patrol, surveillance, and smuggling prevention.

The owner of our hotel claims that it’s the only navy in the world that comes home every evening for tea!

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