AFTER 35 YEARS in service, the Irish Naval Service Ship, LÉ Aoife has been de-commissioned from the Naval Service.
In a formal ceremony in Waterford yesterday, attended by the Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe, saw the ship’s flags pennants and ensigns ceremoniously struck.
LÉ Aoife travelled in excess of 600,000 nautical miles, an equivalent of circumnavigating the globe 28 times, and her crew has boarded over 4,700 vessels at sea and detained over 440 fishing vessels.
The ship played a role in protecting Ireland’s interests at sea by carrying out a broad range of tasks including maritime defence and security.
Some of the operations LÉ Aoife has been involved in include the resupply missions to troops serving in South Lebanon and the search and recovery operation for the black box from the Air India disaster in 1985.
It was also involved in the Search and Rescue operation involving the Royal Canadian Navy submarine Chicoutimi in 2004.
Speaking yesterday, the minister said he was pleased to report that the Department of Defence is continuing to progress the Ships Replacement Programme.
The first of the ships under the current programme, the LÉ Samuel Beckett was handed over at the end of April 2014 while the replacement vessel for LÉ Aoife, the LÉ James Joyce, is scheduled for delivery in the coming months.
He said the Department of Defence placed an order for a third new Offshore Patrol Vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in the middle of 2016.
If you want to get on board the ship one last time, it will be open to viewing by the public for the final time (weather permitting) on today from 2 pm to 5 pm in Waterford. The crew said they would welcome the opportunity to show you around the ship and tell “yarns about a life less ordinary on the ocean wave”.
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