City welcomes state-of-the-art Navy vessel Lé Samuel Beckett

Ahoy Daddy! A little girl welcomed her father home from sea yesterday as the State’s newest Naval Service patrol vessel opened to the public for the first time.

Allie O’Connell, 12, from Ballyvolane, gave her father, CPO Phil O’Connell, a huge hug as he stepped off the state-of-the-art LÉ Samuel Beckett, shortly after arriving at Cork’s city quays yesterday ahead of its formal twinning ceremony with the city later today.

“It was great to see her,” the vessel’s coxswain said.