Surviving crew members to celebrate 30th anniversaries of oldest Navy ships

The Naval Service is inviting surviving members of the first crews of its to oldest ships onboard them for a reunion to celebrate the vessels' 30th anniversaries of service.

LÉ Orla (P41) and LÉ Ciara (P42) were purchased from the British Royal Navy which had used them as coastal patrol vessels off Hong Kong.

Both ships went onto make some history by becoming involved in the most significant drugs seizures off the Irish coast.

Formally HMS Swallow (LÉ Ciara) and HMS Swift (LÉ Orla) were Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPVs) designed in 1985 by Hall, Russell and Co for use by the British Royal Navy (RN) in Hong Kong waters.

The vessels, known as Peacock class corvettes, were part of a contingent of five ships commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1985 to replace aging minesweepers which had defended the then British territory.

They were ideal for coastal patrol work, being purpose-built warships, with a size, speed and maneuverability which made them excellent at interception, coastal patrol and search and rescue.

Today #ÓglaighnahÉireann celebrates the 30th anniversary of the commissioning of LÉ Orla #P41 & LÉ Ciara #P42. Built by @RoyalNavy to patrol #HongKong waters, the Peacocks have, and continue to provide outstanding service to #Ireland, at and from the #sea. #StrengthenTheNation pic.twitter.com/3b9iLp1P9a

— Irish Naval Service (@naval_service) January 16, 2019

In addition, their shallow draft made them capable of inshore patrols.

Late in 1988 Ireland purchased the two vessels and in January the following year they were commissioned into the Irish Naval Service at Haulbowline Naval Base by then Taoiseach Charles Haughey.

A Naval Service spokesman said LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara’s speed, weapon systems, and internal damage-control capabilities “were greatly superior to those of their ships and many of their design features would later be incorporated into newer vessels” which are also currently in service.

In July 1993, the LÉ Orla scored a notable operational success when she conducted the biggest drug seizure in the history of the State at the time, with her interception and boarding at sea of the 65ft ketch, Brime.

LÉ Ciara

The ship was intercepted off Loop Head carrying around €25m of drugs.

In 2008, she was also involved in Operation SeaBight when €400 million worth of cocaine was intercepted by the Naval Service when the yacht, Dances with Waves, was taken into custody off Mizen Head.

Likewise, LÉ Ciara was involved in the interception of the MV Posidonia.

It was seized by customs officers off the coast of Cork in November 1999, carrying €17 million of cannabis resin destined for the streets of Limerick.

LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla, are due for replacement in the coming years.

The 2015 White Paper on Defence states that these ships will be replaced with similar vessels with counter-mine capabilities.