Naval Service personnel visit schools and shopping centres on recruitment drive

Petty Officer Kara Foley and LS Dylan Cullinane chatting with Sean and Aoife McGuckin, Glanmire, at the Irish Naval Service recruitment stand at the Marina Market in Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Naval service volunteers are visiting schools, shopping centres, and markets in an effort to recruit more people into the force amid a staffing crisis.

The initiative has been sparked by the fact that the naval service is short around 200 of the 1,094 minimum personnel it requires. This has seen two ships mothballed, while others have been forced to postpone patrols due to a lack of specialist crew members.

Those involved in the recruitment drive speak passionately about their careers in the navy, the friendships they have made, and the skills they have learnt on the job.

Lieutenant Aisling O’Flynn, 35, from Cathedral Rd, Cork, who has served 16 years, said they had received a lot of applications from senior cycle secondary school students.

Chief Petty Officer Cian McParland and Lieutenant Aisling O'Flynn at the Irish Naval Service recruitment stand at the Marina Market in Blackrock, Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“The school visits are essentially for long-term gain and the pop-ups [in shopping centres and markets] are short to medium term,” said Lt O’Flynn.

“There are jobs across the board available. We have a job for everyone.”

Lt O’Flynn and the team have visited shopping centres in Kilkenny, Tullamore, Waterford, Wexford, and Cork.

Chief Petty Officer Cian McParland, 43, said they carried out school visits all over the country and it was surprising how many children do not know Ireland has a naval service.

“We give presentations on maritime security, drug interdiction, search and rescue, and sea fishery patrols,” he said.

“I joined the naval service when I was 20 and it’s been highly rewarding. We get on-the-job training and learn valuable life skills. “I got a degree in naval leadership management last year.”

He said the recruitment drive is all about “getting the name and the brand out there”.

Dylan Cullinane, 26, joined the force six years ago.

“As a young man, I thoroughly recommend it as a career,” he said. “You also get a great chance to play a lot of sports.”

He is on the Defence Forces hurling team and once got soccer trials for Liverpool.

Petty Officer Kara Foley, LS Dylan Cullinane and AB Leah Scott from the Irish Naval Service at  the Marina Market, Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“Doing this [recruitment drive] is a 100% positive move and we will take it all over the country,” said Lt O’Flynn.

People wishing to join the navy have to be aged between 18 and 27 for general service. However, there are wider age limits for experienced specialists who are recruited from the private sector for ‘direct entry’ positions.

Recruitment campaigns are also ongoing across the army and the air corps.

 

• For further information, visit military.ie online.