30th April 2014, Wednesday
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
The Irish Naval Service have taken delivery of a new vessel.
The 50 million euro LE. Samuel Beckett is around 300 feet in length, and
was built at a shipyard in Devon, England.
She weighs almost 2-thousand tonnes, and can hold 54 people.
The Samuel Beckett is the first of two new ships that the Navy has ordered,
the second, called the “James Joyce” is still under construction.
The new ship will spend about a week at the Haulbowline Base, in Cork
Harbour being fitted out with armaments before sailing on to Dublin where
for a commissioning ceremony on May 17th, that will take place –
symbolically – near to the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
The Irish Naval Service has many roles.
Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Defence is David Stanton the Cork East
Fine Gael TD explained to TheCork.ie the valuable work performed
0430-NAVY-SHIP-02-david-stanton-OUTLINES-ROLE-OF-NAVY-and-SAYS-WE-MUST-SPEND-MONEY.mp3