AN ill-fated Navy ship that once caught fire and just spent two years out of action has crashed on its return to the sea.
The LE Niamh collided with the dock on a training exercise on Wednesday, leaving a gaping hole in its side.
LE Niamh has been involved in some high-profile operation[/caption]
The vessel, commissioned in 2001, will need extensive repairs[/caption]
And will be out of action once again in a further blow to the reputation of the embattled Defence Forces[/caption]
The patrol vessel collided with a quayside on Wednesday afternoon[/caption]
It means the vessel, commissioned in 2001, will need extensive repairs and will be out of action once again in a further blow to the reputation of the embattled Defence Forces.
A source said: “It’s a huge embarrassment but you reap what you sow.”
The latest calamity at Cork Harbour comes amid moves at EU level to boost defence of international sea cables amid fears Ireland is incapable of protecting them.
The Niamh has not been sea-going since 2023 after having a complete refit at Cork Dockyard, on the Cobh side of the harbour. But the patrol vessel collided with a quayside as it was docking after undergoing sea trials on Wednesday afternoon.
The Defence Forces described the damage as “minor”. But our pictures show a large hole over the waterline and cutting into the deck of the warship.
The damage means LE Niamh will need extensive work before it can resume sea going operations.
No sailors were injured in the incident during the impact.
It’s understood the docking operation was done during strong winds and a high spring tide, which would have added to the difficulties of bringing it alongside.
SHORTAGE OF CREW
A source said the ship would not have a regular crew. And because of the shortage of personnel available to run the ship and the lack of sea-going experience, it was an accident waiting to happen.
The insister added: “Currently, there is not a big pool of experienced personnel to draw from. The service is very much depleted, having lost a wealth of experienced officers and senior NCO’s who would have been completely knowledgeable about the workings of a ship like this.
“LE Niamh has been tied up in Cork Dockyard for two years, which is a really long and seemingly excessive period for a refit.
“Normally, ships would be tied up for six months and possibly 12 months for an engine overhaul — two years is a very long time.
“To be honest, it is convenient for the Naval Service to have it tied up there and it seems the shortage of crews meant it could not operate at sea anyway.
“It does not have a permanent crew and personnel are on board on a rotating basis from other ships and services.”
‘HATS & SATS’ OPERATION
Mark Keane, President of Forces’ representative body PDFORA, said LE Niamh would have been on a “hats and sats” operation, meaning every aspect of the ship would be tested, including engines, mechanical areas, electrical functioning as well as all weapons and more.
He said: “They would be checking every electrical and mechanical function of the ship. Every element of crew capabilities would also be tested.”
The Niamh was badly damaged in October 2020 after a fire broke out in a storage compartment while the ship was berthed in Cork Dockyard for maintenance.
Four crew on board were fortunate that they suffered no major injuries, as the fire broke out in a section of the ship on the opposite side to where the ammunition was stored in the magazine.
The fire on the ship, a P52 vessel named after the Queen of Tir na nOg, was brought under control by the crew members and personnel from Cobh Fire Service.
HIGH-PROFILE OPERATIONS
LE Niamh has been involved in some high-profile operations, including the seizure of €750million worth of cocaine in 2008 and surveillance which led to an €80million drugs bust in 2014.
She was one of the Naval ships sent to the Mediterranean in 2015 where its crew rescued 367 migrants trying to make their way from Africa to Europe in boats.
A spokesman for the Irish Defence Forces said: “The LE Niamh was conducting Sea Acceptance Trials in Cork Harbour following an extensive period of overhaul.
“The ship was conducting a berthing operation at Cork Dockyard following a day of trials in the Cork Harbour area. The ship experienced a difficult berthing resulting in minor damage to the ships equipment. No personnel were injured in this incident.”
Ireland, which is not a member of NATO, spends 0.2 per cent of GDP on defence — the lowest in Europe.
Some 75 per cent of all transatlantic cables run through, or close to, Ireland. This makes our defence of enormous strategic importance to the UK and Europe.
Last month MEP Sean Kelly revealed the EU’s new defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius is drawing up proposals to protect the vital cables which carry millions of transactions daily between North America and Europe.
The Irish Naval Service is currently only able to send out one vessel on patrol at any time and still has not been equipped with sonar, which could detect the activities of submersibles and possible threats to sabotage the vital infrastructure.
The Niamh was badly damaged in October 2020 after a fire broke out in a storage compartment[/caption]
