Editing Irish Naval Service (section)

{{Short description|Maritime service branch of the Irish Defence Forces}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Naval Service
| native_name                   = {{nativename|ga|nolink=on|An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh}}
| image                         = Badge of the Irish Naval Service.svg
| image_size                    = 200px
| caption                       = Emblem of the Naval Service
| dates                         = 
| country                       = {{flag|Ireland}}
| branch                        = 
| type                          = Navy
| role                          = Defence of the state and protection of its maritime resources
| size                          = 719 active personnel <small>(Establishment: 1,094) (Dec 2024)</small><ref name="examiner2025">{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41563492.html | work = Irish Examiner | title = Many EU nations in 'full war preparation mode', raising pressure on Irish neutrality | date= 29 January 2025 | accessdate = 15 April 2025 | quote = Naval Service strength fell from 902 in 2020 to 725 in 2023 and to 719 in 2024 }}</ref><br />77 [[Naval Service Reserve|reservists]] <small>(Establishment: 200) (Apr 2023)</small><ref name="size">{{cite web |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-06-13/237/ |publisher=Dáil Éireann Hansard |title=Defence Forces Strength (Dáil Éireann Debate – Tuesday, 13 June 2023) |date=13 June 2023 |access-date=25 August 2023 |quote=''The established strength and current strength of the Defence Forces as at 30 April 2023 is [..] Army 7,520 .. 6,322 [..] Air Corps 886 .. 711 [..] Naval Service 1,094 .. 764 [..] Army Reserve 3,869 .. 1,382 [..] Naval Service Reserve 200 .. 77 [..] First Line Reserve N/A .. 275''}}</ref><br />8 ships (4 available for operations as of March 2025)<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-03-19/235/ | website = oireachtas.ie| title = Naval Service - Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 March 2025 | date = 19 March 2025 | accessdate = 15 April 2025 | quote = The Naval Service currently has a fleet of eight Commissioned vessels. Four of the vessels are available for operations including the three P60 class vessels which conduct patrols on a rotation basis. In addition, the L.É. Aoibhinn (P70) is also deployed on Maritime Defence and Security Operations }}</ref>
| command_structure             = [[File:Badge of the Irish Defence Forces.svg|25px]] [[Defence Forces (Ireland)|Irish Defence Forces]]
| garrison                      = [[Haulbowline]], [[County Cork]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| garrison_label                = Naval base
| website                       = {{URL|www.military.ie/en/who-we-are/naval-service/}}
| nickname                      = 
| patron                        = 
| motto                         = 
| colours                       = [[File:Irish Naval Service Colour.svg|border|150px]] [[File:Irish Naval Service Flag.svg|border|150px]]
| colors_label                  = 
| march                         = 
| mascot                        = 
| equipment                     = 
| equipment_label               = 
| battles                       = 
| anniversaries                 = 
| decorations                   = 
| battle_honours                = <!-- Commanders -->
| notable_commanders            = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Flag of Ireland.svg|centre|border|100px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = [[Naval ensign]]
| identification_symbol_2       = [[File:Naval jack of Ireland.svg|centre|border|100px]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = [[Naval jack]]
| start_date                    = 1 September 1946<ref name="The Defence Forces">{{cite web |url=http://www.military.ie/index.htm |title=The Defence Forces |publisher=Irish Defence Forces |access-date=24 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414014629/http://www.military.ie/index.htm |archive-date=14 April 2010}}</ref>
| current_commander             = [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] Mick Malone<ref>{{cite web |title=Info Centre > General staff > Brigade commanders > FOC Naval Service|url=http://www.military.ie/en/info-centre/general-staff/brigade-commanders/foc-naval-service/ |publisher=Defence Forces Ireland|access-date=25 January 2018}}</ref>
| current_commander_label       = [[Flag officer|FOCNS]]
| ceremonial_chief              = President [[Michael D. Higgins]]
| ceremonial_chief_label        = Supreme commander
| colonel_of_the_regiment       = 
| colonel_of_the_regiment_label = 
}}

The '''Naval Service''' ({{langx|ga|An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh}}) is the maritime component of the [[Defence Forces (Ireland)|Defence Forces]] of [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces.<ref>The Irish Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF) – the standing branches – and the [[Reserve Defence Forces]] (RDF). The Naval Service is part of the PDF.</ref> Its base is in [[Haulbowline]], County Cork.

Though preceded by earlier maritime defence organisations, the Naval Service was formed in 1946.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.military.ie/naval-service/history/ |title= History of the Naval Service |publisher= Official Defence Forces website |access-date= 7 May 2014 |archive-date= 13 December 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211213160343/https://www.military.ie/naval-service/history/ |url-status= live }}</ref> Since the 1970s a major role of the Naval Service has been the provision of fisheries protection in Ireland's [[exclusive economic zone]] (EEZ).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.military.ie/naval-service/organisation/specialist-units/fisheries-monitoring-centre/ |title= Roles of the Naval Service – Fisheries Monitoring Centre |publisher= Official Defence Forces website |access-date= 7 May 2014 |archive-date= 13 December 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211213160327/https://www.military.ie/naval-service/organisation/specialist-units/fisheries-monitoring-centre/ |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.military.ie/naval-service/history/ |title=Military.ie – Naval Service – History |publisher=Official Defence Forces website |access-date=28 July 2014 |quote=(1999–2001) "Fishery Protection played an important role in the Service's day-to-day operations" (2002–present) ".. addition to the Naval Service's increasing fishery protection output .. |archive-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213160327/https://www.military.ie/naval-service/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2014/05/naming-and-commissioning-ceremonies-for-new-naval-service-vessel-le-samuel-beckett/?cat=4774 |title=Press Release – Naming and Commissioning Ceremonies for new Naval Service Vessel LÉ Samuel Beckett |date=17 May 2014 |publisher=MerrionStreet.ie Irish Government News Service |access-date=28 July 2014 |quote=The [newest fleet addition] will be used mainly for fishery protection patrols |archive-date=3 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903091038/http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2014/05/naming-and-commissioning-ceremonies-for-new-naval-service-vessel-le-samuel-beckett/?cat=4774 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/WP_sub113 |title=Submission on Defence Green Paper: Towards an Efficient and Effective Fisheries Protection Partnership |publisher=The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority |year=2013 |access-date=16 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314224112/http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/WP_sub113 |archive-date=14 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://raco.ie/attachments/079_2_2_castingnet.pdf |title=Casting the Net |magazine=Signal |issue=Spring 2004 |access-date=16 June 2016 |date= |archive-date=15 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315010807/http://raco.ie/attachments/079_2_2_castingnet.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Other roles include sea patrol, surveillance, and smuggling prevention.<ref name="roles">{{cite web |url= http://www.military.ie/naval-service/organisation/roles-of-the-naval-service/ |title= Roles of the Naval Service |publisher= Official Defence Forces website |access-date= 7 May 2014 |archive-date= 16 March 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140316165406/http://www.military.ie/naval-service/organisation/roles-of-the-naval-service |url-status= live }}</ref> Occasionally the service undertakes longer missions in support of other elements of the Defence Forces, Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, or humanitarian and trade missions.<ref name="roles"/>

The Naval Service has an active establishment of 1,094 and a reserve establishment of 200. Like other components of the Defence Forces, the Naval Service has struggled to maintain strength and as of late 2024 had only 719 active personnel,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41575687.html | website = Irish Examiner | title = Number of patrol days carried out by naval service more than halved | date = 16 February 2025 | accessdate = 15 April 2025 | quote = At the end of 2024, the naval service had a strength of 719, compared to 902 in 2020 }}</ref> and 77 reserve personnel.<ref name="size"/>

Naval Service ships are designated with the [[ship prefix]] of ''[[Long Éireannach]]'' (Irish Ship), which is abbreviated to LÉ. Naval Service ships are traditionally named with (mainly female) names taken from [[Celtic mythology]] and [[Irish folklore]]. However in 2014, the government controversially broke from tradition and decided to name the new [[Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel|P60 class]] ships after famous Irish writers.<ref name="p60-names"/> In 2024, the traditional naming conventions was restored with the naming of the P70 class patrol vessels.<ref name="AoibhinnGobnait"/>