Editing Irish Naval Service (section)

=== Inter-war years ===
[[File:HMCS Malaspina E-75597.jpg|thumb|HMCS Malaspina of the same design as the ''Muirchu'']]

From 1924 to 1938, Ireland had very little interest in maritime affairs.<ref name="history1"/> Its only ship was the unarmed {{ship|Irish patrol vessel|Muirchú||2}}, which was operated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to patrol Irish fisheries. By the late 1930s, the Free State began to pay a little more notice and the ''Muirchú'' was re-armed in 1936. She was joined in 1938 by the newly built steam trawler ''Fort Rannoch''.<ref name="history2">{{cite web|url=https://coastmonkey.ie/irish-naval-service-anniversary-founding/|website=coastmonkey.ie|title=The Irish Naval Service – 72 years of Excellent Service (1946 – 2018)|first=Daniel|last=Farrell|date=1 September 2018|access-date=3 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="mivessels">{{cite web|url=https://www.marine.ie/site-area/areas-activity/fisheries-ecosystems/interactive-marine-archive/vessels|publisher=[[Marine Institute Ireland|Marine Institute]]|website=marine.ie|title=Marine Archive - Vessels|access-date=3 December 2022}}</ref> Also in 1938, the [[Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement]] returned the Treaty Ports to Ireland, and the Royal Navy withdrew from Cork Harbour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.difp.ie/docs/1938/British-Irish-tripartite-agreement-on-trade-finance-and-defence/2321.htm|title=British-Irish tripartite agreement on trade, finance and defence from Text of British-Agreements|access-date=19 April 2020|website=Documents on Irish Foreign Policy|date=25 April 1938}}</ref>