Pictures: 11 recruits joined by family and friends for passing out parade in Cork

There were jubilant scenes at the Naval Service headquarters on Haulbowline Island yesterday as the passing out parade of newly qualified Ordinary Ratings took place.

The 11 recruits of class Francis McClintock have successfully completed 22 weeks of intensive training preparing them as Ordinary Rates.

They will continue their training to commence branch/specialised training prior to being posted to the fleet as Able Rates.

Specialised training will include seamanship, gunnery, logistics, and engineering.

The passing out parade took place at noon yesterday, with Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service, Commodore Michael Malone and Officer Commanding and Commandant Naval College, Commander Caoimhín MacUnfraidh among those in attendance as well as friends and family of the recruits. 

The recruit class is named after Sir Francis Leopold McClintock who was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy, known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

The class is made up of one woman and ten men, with each student hailing from various counties including Cork, Limerick, Galway and Donegal in addition to international students originally from Brazil, Hungary and Latvia.

One recruit is the son of a Colonel in the Hungarian Army while another has a brother serving as a communications operator in the Naval Service.

One member of the class will continue his training as an engine room artificer as he already holds a pre-existing qualification.

During their training, recruits of the class raised over €3,000 for the Irish Cancer Society by taking part in a 24 hour run challenge.

They completed over 836 kilometres during that timeframe.