'A sad goodbye': LE Eithne departs Cork for the final time 

The LE Eithne has departed Cork for the final time. 

The vessel, which was commissioned in 1984, served Ireland for 38 years on missions at home and abroad before decommissioning as a flagship.

The Irish Naval Service shared a clip of the LE Eithne departing from Haulbowline on X saying "Today we said a sad goodbye to LE Eithne as the HPV departed the naval Base for the final time."

Today we said a sad goodbye to LE Eithne as the HPV departed the Naval Base for the final time. Built in Verolme in 1984, L.E. Eithne served Ireland for 38 years on missions at home and abroad prior to decommissioning as flagship.#navalservice #navy #bemore #oglaighnaheireann pic.twitter.com/BPU93EJTDL

— Irish Naval Service (@naval_service) March 5, 2024

The current naval fleet comprises four (4) Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) and two (2) Large Patrol Vessels (LPV) namely; the LE Róisín, LE Niamh, LE Samuel Beckett, LE James Joyce, LE William Butler Yeats and the LE George Bernard Shaw. 

Two new Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV) are to be added which the naval service says will introduce new electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering capabilities.