LE James Joyce, a Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), joined Irish Naval Service fleet during a Commissioning Ceremony, on Carlisle Pier, Dun Laoghaire, on September 1st, 2015.
This is the second Offshore Patrol Vessel of this class, launched with the ceremonial breaking of the bottle, signifying the naming of the ship, conducted by Ms Carol Joyce, a relative of the groundbreaking Irish modernist author.
The ship was completed and floated out of Babcock Marine, a UK-based shipbuilder operating out of Appledore, North Devon, in November 2014. Following sea-trials and a number of delays, it was delivered to the Irish Naval Service in mid-2015.
The LE James Joyce has a crew of 44, and Lieutenant Commander Brian Dempsey is named as her first Captain.
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Naval Today Staff; Image: Irish Defence Forces