IRISH NAVAL VESSEL the LÉ Róisín is to undergo a €250,000 facelift as Ireland’s Naval Service works to upgrade its fleet. 

The naval vessel was built at Appledore Shipyards in the UK and entered service in 1999.

Since 2016, it has been involved in the rescue of migrants after being deployed to the Mediterranean in 2016 during the European Migrant Crisis. 

At the time, the Naval Service vessel carried 60 crew under the command of the ship’s captain Lieutenant Commander Ultan Finegan.

Service life of an Irish Naval Service ship is determined by its level of operational activity -  commonly 30 years, a Defence Forces spokesperson told TheJournal.ie. 

“Due to their [her] age, much of the auxiliary equipment onboard is coming to the end of its useful life or is becoming obsolete and requires to be replaced in a structured manner,” they said. 

The Mid-Life Extension Programme of The LÉ Róisín commenced in March 2019. The vessel is currently in dry-dock in Cobh, Co Cork. 

The Department plans to hire a contractor for nine weeks to undertake interior upgrades to the LÉ Roisín including overhauling its interior, marine installations and repairs. 

Onboard facilities for crew members include a gymnasium and private accommodation. 

It’s expected the vessel will be out of operation until May. 

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Ireland's fourth offshore patrol vessel, the LÉ George Bernard Shaw, has been officially commissioned

Ireland’s Naval Service currently has eight vessels in operation, including the recently commissioned LÉ George Bernard Shaw. 

The LÉ Samuel Beckett was delivered in April 2014; the LÉ James Joyce was delivered in 2015; and the LÉ William Butler Yeats was delivered in 2016.

Once upgrade works on the LÉ Róisín are complete, a Mid-Life Extension Programme for the LÉ Niamh will begin.