Eithne-class

LÉ Eithne (P31) was an offshore patrol vessel and the former flagship of the Irish Naval Service. Named after a figure from Irish mythology, the ship was constructed at the Verolme Dockyard in Cork, where it was laid down in December 1982 and commissioned in December 1984. It was the last naval vessel built in Ireland before the shipyard entered receivership. Although originally intended as the lead ship of the Eithne class, no additional vessels of the design were constructed.

The vessel was designated as a Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV) and designed for long-range fisheries patrol with an endurance of 30 days. It was the only ship in the Irish fleet equipped with a flight deck and retractable fin stabilizers to assist helicopter operations. The Eithne was designed to carry an SA365F Dauphin helicopter, though flight operations were primarily conducted during the early years of its service. These operations ceased following the retirement of the Dauphin fleet and the introduction of CASA CN235-100MP maritime patrol aircraft. In 2018, the vessel was fitted with a Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) for paperless navigation.

Operational history included several international deployments. In 2005, the vessel participated in the International Fleet Review at Portsmouth, England. In 2006, it conducted the first deployment of an Irish naval vessel to the southern hemisphere, traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for commemorations of Admiral William Brown. Between 2015 and 2017, the Eithne deployed multiple times to the Mediterranean to participate in European Union migrant rescue missions, recovering several hundred individuals during these operations.

In 2014, the vessel underwent cleaning following the discovery of asbestos on board. The ship was withdrawn from operations in 2019 due to personnel shortages but returned to active service in March 2020 to support the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cork.

The Eithne was decommissioned on 8 July 2022 to be replaced by a multi-role vessel. Following its removal from service, proposals were made by the Cork County Council and the Dublin Port Company to convert the vessel into a museum ship, but these plans were not implemented. In June 2024, the ship was towed to Ghent, Belgium, for scrapping.