An Irish naval ship suffered “minor” damage as it was undergoing sea trials in advance of its return to service, the Defence Forces said.
The LÉ Niamh, one of the Irish Naval Service’s oldest serving vessels, has been undergoing a refit for the last two years and was conducting acceptance trials in Cork Harbour when it collided with the quayside. The Defence Forces described the incident as a “difficult berthing”.
Photos of the damage show a large hole below the deck and above the water line. The military said the damage was minimal and no one was injured in the incident.
It is understood the damage is not structural in nature, meaning the repair process will likely be relatively straightforward, although still costly.
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“The LÉ Niamh was conducting sea acceptance trials in Cork Harbour following an extensive period of overhaul,” a Defence Forces spokesman said.
“The ship was conducting a berthing operation at Cork Dockyard yesterday afternoon following a day of trials in the Cork Harbour area. The ship experienced a difficult berthing resulting in minor damage to the ships equipment. No personnel were injured in this incident.”
The 24-year-old UK-built vessel was undergoing testing of its refurbished engines at the time. The incident was first reported by The Journal.
Five years ago, the same ship was damaged in a fire while it was moored in Cork Harbour.
In 2002, it undertook one of the most ambitious deployments ever by an Irish Naval Service vessel when it resupplied Irish troops serving on UN peacekeeping duties in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In 2008, LÉ Niamh played an important role in the seizure of €400 million of cocaine when Naval Service personnel boarded and detained the yacht, Dances with Waves, off the Cork coast, in a joint operation with gardaí and Customs officials.
