LÉ Deirdre

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History
Ireland
NameDeirdre
NamesakeDeirdre
Builder
Verolme Cork Dockyard
, Cork
Yard number819
Laid down10 August 1971
Launched21 January 1972
Commissioned19 June 1972
Decommissioned2001
Stricken2003
HomeportCork
Identification
FateSold for scrapping
General characteristics
Type
Offshore patrol vessel
Displacement972 tonnes max
Length56.1 m (184 ft) overall
Beam10.42 m (34.2 ft)
Draught4.38 m (14.4 ft)
Speed33.3 km/h (18.0 kn) maximum
Boats & landing
craft carried		3
Complement47 (6 officers and 41 ratings )
Armament
  • 1 × 40 mm/60 Bofors
  • 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns

LÉ Deirdre (P20) was a ship in the

tragic heroine from Irish mythology
who committed suicide after her lover's murder.

Built in 1972, Deirdre was built as an addition to the Ton-class minesweepers, and was the first vessel designed and built for the Irish Naval Service in Ireland.[1] She was to have longer range and be a more seaworthy ship for work in the Atlantic. Deirdre became the prototype for the later Emer-type vessels.[citation needed]

LÉ Deirdre badge, National Maritime Museum

Deirdre undertook a number of search and rescue operations throughout her careers. For example, Deirdre was one of the vessels involved in the 1979 Fastnet race rescue operations, assisting the crews of two yachts.

Cross of Naval Merit.[3][4]

By the time of the vessel's naval decommissioning in early 2001, Deirdre had travelled approximately 450,000 nautical miles.[5] She was replaced by a Róisín-class patrol vessel.

Deirdre was sold at

public auction for IR£190,000 in 2001. She was purchased by the English yacht chartering company Seastream International for conversion into luxury charter yacht Tosca IV for the company's owner, businessman Christopher Matthews.[6][7] Speaking on the radio, a Seastream spokesman appeared pleased with their bargain as they had been prepared to bid up to IR£500,000. The auction starting price had been IR£60,000.[citation needed
]

The conversion in a Polish shipyard was not completed as the English owner died. In 2007 she was towed to Brazil for further refit and completion.[8] Substantially complete, she arrived at Jacksonville, Florida in September 2012 for final outfitting as Santa Rita I. However, in August 2014, Santa Rita I was towed to Green Cove Springs, Florida, for breaking.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b "Naval vessel Deirdre sold at auction". Irish Times. 15 June 2001. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Storm turned summer race into disaster". Irish Times. 13 August 1999. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  3. ^ "A Drogheda Naval Hero is Remembered 22 Years On". irishnavalassociation.ie. Irish Naval Association. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  4. ^ "Courage of seaman to be honoured at Naval base". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 16 February 1999. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  5. ^ "A priceless vessel sails into history". Irish Times. 3 March 2001. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Skeleton naval crew maintaining LÉ Aisling as fate of vessel undecided". Irish Examiner. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Donegal port fails to acquire naval patrol ship". Irish Times. 25 August 2001. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  8. ^ "M/Y Tosca IV". Superyacht Times. 24 September 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  9. ^ "L.E. Deirdre". forum.irishmilitaryonline.com. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Abandoned ship: The final voyage of Santa Rita I". Superyachttimes.com. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
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