On Monday 17 March, St Patrick’s Day, the LÉ William Butler Yeats will be open to the public at Dún Laoghaire Harbour from 1pm until 4pm.  Tours are free of charge, no booking required and last approximately 20 minutes.  

LÉ William Butler Yeats is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) and represents an updated and lengthened version of the original RÓISÍN Class OPVs which were also designed and built to our specifications by Babcock Marine Appledore and she is truly a state of the art ship. She is built and fitted out to the highest international standards in terms of safety, equipment fit, technological innovation and crew comfort. She is also designed to cope with the rigors of the Northeast Atlantic.

Named after William Butler Yeats who has been described as the oddest and bravest of revolutionaries. A member of the Anglo-Irish tradition in Ireland, he was a nationalist at heart and passionately believed in achieving an independent Ireland through cultural revolution. He was a key figure in the Irish literary revival. His play “Kathleen Ní Houlihan” was said to have contributed towards the revolutionary fervour which culminated in the Easter Rising in 1916. Yeats agonised over this, regretting that his work could have sent young men out to shoot and be shot.

The 90m Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) will be docked at Carlisle Pier, Dún Laoghaire Harbour, This is a unique opportunity for visitors to explore the ship, learn about its capabilities, and gain insight into its role in defending Ireland's interests at sea. 

General guidance for health and safety and security is:

• All children must be accompanied by a parent/responsible adult at all times. 
• Closed foot wear such as boots or runners are only  to be worn and no high heels or sandals.
• People must be generally fit and able to walk up and down steep stair wells. 
• All instructions from ships staff must be obeyed at all times. 
• Visitors must stay with their designated group and ships tour guide  on the approved tour route at all times. 

To read more about this navy ship, please see here.