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LÉ William Butler Yeats at Haulbowline, July 2016
History
Ireland
Name	LÉ William Butler Yeats
Namesake	W. B. Yeats, Irish poet
Builder	Babcock Marine Appledore, North Devon
Cost	€71 million
Launched	10 March 2016
Sponsored by	Caitriona Yeats
Christened	17 October 2016
Commissioned	17 October 2016
Identification	IMO number: 9751494 MMSI number: 250003811 Callsign: EIYU Hull number: P63
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel
Displacement	2,256 tonnes
Length	90.00 m (295.28 ft)
Beam	14.00 m (45.93 ft)
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi)
Armament	1 × 76 mm cannon 2 × 20 mm cannon 2 × 7.62 mm GPMG 2 x .50 calibre HMG

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63) is a Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel of the Irish Naval Service. Named after poet W. B. Yeats, the ship is the third in a series of vessels designed by Vard Marine and built by Babcock Marine Appledore. The ship was floated out of the shipyard in March 2016, started trials in July 2016, and arrived at Haulbowline naval base in late July 2016. The ship was formally commissioned in a ceremony in Galway on 17 October 2016. During the ceremony, it was officially named by a granddaughter of the poet, Caitriona Yeats.

Operational history

In March 2020 the Naval Service provided the vessel to the HSE as a testing centre to be docked at Galway as part of Irish response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In September 2023, LÉ William Butler Yeats was involved in the interception of MV Matthew, a bulk carrier, that was found to be carrying 2,253 kg (4,967 lb) of cocaine, worth €173 million.

References

1. ^ "New Naval Service ship to be called LÉ William Butler Yeats" (Press release). Department of Defence. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
2. ^ "LÉ William Butler Yeats formally enters service". RTÉ. 17 October 2016.
3. "Irish Naval Service floats third OPV". Shephard Media. 16 March 2016.
4. ^ "Irish Navy's third Samuel Beckett-class OPV LÉ William Butler Yeats floated out". Naval-Technology.com. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
5. "Government to purchase third new Naval Service ship". Irish Times. 9 June 2014.
6. "New naval ship to be called LÉ William Butler Yeats". Irish Examiner. 22 July 2015.
7. "Third 'Samuel Beckett' OPV90 class LÉ William Butler Yeats Floated-Out". Afloat Magazine. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
8. "Naval ship handed over as work begins on next project". North Devon Gazette. 27 July 2016.
9. Roche, Barry (18 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Naval ships to become test centres; Páirc Uí Chaoimh also offered". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
10. "Largest ever Irish drug seizure after ship raided". BBC News. Retrieved 27 September 2023.

Fleet of the Irish Naval Service
Active fleet	Róisín Niamh Samuel Beckett James Joyce William Butler Yeats George Bernard Shaw Aoibhinn Gobnait
Decommissioned	Macha Maev Cliona Setanta Ferdia Grainne Banba Fola Deirdre Emer Aoife Aisling Eithne Orla Ciara

v t e Irish Naval Service
Organisation	Naval Operations Command Naval Support Command Naval College (National Maritime College of Ireland) Naval Service Reserve
Active fleet	Róisín Niamh Samuel Beckett James Joyce William Butler Yeats George Bernard Shaw Aoibhinn Gobnait
Decommissioned vessels	Macha Maev Cliona Setanta Ferdia Grainne Banba Fola Deirdre Emer Aoife Aisling Eithne Orla Ciara
Specialised units	Naval Service Diving Section Fisheries Monitoring Centre
Shore establishments	Naval Base Haulbowline
Related	History Treaty Ports Rank Insignia Long Éireannach Operation Triton List of Irish state vessels

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