History of the Irish Naval Service started, and the ships were named "Cliona", "Maev" and "Macha". These three ships were to become a key part of the Naval Service in the 1950s and 1960s. The first formal training of Irish Naval Cadets took place at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK in 1947. Between 1968 and 1970, Cliona, Maev and Macha were withdrawn from service. These were replaced by three minesweepers commissioned in 1971: Grainne, Banba and Fola. In 1971 the Naval Service commissioned Verolme Cork Dockyard to build an offshore patrol ship. Named L.É Deirdre, it was the first naval vessel purpose-built in Ireland
HMY Britannia (Royal Cutter Yacht) cost was £8,300 and like "Valkyrie II", "Britannia" was built at the D&W Henderson shipyard in Patrick on the River Clyde. With two such highly important commissions underway in the same yard, Watson delegated his protégé James Rennie Barnett to oversee both yachts. "Britannia" was launched on 20 April 1893, a week ahead of "Valkyrie II" and joined a fleet of first class cutters that was growing fast as others followed the royal lead. In a highly competitive fleet, "Britannia" soon set about achieving the race results which would eventually establish her as the most successful racing yacht of all