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 Between 1968 and 1970, Cliona, Maev and Macha were withdrawn from service.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
Old Royal Naval College Royal Naval College announced that it was embarking on the next stage of its ambitious plans to restore the Painted Hall. Over three years 3,700 m of Thornhill’s masterpiece will be conserved. The conservation project will focus on the Lower Hall (the Upper Hall having been conserved in 2013). The project, which will be completed in 2019, includes a unique series of public 'ceiling tours' allowing members of the public to get up close to the painted ceiling and see conservators at work. Old Royal Naval College The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a