At Midday this Friday 7th April (not Monday as previously reported here), LE Eithne returns to the Naval Base Haulbowline after its two months deployment to the South Atlantic and South America. On foot of an invitation from the Argentinean Government LE Eithne visited Mar Del Plata and Buenos Aires in Argentina where it participated in celebrations to commemorate the memory of Admiral William Brown the Mayoman who is founder of the Argentine Navy. LE Eithne also visited Montevideo in Uruguay and Rio De Janeiro and Fortaleza in Brazil. Over 6000 people visited the ship. In all the Ship hosted or participated in over 150 separate events some of a diplomatic nature promoting Irish Culture and many of an Economic nature promoting Government Economic Policy. Much of LE Eithne’s time was dedicated to a humanitarian programme. Having been inundated with toys from a broad cross section of Irish institutions, organisations and citizens (Dublin Diocese, Higher Education Authority, Royal St George Yacht Club and Cork University Hospital) as well as a cash donation from the Naval Association the crew of LE Eithne hosted hundreds of sick, deprived and abused children. In Argentina building on its links with Our Ladies Children’s Hospital Crumlin the crew visited seriously ill children in a number of paediatric hospitals and hosted many more onboard. A large diesel generator brought on the ship from Ireland was installed by the crew in a remote school (called after William Brown) accessible only by boat several hundred kilometres up the Parana river. Working with the Non Governmental Organisation Task Brazil the crew of the ship hosted the street children of Rio De Janeiro onboard ship while the ships crew including, electricians, carpenters and engineers carried out essential repairs to their shelter and prepared a vegetable garden at the NGOs farm. Working through the Irish Catholic Missionary network the crew of LE Eithne linked up with the Redemptorists missionaries in Fortaleza and helped in the restoration of housing for the poor. The deployment was also used to carry out a series of onboard military training exercises and also saw the sinking of a large navigation hazard off the Brazilian coast.

Well done LE Eithne. LE Eithne and her crew should receive the welcome home she deserves.