LÉ Eithne (P31) is a patrol vessel in service with the Irish Naval Service. The ship is named after Eithne, a tragic heroine and the daughter of the one-eyed Fomorian King, Balor in an early Irish romantic tale. Eithne is currently the flagship of the Irish Naval Service. She is the lead and only ship of her class, which was originally planned for four vessels.
On 23 August 2014, asbestos was found on the ship necessitating a clean-up. Eithne is the third Naval Service vessel with the cancer-causing substance, after asbestos was also found on board LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla. |