LÉ Aisling ( P23 ) LÉ " Aisling " ( P23 ) is an Offshore Patrol Vessel in the Irish Naval Service . The ship was named after the poem , Aisling to commemorate the centenary of the birth of the poet and nationalist Patrick Pearse . During her career , " Aisling " has participated in the Sonia and Marita Ann incidents , and was one of the first ships to arrive on the scene of the Air India Flight 182 disaster , and subsequently participated in recovery operations . It is the adopted ship of the city of Galway . Construction . There were three Offshore Patrol Vessels built for the Irish Naval Service ; " Aisling " was the last . She was built at Verlome Dockyard in Cork . Offshore Patrol Vessels were designed to patrol the Irish EEZ . " Aisling " s main weapon system is a Bofors 40mm Cannon capable of firing 240 2 . 5 kg shells a minute at a range of 1 km . Her secondary weapons system comprises two Rheinmetall 20mm Cannons capable of firing 1000 shells per minute at the range of 2 km . Operational History . Sonia incident . In 1984 LÉ " Aisling " was involved an international incident with a 330 ton Spanish fishing trawler called " Sonia " , based in the Basque port of Ondarroa . " Aisling " came across " Sonia " illegally fishing in Irish waters south of the Saltee Islands near Wexford . " Sonia " quickly retrieved its gear before " Aisling " could send a boarding party . When " Sonia " got underway she would have hit " Aisling " amidships had the Patrol Vessels engines not been put full astern . As it was , " Sonia " missed the PV by 10 feet , a small margin given the weather conditions . According to the captain the heavy trawler ' s hull would have sliced " Aisling " ' s thin plating . The episode continued with " Aisling " giving chase and firing 600 warning shots . " Sonia " turned towards " Aisling " numerous times causing the latter to take evasive action . After five hours pursuing the " Sonia " the captain of the " Aisling " was ordered to break off as she was entering British waters . When " Aisling " returned to its base in Haulbowline , Cobh that evening , news was fed back that " Sonia " sank due to sea conditions and both a German Freighter and RAF Brawdy a sea king helicopter had rescued the 13 crewmen . The Spaniards denied that any attempt had been made to ram " Aisling " and accused the Naval Service of causing their ship to sink by riddling it with gunfire . The Irish Government denied this , and the Minister for Foreign Affairs , Mr Peter Barry , TD , reiterated this to his Spanish opposite number who happened to be in Luxembourg negotiating Spain ’ s entry to the EEC . Marita Ann . During September 1984 , the naval service was involved in the arrest of the " Marita Ann " off the South west coast of Ireland . It involved a large cargo of arms and ammunition consigned to the IRA . LE " Emer " , LE " Aisling " and LE " Deirdre " had to maintain a discreet distance until the arms entered Irish territorial waters . On this occasion , however the contraband came from the United States of America and was ferried across the Atlantic by a fishing trawler , the " Valhalla " . She did not approach the Irish coast , but transferred her illicit cargo to the " Marita Ann " well outside Irish waters . The perpetrators did not know that the intelligence services had got wind of the plot , that the " Valhalla " s voyage had been monitored by international agencies or that the naval service had begun to lay a trap as soon as the " Marita An " n had sailed from Dingle to keep her appointment . " Aisling " ( Lt Cdr J . Robinson ) and " Emer " left Haulbowline in the company , with Gardaí on board both vessels . The " Marita Ann " s course was plotted and by midnight it was 1 , 800 yards into territorial waters . Emer made a full - speed intercept and when half a mile off the target called on her to stop . All the usual signals were ignored , and the vessel , which when illuminated by " Emer " s searchlights was revealed as " Marita Ann " , altered course . She had , however no hope of outrunning " Emer " , or indeed " Aisling " which had moved into a position to prevent a breakout . After four rounds of tracer had been put across her bows , " Marita Ann " gave up two miles inside the limit . The Naval Service / Garda boarding party met no resistance , and found five men and a large quantity of ammunition and arms on board . Two men , Martin Ferris and Gavin Mortimer were taken on board the " Emer " , John P . Crawley and John Mc Carthy were transferred to the " Aisling " and Michael Browne , at 42 the eldest of the party , remained on the " Marita Ann " , which was towed by " Aisling " as the convoy , escorted by LE " Deirdre " made its way to Haulbowline , Cobh where a large gathering of the international media awaited its arrival . Recent history . Lieut Cdr Roberta O ' Brien , the state ' s first female commander of a Naval Service ship took command of LE Aisling in 2008 .