Amy Curadh of the Tribe of Wicklow

**Amy Curadh of the Tribe of Wicklow** is a Vice-Admiral of the SDF-Navy, heading SDF-Navy Fleet Command. She is also one of the last Cruiser Gals in service.

## Biography

Born in 1956 in Teanga to a fisherman and his wife, Curadh spent a childhood close to the sea and with the sea.
With 10 Springs, she and a few classmates borrowed a small sailing boat, sailing along the Icy Shore, planning to make landfall in Launceston - never reaching it as they got into a storm, soon clinging to the small boat for their dear lives, until they were rescued by a larger vessel, the cruiser *Rhiannon*, the old one. That first touch with the SDF-Navy left a deep impression on Curadh, who, from then on, worked on joining the SDF-Navy.

With 18 Springs, after graduating from school, she joined the Naval School as an Officer Cadet, taking the required time of five years plus three years as an Ensign and being commissioned in 1982 as a Lieutenant. By then, she had also served on one of the SDF-Navy's Cruisers on a training cruise, the *Rhiannon* in 1981, and had thus become a Cruiser Gal - the society of female SDF-Officers, who served on the cruisers, which dwindled in numbers every year from then on.

Her career was slow, but steady, until the Second Vellenge War came around in 1983. Still ranked as a Lieutenant, she participated in several raids against Lutetiian shipping onboard the *Rhiannon*, getting promoted to Lieutenant Commander. During Operation Summer Sun, she worked as artillery officer providing gunfire support for the landing SDF-Army forces under an Army-Captain named Finn Nióchan of the Tribe of Cork.

After the war, she continued to serve on her cruiser, soon seeing her decline into an over-glorified offshore patrol vessel. In 1996, she was on the *Rhiannon* as First Officer, and ranked Commander, as she hit the fateful storm, later being sad to see the old cruiser go. In the following year, she was promoted to Captain and took command of the Corvette *Ógbhean*, an old Sciath-class Corvette.

Until 2000, she commanded the corvette with a steady hand and got into action more then once.

In 2000, she was chosen to attend the Admiral's Course, becoming Aide-de-Camp of Commodore Finnegan Meantóir of the Tribe of Westmeath, her mentor during that time. In 2002, she was promoted to Commodore and put in charge of the Naval Station Launceston, as well as all of the vessels stationed there - whipping them into shape and operational conditioning, but there, her career seemed stuck.

Curadh, by now reaching 50, was getting older and more and more restless and was about to request a Leave of Absence, as the Foreign Office sent her to Kyrenaia as Naval Attache of the Embassy. Being there, she met a Kyrenaian Prince, a Crown Prince Ilia ibn-Razia, who was a naval officer himself, rising through the ranks, becoming its Lord-Commander - to this day, the two have a friendly and respectful relationship.

She was called home in 2010, being appointed Vice-Admiral as the former holder of that office retired. After the Battle of Marley Bay in 2012, she initiated wide-spread reforms and building programmes within the SDF-Navy, relying on a shipyard from lovely Silverport, Silverport Dockyards Limited, which did not fail to deliver.

In 2016, Curadh attended talks about the COSTAL-Accords as representative and advisor of the SDF-Navy to the delegation of Ambassador Group 1.

On the 1st of June 2018, she was made Head of Fleet Command due to SDF-Navy Fleet Administration being integrated into Fleet Command.

On the 20th of March 2024, on the day of the Spring Festival, Curadh retired, aged 68. Her successor was Commodore/Vice Admiral Gwen Ard of the Tribe of Tipperary.

## Character

Curadh is a strict and unrelenting person, to the point of stubbornness, but also fair. She is self-reflected enough to see, when she or one of her direct subordinates is at fault for a grievance or disgrace. However, praises are rarely heard from her about her subordinates, but they are used to it by now (she's more liberal with them concerning technical equipment).

There is contact with her siblings and their children and grandchildren, but none of them joined the SDF on her insistance. She loves to play with the younger ones, even if it is 'only' football.

She considers herself as too old for grand love and when she is on diplomatic events, for example SDY-Business Dinners, she looks friendly, approachable and for friends.

## Personal Relations

### Lieutenant General (ret.) Finn Nióchan of the Tribe of Cork

Curadh is on good terms with General Nióchan, having met before Operation Summer Sun. After that, they lost sight of each other, but when they both came into the honours of being an Admiral and a General respectively, they met again. Their relationship is professional, but very friendly.

### Crown Prince Ilia ibn-Razia

Curadh has a professional, but friendly relationship. They met during her time as Naval Attache in Kyrenaia from 2006 to 2010. Dancing together on a few formal occassions, their friendship is a testament to the friendship between the SDF-Navy and the Sultan's Navy.