The crew of the L.É. William Butler Yeats, visited Áras an Uachtaráin.
The ship, built in Devon, was commissioned into the naval fleet in October 2016. Since then the ship and its crew have been engaged in maritime security and defence patrolling of the Irish coast. The ship was deployed in the Mediterranean from to July to October 2017, rescuing 704 persons and recovering the bodies of 3 deceased.
On St. Patrick’s Day 2016, President Higgins hosted a reception to honour members of the Irish Naval Service for their lifesaving work in the Mediterranean.