REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

CURRENT NAVAL FLAGS

The Irish Naval Service was established as a branch of the armed forces in 1946. Its predecessor, the Marine Service, had carried out coastguard functions during World War II but was regarded as a temporary expedient. The need for a proper maritime force was recognized, however, and thus the Naval Service was born. Its first vessels were three "Flower" class corvettes, purchased from Britain. These were eventually replaced by three "Ton" class minesweepers, refitted as patrol vessels, in 1971. The need for larger ships capable of policing the 200-mile Irish Extended Fishery Zone proclaimed by Ireland in 1976 led to a major expansion of the Naval Service and today it is a modern force operating several classes of oceangoing patrol ships. The Naval Service's missions are broadly similar to those of the US Coast Guard: maritime law, customs and immigration enforcement, fishery and resource protection, search and rescue, and national defense. The Irish Naval Service ensign is the national flag, the green-white-orange Irish tricolor. The naval jack is the historic Green Flag, the famous nineteenth-century symbol of Irish nationalism. The commissioning pennant displays the arms of Ireland at the hoist. The ceremonial color represents the Naval Service in parades and other formal ceremonies. On the obverse it displays the insignia of the armed forced over crossed anchors. On the reverse it displays the Irish harp within in a rope circle over the the legend NAVAL SERVICE in Gaelic. The senior officer of the Naval Service hold the rank of commodore; his broad pennant is green with a large yellow star. Senior officers fly a triangular green pennant. Flag Proportions: The Irish tricolor has 1:2 proportions. The jack is proportioned 2:3. Image Added February 2019 Ceremonial Colour of the Naval Service

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