Two Royal Navy warships visited Waterford last weekend prompting a protest from Republican Sinn Fein (RSF).

The two vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Severn are River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) built for Fishery Protection around the UK and normally operate from the British Base at Portsmouth.

However vessels of this type were also used for many years on what were termed 'containment operations' around the N E of Ireland as part of the now defunct 'Northern Ireland Squadron' (NIS). This 3/4 vessel squadron crewed by Royal Navy and Marine contingents acted in support of the British Army and Police in the six counties. The so-called security operations by the NIS became so overbearing and oppressive in some 'border waters' that the Dublin government were eventually forced to station, briefly, vessels of the Naval Service in these areas.

In a statement RSF Vice President Des Dalton said:

"The presence of two British warships in Waterford is part of the ongoing campaign to normalise British rule in Ireland, selling the lie that British occupation is accepted and that the national question has been resolved.

The lesson of Irish history is that whilst British rule in Ireland remains there can be no basis for a just and lasting settlement. British rule is the root cause of conflict in Ireland and will never be regarded as either normal or acceptable in any part of our country.

A public British government declaration of intent to withdraw from Ireland is a necessary first step to creating the conditions within which all of the Irish people can begin the process of building a New Ireland based on the principles of All-Ireland democracy as set out in Republican Sinn Féin?s ÉIRE NUA programme."

Republican Sinn Féin organised a picket to oppose the presence of the two British warships.

The visit is the latest in a series by British naval units to Irish ports in recent years. In the past such 'courtesy calls' were not always well received. In the mid sixties the RN patrol craft HMS Brave Borderer came under bren gun fire whilst visiting Waterford.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

18/10/07

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