River Clyde Photography: LÉ Orla (P41)

Monday 10 October 2011

LÉ Orla (P41)

LÉ Orla (P41) is a Peacock-class patrol vessel in the Irish Naval Service. Like the rest of her class, she was originally designed for use by the British Royal Navy in Hong Kong waters, and was delivered in 1985 by Hall, Russell & Company as HMS Swift (P243). She is the sister ship to LÉ Ciara.

In July 2007, the LÉ Orla assisted in an operation which resulted in the largest seizure of cocaine in the history of the state.

LÉ Orla (P41) has 712 tons displacement, fully loaded, was launched in 1984 and bought by the Irish government in 1988. She is powered by two Crossley Pielstick 18 PA6V 280 diesels rated at 14,000 hp, providing a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 4,000 km at 17 knots.[3] She carries a crew of 39, including six officers. She is armed with one 76 mm/62 OTO Melara compact gun; 2 x 20mm Rh202 Rheinmetall weapons and four 7.62 mm machine-guns.

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River Clyde Photography

Over half of Scotland’s population lives within a short distance of the River Clyde, from its humble beginnings in South Lanarkshire where it is created by two streams the Patrail Water and the Daer Water, the two streams meet at Watermeetings where the River Clyde starts.

It’s not long before it reaches picturesque Lanark and its famous waterfalls. It eventually finds its way to Glasgow who’s citizens in the 18^th century narrowed and deepened and ultimately industrialised the river making it one of the most famous shipbuilding rivers in the world, Glasgow did indeed make the Clyde and of course the Clyde made Glasgow, at its peak the Clyde shipyards built a fifth of the worlds ships.

During the 2^nd world war Winston Churchill said that “Liverpool and Glasgow were the lungs in which the country breathed through”. Ship building along with heavy industry is all but dead on the Clyde, the majority of our industrial heritage was swept away in the 70s and 80s leaving few traces of the rivers famous past.

Leaving Glasgow, the Clyde broadens as you pass the towns of Dumbarton, Port Glasgow and Greenock, who all played a part in making the Clyde famous through shipbuilding.

At the Tail of the Bank the river broadens once more and becomes the firth with its many sea lochs coastal towns and villages.

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