In late September of 1984, the FBI warned the Irish security forces that they could expect a shipment of arms to arrive somewhere on the south-west coast of Ireland, bound for the IRA.
The Garda very quickly assembled 30 experienced officers and began preparing them for an interception at sea. This anti-terrorist group was put together at Haulbowline Island, and placed under the command of the arresting officer, Inspector Eric Ryan.
3 ships were then made available for the operation, the LE Deirdre [P20] , LE Emer [P21], and the LE Aisling [P23]. The Deirdra became the reserve ship for the operation while the other 2 were to intercept and capture the arms smuggler.
Information came from the FBI that the arms were to cross the Atlantic in an American merchant ship and would be transferred to an Irish fishing trawler, somewhere off the south-west in international waters, where Irish forces could not touch them.
Following earlier surveillance operations the Garda had identified the ship which would be used to land the arms in Ireland, this was the Fenit based Trawler, the Marita Ann, which had left port on 26th September.
Late on the night of the 27th of September the Marita Ann met up with the American merchant ship, the MV Valhalla, in an area of shallow sea known as Porcupine bank, about 120 miles off the coast of Ireland, where the arms transfer took place. This process, it was later revealed, was being watched by a KHII spy satellite, as it orbited the Earth. The Marita Ann then set off for the coast of Ireland.
Off the Kerry coast the P21 and P23 waited, blacked out, and under strict electronic emission control. Based on additional information received from British intelligence, the captain of the Emer; Lt-commander Brian Farrell, was able to plot the precise course of the Marita Ann and set up the interception. The Emer moved in on the arms smuggler, concealed by the Skellig rocks. In the very early morning of Saturday the 29th of September, in an amazing feat of seamanship, the crew of the Emer took their ship between the massive, jagged, rock outcrops in heavy seas to confront the Marita Ann.
The crew of the trawler attempted to escape, but changed their minds as gunfire crossed their bows. As they stopped naval personal and Garda swarmed abord, and the 5 crew were arrested.
7 tons of arms and explosive were captured, including a Browning .50” heavy machine gun and 1000 rounds of ammunition, 300 American made assault rifles, 50,000 rounds of mixed ammunition and unspecified numbers of pistols, sub-machine guns, pump-action shotguns. And grenades.
There were also flak jackets, medicines, training manuals and radio equipment.
While it is obvious that this operation could not have succeeded without the intelligence assets of at least two other nations, it was a huge boost for the Irish Defence forces, and many lives in the northern conflict must have been saved as a result.
The Garda very quickly assembled 30 experienced officers and began preparing them for an interception at sea. This anti-terrorist group was put together at Haulbowline Island, and placed under the command of the arresting officer, Inspector Eric Ryan.
3 ships were then made available for the operation, the LE Deirdre [P20] , LE Emer [P21], and the LE Aisling [P23]. The Deirdra became the reserve ship for the operation while the other 2 were to intercept and capture the arms smuggler.
Information came from the FBI that the arms were to cross the Atlantic in an American merchant ship and would be transferred to an Irish fishing trawler, somewhere off the south-west in international waters, where Irish forces could not touch them.
Following earlier surveillance operations the Garda had identified the ship which would be used to land the arms in Ireland, this was the Fenit based Trawler, the Marita Ann, which had left port on 26th September.
Late on the night of the 27th of September the Marita Ann met up with the American merchant ship, the MV Valhalla, in an area of shallow sea known as Porcupine bank, about 120 miles off the coast of Ireland, where the arms transfer took place. This process, it was later revealed, was being watched by a KHII spy satellite, as it orbited the Earth. The Marita Ann then set off for the coast of Ireland.
Off the Kerry coast the P21 and P23 waited, blacked out, and under strict electronic emission control. Based on additional information received from British intelligence, the captain of the Emer; Lt-commander Brian Farrell, was able to plot the precise course of the Marita Ann and set up the interception. The Emer moved in on the arms smuggler, concealed by the Skellig rocks. In the very early morning of Saturday the 29th of September, in an amazing feat of seamanship, the crew of the Emer took their ship between the massive, jagged, rock outcrops in heavy seas to confront the Marita Ann.
The crew of the trawler attempted to escape, but changed their minds as gunfire crossed their bows. As they stopped naval personal and Garda swarmed abord, and the 5 crew were arrested.
7 tons of arms and explosive were captured, including a Browning .50” heavy machine gun and 1000 rounds of ammunition, 300 American made assault rifles, 50,000 rounds of mixed ammunition and unspecified numbers of pistols, sub-machine guns, pump-action shotguns. And grenades.
There were also flak jackets, medicines, training manuals and radio equipment.
While it is obvious that this operation could not have succeeded without the intelligence assets of at least two other nations, it was a huge boost for the Irish Defence forces, and many lives in the northern conflict must have been saved as a result.
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