Four Dutch naval vessels dock in Cork Harbour
A small group of protesters gathered in Cobh to protest the presence of a NATO member state on Friday, with a further protest planned for Cork city's quayside on Saturday.
Four Dutch naval vessels including a missile-carrying warship have docked in Cork Harbour for the weekend, with members of protest group the Irish Neutrality Campaign protesting the presence of a NATO member state’s military vessels in Irish waters.
The HNLMS Karel Doorman, the Netherlands’ largest naval vessel at over 200m, docked at Cobh Cruise Terminal Friday lunchtime, while air defence and command frigate the HNLMS Zeven Provincien docked at Marino Point.
Offshore patrol ship the HNLMS Groningen and guided missile frigate the HNLMS Van Amstel docked at quaysides in the city. At 2pm, an Irish military helicopter landed aboard the HNLMS Karel Doorman in Cobh, while on the quayside, a small group of protesters held placards.
The HNLMS Karel Doorman also took on fresh provisions and offloaded waste.
“Rest and recreation”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), who are responsible for granting diplomatic clearance for visiting naval vessels, said the Dutch Embassy had made a request for the ships to be allowed to dock.
“The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands requested that their naval vessels visit from 25-28 November in order to provide crew rest and recreation,” an emailed press statement from the DFA to Tripe + Drisheen read.
“Port visits of this nature are a reflection of our engagement and friendly relations with our neighbours. The Irish Naval Service regularly visits foreign ports in the same manner.”
The DFA press spokesman said there was a “standard stipulation in place that visiting foreign naval vessels “do not carry nuclear weapons and do not engage in military exercises.”
According to Vessel Finder, the ship is en route to “military operations.”
Two crew members told Tripe + Drisheen that the four vessels had been on “exercises in the area” and were continuing on to further exercises after the weekend.
“Promoting war”
However, the quayside protesters in Cobh said the presence of warships from The Netherlands, a NATO member state, is unacceptable and erosive of Ireland’s neutrality.
Peter O’Donoghue, from Kilworth, said that a recent poll showed 60% of Irish people supported continued neutrality, but that the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition was “using the situation in Ukraine to destroy Irish neutrality” and to “promote war.”
He said he had grave concerns about a NATO evaluation of Irish troops under US Navy Commander Sam Mason that is underway in Lynch Camp in North Cork this week.
Former councillor Diarmaid Ó Cadhla, who was arrested in June for trespassing on Port of Cork property during a protest about the presence of the British HMS Enterprise at Horgan’s Quay, said the group had support from bypassers.
”Everyone is concerned at growing militarism,” he said.
Speaking at the Fine Gael Árd Fheis last week, Simon Coveney said he supported the lifting of the so-called “triple lock,” which requires the permission of three state entities before Irish troops can be sent abroad on peacekeeping missions.
A further protest is set to take place at the Dutch naval vessels moored on the Quaysides in Cork City on Saturday.