Kevin Reid of Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport was a guest of the Commissioners of Irish Lights and was invited aboard the ILV Granuaile as she carried out a crew change, resupply and bunkering operations in Dún Laoghaire Harbour. In maritime terms, “bunkering” refers to the refuelling of a vessel—supplying the fuel and oil needed to power the ship’s engines and onboard systems.
GENERAL LIGHTHOUSE AUTHORITY
The Commissioners of Irish Lights (Irish: Coimisinéirí Soilse na hÉireann), or Irish Lights, are the General Lighthouse Authority for Ireland, Northern Ireland, and surrounding waters, providing aids to navigation and overseeing coastal lights managed by local authorities.
Aids to navigation are a critical part of the transportation infrastructure across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. They safeguard lives, protect property and the environment, and support economic activity by ensuring safe and efficient maritime routes. Irish Lights maintains over 150 offshore buoys and 646 lighthouses, guiding mariners and warning of offshore hazards such as sandbanks, reefs, and other navigational dangers along key shipping routes.
ILV GRANUAILE
Irish Lights currently operates a single light tender, the ILV Granuaile—a vessel specifically designed for the complex and demanding work of maintaining aids to navigation. Her design represented a significant step forward in lighthouse service vessel architecture, combining versatility, durability, and cutting-edge technology.
Laid down in 1997 at the Galați shipyard in Romania and outfitted at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands, Granuaile was delivered to Dún Laoghaire Harbour on January 31st, 2000. Registered in Dublin, she measures 79.6 metres in length, has a beam of 16.10 metres, and a gross tonnage of 2,625. Her design set a new standard and became a prototype for vessels used by Trinity House, the Northern Lighthouse Board, and the Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS).
Purpose-built for year-round offshore operations, Granuaile is equipped with advanced systems that reflect her mission-critical role. A Class 1 Dynamic Positioning System enables the vessel to hold a fixed position with precision, even in adverse sea conditions—a crucial capability when working near navigation aids or hazards. She is also fitted with an “Intering” Anti-Roll system that enhances stability and crew comfort. This system works by transferring water laterally between tanks using a pneumatic air purge and regulating valves, creating a counteracting force to reduce rolling in heavy seas.
The Granuaile operates with a core crew of fifteen and can accommodate up to eleven additional cadets or contractors in a total of twenty-six ensuite cabins. Onboard facilities include two mess rooms, a large conference room, and a dedicated crew recreation area.
RESUPPLY MANOEUVRES
The vessel crew operates on a roster of twenty-eight days on and twenty-eight days off, usually rotating off on a Wednesday. For crew members this means working for six months each year at sea and the remainder at home.
During the resupply operations we were brought onto the bridge by Chief Engineer Len Cremin and invited by Ship Master Dermot Gray to observe the ship performing a maneuverer under her own power. When we boarded the vessel was tied port side to the dock. From this position, she untied and manoeuvred out into the harbour.
Once clear of the dock, she turned on her own axis using her steerable thrusters, supported by a 1,200 kW Tees White Gill Jet bow thruster.
Once the ship had completed the turn she re-docked on the starboard side. This repositioning was required to allow for the loading of large lengths of chain by crane into deck lockers. The chain would later be used in operations to secure buoys and navigation aids along the coast and estuary waters of Ireland.
Check out our previous video story on the ILV Granuaile deck crane: ILV Granuaile Liebherr 20-Ton Deck Crane
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