Name HMS Blaxton Acquired 22 February 1971 Length 43 m Displacement 360,000 kg | Name LÉ Fola Launched 21 June 1955 Weight 360 tons Draft 2.49 m | |
Namesake Village of Blaxton, Doncaster Fate Transferred to Irish Naval Service Namesake Fóla, a legendary queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann | ||
LÉ Fola (CM12) was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Irish Naval Service.
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Launched in 1955 as HMS Blaxton (M1131) for the Royal Navy (RN), the minesweeper was transferred to the Irish Naval Service on 22 February 1971, and renamed after Fóla, a legendary queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a poetic name for Ireland.
The minehunter remained in service until 1987, when she was sold for breaking. Blaxton was launched on 21 June 1955.
Irish Naval Service
HMS Blaxton was handed over to the Irish Naval Service on 22 February 1971 and commissioned as Fola by Lieutenant Commander Deasy at Gibraltar the next day.
Following her commissioning, Fola in company with Banba worked up in the Western Mediterranean so that they could complete Harbour Acceptance Trials and Sea Acceptance Trials. On 20 March both ships left the Mediterranean for home, however on the way a storm blew up forcing them to take refuge in Lisbon. The two newest additions to the Navy finally arrived on 29 March 1971.
Decommissioning and fate
In 1987, Fola was decommissioned and sold to Spanish interests for breaking.