LÉ Fola

LÉ Fola (CM12) was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Irish Naval Service.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Blaxton
Namesake	Village of Blaxton, Doncaster
Launched	21 June 1955
Fate	Transferred to Irish Naval Service
Ireland
Name	LÉ Fola
Namesake	Fóla, a legendary queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann
Acquired	22 February 1971
Commissioned	23 February 1971
Decommissioned	1987
Identification	CM12
Fate	Sold for scrap
General characteristics
Class & type	Ton-class minesweeper
Displacement	360 tonnes
Length	42.67 m (140.0 ft) overall
Beam	8.4 m (28 ft)
Draught	2.49 m (8 ft 2 in)
Speed	28 km/h (15 kn) maximum
Complement	30
Armament	2 × 40 mm/60 Bofors 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA

Launched in 1955 as HMS Blaxton (M1132) for the Royal Navy (RN),^[1] 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.^[2]

Irish Naval Service

HMS Blaxton was handed over to the Irish Naval Service on 22 February 1971. Together with Banba (previously HMS Alverton), the newly acquired vessel was commissioned as Fola the next day.^[2][3]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} The two newest additions to the Navy finally arrived on 29 March 1971, and were used for training and fisheries protection.^[4]

Decommissioning and fate

In 1987, Fola was decommissioned and sold to Spanish interests for breaking.^[2]