Royal Navy Affiliations
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| HMS Bulwark is the UK's newest amphibious assault ship which was launched in 2001 and entered service in 2004. With a displacement of 18,500 tonnes and a speed of 18 knots, she was designed to send large numbers of troops and vehicles ashore as quickly as possible using landing craft and helicopters. One of her most recent tasks was to act as one of the ‘Guardians of the (Olympic) Games’ in 2012. The present ship is the seventh warship to bear the name of Bulwark. |
The Royal Irish Regiment, the Royal Irish Rangers and their antecedent regiments have always been proud of their affiliations with ships of the Royal Navy.
On many occasions, members of the Regiments have sailed on board HMS Bulwark, Brave, Antrim, Londonderry, Barrosa and Belfast while members of the ships companies have visited their affiliated regiments in many parts of the world. With the former Regimental Depot at Ballymena in County Antrim it was only natural that the Regiment would seek an affiliation with HMS Antrim and it was whilst on board her that the Colonel of the Regiment witnessed the Silver Jubilee Review at Spithead in 1977.
