LÉ William Butler Yeats

LÉ William Butler Yeats is a of the Irish Naval Service. Named after poet W. B. Yeats, the ship is the third in a series of vessels designed by Vard Marine and built by Babcock Marine Appledore. The ship was floated out of the shipyard in March 2016, started trials in July 2016, and arrived at Haulbowline naval base in late July 2016. The ship was formally commissioned in a ceremony in Galway on 17 October 2016. During the ceremony, it was officially named by a granddaughter of the poet, Caitriona Yeats.

Operational history

In March 2020 the Naval Service provided the vessel to the HSE as a testing centre to be docked at Galway as part of Irish response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In September 2023, LÉ William Butler Yeats was involved in the interception of MV Matthew, a bulk carrier, that was found to be carrying of cocaine, worth €173 million.
In December 2025, crew from the vessel who were "monitoring maritime activity" observed unidentified drones near the flight path of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's jet during a state visit to Ireland.