LÉ Banba (CM11)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Alverton
Namesake:	Alverton
Builder:	Thornycroft
Launched:	24 March 1954
Identification:	M1129
Fate:	Sold to Ireland, February 1971
Republic of Ireland
Name:	LÉ Banba
Namesake:	Banba
Acquired:	21 February 1971
Commissioned:	23 February 1971
Decommissioned:	1984
Identification:	CM11
Fate:	Sold to Spanish interests for breaking
General characteristics
Class & type:	Ton-class minesweeper
Displacement:	425 tonnes (max)
Length:	42.67 m (140.0 ft) overall
Beam:	8.4 m (28 ft)
Draught:	2.49 m (8 ft 2 in)
Speed:	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) maximum
Complement:	30
Armament:	40 mm/60 Bofors 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA

LÉ Banba (CM11) was a Ton-class minesweeper in the Irish Naval Service (INS) and was one of three purchased by the Irish government in light of changing politics in northern Ireland that was creating more gunrunning, and, the beginning of the drugs trade. The other two were LÉ Grainne (CM10) and Fola.

LÉ Banba was named after Banba, a legendary queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann and also a poetic name for Ireland. The ship was the former Royal Navy vessel HMS Alverton.

Handover

The name Banba was originally allocated to be borne by one of the six Flower-class corvettes ordered in 1946, but only three were delivered and the name was not used. On 22 February 1971, the former Alverton was handed over to the INS, and commissioned on 23 February by Lt. Cdr. Deasy at Gibraltar.

Following her commissioning, Banba, in company with Fola, 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.

In 1984 Banba was decommissioned and sold on to Spanish interests for breaking.