Galway Bay fm newsroom - The hull of Ireland's new state-of-the-art research vessel, which will be used by the Marine Institute in Oranmore, has been launched at a shipyard in Spain.
The RV Tom Crean will replace the RV Celtic Voyager and will provide a year-round service, enabling 300 operational days at sea each year.
It'll be used by the Marine Institute and other state agencies and universities to undertake a range of multi-disciplinary surveys.
It'll also maintain and deploy weather buoys, observational infrastructure and the Holland I, a remotely operated vehicle for undersea exploration.
With the hull now launched, it's expected the RV Tom Crean will be delivered in summer of next year.
Speaking at the launch at the Astilleros Armon shipyard in Vigo, CEO of the Marine Institute, Michael Gillooly, said it's a milestone development.
