Ahoy there! Tipp woman Roberta enjoying life as first Irish naval captain
A young woman who made not only local headlines but national headlines last year was amused by the attention but it still making strides in her career as the first woman to captain an Irish naval vessel.
Lieutenant Commander Roberta O'Brien from Aherlow took command of the LE Aisling just over a year ago, in November 2008. At the time there was a lot of media attention because she was the first Irish naval captain, attention that Lt Cmdr O'Brien told The Nationalist has not been unexpected but was amusing. There was also a lot more media attention than she thought there would be, as she modestly says she was just doing her job.
Roberta joined the Irish navy straight out of school in 1995. Her family had a tradition of service in the Irish defence forces, and this generation of the O'Brien family have made a strong mark themselves.
Her grandfather was in the Irish navy, and her mother, also Roberta, grew up close to the naval base at Haulbowline in Cork. He rose to the rank of warrant officer, the highest rank for a non-commissioned officer. An uncle was also in the navy for 21 years while another uncle is still serving with the Irish army.
Two of Roberta's siblings have joined the defence forces - her brother Denis is a lieutenant and based in Collins Barracks in Cork, and her sister Jean was awarded her commission and raised to the rank of lieutenant in recent weeks at a ceremony in The Curragh.
Roberta chose to join the Irish navy when she read the prospectus when still in school. The mix of academic and physical work appealed to her - academic learning and outdoor work, skills including astral navigation and how to 'drive' a ship.
Even though she had never been to sea she found the job description interesting. Roberta described how she had been to see the Tall Ships Race when it visited Cobh and can remember being at Waterford Port and being interested in the merchant ships and what they did and where they sailed.
When she applied to be a naval cadet, Roberta undertook two interviews, an aptitude test, medical assessment and physical assessment.
"I have enjoyed it. I feel like I have the best of both worlds," she described her job.
Ireland now has a National Maritime College, but in the years before that naval cadets attended NUI Galway where they studied management, geology and law. Roberta received a degree in science in her time there. Cadets undertook a course that was tailormade for them by the university and the defence forces.
"I have been fortunate. It might just have been the right place at the right time," Roberta is modest about her achievement.
On joining the Irish navy she had a choice of two career paths, operations or engineering. She admits she chose operations because it would offer a chance to captain a naval vessel.
During her time as a naval officer she has enjoyed many highlights. One that stands out for her is in 2002 when she was the navigator on the LE Niamh which took part in one of the largest Irish naval operations to Asia, in promotion of Ireland.
She plotted the ship's course through the Suez Canal, to Singapore, Shanghai, Inchon, Tokyo and back to Ireland.
It is very rare for an Irish naval ship to get the opportunity to travel so far afield. On the trip the LE Niamh called to port in Eritrea and India, for refuelling and to visit Irish troops.
Roberta says she feels very lucky to have seen countries she would not normally have had an opportunity to visit and meet some interesting people along the way.
At the start of her career Roberta admits the thought of one day captaining a ship was daunting, but as she progressed in her training and experience as navigation officer, gunnery officer and then second-in-command it was more on her mind.
To become a naval captain an officer must first gain the rank of lieutenant commander and Roberta was promoted in April 2008. This, along with her competencies and assessments, made her eligible to hold the post, but she had to wait for one to become available. That day came in November that year when she was appointed captain of the LE Aisling.
She says the work since has been exciting. To have been given such a responsibility at such a young age can be daunting, she says, but at the same time it is a real challenge and a fantastic opportunity. She has a huge sense of pride in her ship and the people that work for her.
"I see it as one of the pinnacles of my career in the operations branch," Roberta says proudly. "it has been really enjoyable and my crew are fantastic."
The whole aspect of being a female captain doesn't come into her day to day work, she adds. Everyone has a job to do and they do it, although sometimes it can give the Aisling a higher profile.
"I have worked with people on different ships at different stages of my career. Once you can prove you are capable of doing the job gender doesn't come into it."
While the attention her appointment, just over year ago, brought, Roberta says a positive side to that is that she is showing young girls leaving school that they shouldn't be put off a job because it is seen to be male dominated. "If you have an interest and competency go for it!"
Since her appointment as captain, Roberta has taken the LE AIsling on patrol around the island of Ireland. Irish waters cover 320,000 square kilometres and the naval service are involved in operations including naval surveillance and fisheries protection. Daily life on-baord also includes gunnery and navigation drills as well as inspections.
Although the LE Aisling is at sea for more than 200 days a year, Roberta gets home to visit her parents and friends in Aherlow every few months. The Aisling was on call this Christmas, although she was in port, and Roberta made it home to Tipperary to celebrate the new year.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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