Times have changed. There was once a time when we, on this wind-lashed rock at the far edge of the Atlantic, could keep our heads down and our noses out of trouble. We enjoyed the luxury of obscurity. But that time is over. The world has changed—and not in subtle ways. We are entering a new era of geopolitical instability, technological vulnerability, and organised criminal sophistication. Ireland, and particularly our western coast, can no longer afford to remain a blind spot on the strategic map of Europe.
Our western seaboard—open, exposed, and largely unguarded—has become both an opportunity and a liability. On one hand, it offers immense promise in the form of renewable energy. The Atlantic winds promise to transform us into the “Saudi Arabia” of marine and offshore wind power. But prosperity attracts interest—and not all of it friendly. As global tensions rise and the New World Order begins to flex its muscles, we must ask: who is minding the gate?
Ireland’s geographic position is not marginal. In fact, it’s central to Europe’s security. We are the westernmost nation of the EU, with jurisdiction over an ocean territory thirteen times the size of our landmass. Our waters are home to crucial transatlantic fibreoptic cables—modern arteries of data, commerce, and diplomacy. Data, today, is power. And those cables, running quietly beneath our seas, are both prized and vulnerable. Russia knows it. So too do international drug cartels. And they are watching us closely—because they suspect we are not watching them at all.
For years, our naval capacity has been dangerously underdeveloped. With a fleet stretched thin and recruitment in crisis, Ireland’s Naval Service is doing its best—but with one hand tied behind its back. The absurdity of having no major naval base along the western coastline has gone unaddressed for too long. Cork alone cannot safeguard our vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ ), let alone deter foreign espionage, illegal fishing, drug smuggling, or undersea sabotage. The era of a single patrol boat doing laps of the Atlantic is over.
That’s why the development of a naval base in Galway is not just welcome—it is essential. Galway offers the ideal combination of location, maritime heritage, and infrastructure potential. A city with centuries-old seafaring traditions, proximity to air support facilities like Shannon and Knock, and a community capable of supplying the skills the Navy desperately needs, Galway is a logical hub for Ireland’s renewed maritime defence.
This is about more than defence—it’s about sovereignty. If we cannot monitor and secure our own waters, others will step in to do it for us. And when that happens, we are no longer in control of our destiny. Already, we are seeing foreign military vessels—including Russian intelligence ships—probing our seas. Our European partners, understandably, are raising eyebrows. How can we expect them to trust us with the front door if we aren’t even looking through the peephole?
The Irish government’s 2024 Defence Review marks a shift in tone. A National Maritime Security Strategy is under public consultation, and Galway is being seriously considered as a base for the Naval Reserve. A €30 million quay is under construction in Rossaveal, and planning for a deep-water dock in Galway Port is under way. These are important first steps, but we must move faster—and with clarity of purpose.
History teaches us that vulnerability invites exploitation. The last century was marred by two world wars we were lucky to skirt, but the 21st century will not afford us the same luxury of distance. The threats are digital, economic, and environmental as much as they are military—and they will come through our western door.
Ireland has long benefited from its strategic position. It’s time we shouldered the responsibility that comes with it. Establishing a naval base on the west coast—starting with Galway—is not an act of aggression. It is an act of national maturity.
We are no longer invisible. And so we must become vigilant.
