A BANTRY man has been made responsible for the operations of all Irish navy ships and the security of the waters off the Irish coast, writes Jackie Keogh.
Kenneth Minehane (52) (pictured), formerly of the West End Bar in Bantry, joined the naval service in 1988 at the age of 20.
He rose steadily through the ranks from the time he was commissioned as an Ensign in 1990 to his current position as Capt of Operations Command. Kenneth was promoted as Lieutenant Commander in the year 2000, and has held five sea-going commands in the naval service.
He achieved the rank of Commander in 2014 and worked extensively in the Mediterranean, where he participated in humanitarian operations between 2015 and 2017.
Kenneth was posted to the European Community Security and Defence Policy mission – Operation Sophia in Rome – on two separate occasions between 2018 and 2020, and was, for a time, the officer commanding the flagship, LE Eithne.
He said he is looking forward to the challenges presented by his new duties.
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