Commodore Liam Brett, who has died aged 86, retired as head of the Irish Navy in 1990.
As a seafarer, he was renowned for his ship handling and his ability to manoeuvre and turn vessels in the tightest of locations. As an officer, he was seen as firm but fair. In his leadership he displayed understanding and compassion and he enjoyed the respect of those he commanded.
William John Brett was born into a farming family in Cappauniac, Cahir, Co Tipperary, the second youngest of the 11 children of Thomas Brett and Bridget Pyne. After primary education at Ballydrehid National School, Kilmoyler, he attended the Christian Brothers School in Tipperary town.
He entered the Irish Naval Service in 1947, and joined the the Naval cadet class a year after the establishment of the service, at a time when training meant moving to the centre of British naval education on the south coast of England – a long way from his landlocked native county.
He received his midshipman training with the Royal Navy at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. Sea time on board British ships allowed him to travel widely, from the home waters around Europe as far afield as Hong Kong, gaining valuable experience in the years immediately after the second World War.
Corvettes
On returning to
Ireland
to receive his commission, his service began on board the Irish corvettes LE
Maeve
and LE
Macha
, initially as a young navigator and bridge watch-keeper.
He was captain when the corvettes rendered assistance off the southeast coast during the recovery operation after the Aer Lingus Viscount crash in March 1968, when the plane disappeared into the sea near Tuskar Rock, just off the coast of Wexford, an arduous and distressing operation for all involved.
Liam Brett was instrumental in the expansion of the Irish Naval Service. As a lieutenant commander, he was first officer commanding the LE Deirdre, the inaugural ship of the modern Irish Navy, in 1972.
After evaluating Deirdre, the LE Aoife, the LE Emer and the LE Aisling were added in the years that followed.
Capture of ‘Claudia’
As captain of the
Deirdre
, in 1973 he led the operation to intercept and arrest the IRA gun-running ship
Claudia
, which was importing arms and explosives from
Libya
. This was the first operation of its kind for the Irish Naval Service. It was conducted under such secrecy that the crew could not be told the true nature of their task until the decisive moment. The operation was conducted without serious injury or loss of life and proved a significant setback for the IRA campaign.
Although Deirdre was his last command at sea, Brett later co-ordinated the operation to detain the Marita Ann, bringing IRA munitions from the US in 1984. Three ships confronted the vessel off the Kerry coast, firing warning shots to prevent escape. A team of Navy personnel and gardaí then boarded, arresting the crew and confiscating all material on board.
Brett was promoted to commodore (head) of the Irish Naval Service in 1986. In that position, he accompanied the LE Eithne on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic to celebrate the 200th anniversary of American independence in New York harbour. As the most senior officer present at the official maritime review passing the Statue of Liberty, he ensured pride of place for the Irish service – second only to the French, who had donated the statue to the Americans.
Commodore Brett retired from the Naval Service in 1990.
In 1962, he married Eileen Twomey, an official with the Bank of Ireland. They were both keen bridge players and later founding members of Lucan Bridge Club. His wife predeceased him in 2003 and he is survived by his children Bríd, Denise, Martin and Joseph.