"Yet, it is a regrettable fact of life that most Irish people are quite unaware of the very high calibre of individuals who presently comprise their country's navy and of the tremendous contribution they make to Ireland. Some have attributed this unfortunate situation to the reputed indifference and even hostility of the Irish people to all things maritime. The absence of a memorial in the form of a plaque or a street named in honour of Commander S. O'Muiris, founder of Ireland's wartime navy, is an indication of this indifference. Sadly, during the course of his research in Ireland, the author can testify to encountering on numerous occasions, a wilful indifference among the general population towards Irish naval and maritime achievements. Many Irish people prefer to content themselves with an image of the Irish Naval Service, as portrayed in the mid-1960s by the renowned folk group, the Dubliners ("When the captain blows his whistle, the ship goes home for tea"). One of the obvious reasons why so few Irish people have an opportunity to update their perception of their country's navy by at least 30 years, is that the INS rarely comes into contact with the wider population. The patrol ships are always "out of sight and out of mind", that is, they are at sea for 180 days a year. When not on patrol, they are normally tried up alongside in the country's only naval base, Haulbowline Island. For those who do not live in any of the country's main ports or near a sheltered deep water natural harbor, it is unlikely that they will come into contact with the Naval Service."