A day in the life of Lt. Commander
Q1. John Leech
In this edition of 'A Day in the Life of'. Mike Schwarz chats with and poses the questions to experienced Irish based marine surveyor, Lt. Commander John Leech.
As a child, what were your aspirations, and did you ever imagine that later in your life you would have made your career in the maritime world?
Yes, I did, as I was raised 14 feet from the River Shannon in Athlone, so I spent as much of my life as possible rowing, fishing, sailing, swimming and later diving outside my house. I am a hydrophile. I loved boats and barges, especially working on them, so I wanted to go to sea in either the merchant navy or the Naval Service.
Q2.
I have always wondered about your title Lieutenant Commander. What can you tell me about its significance and the role you played in achieving that rank?
I followed the lordly Shannon to sea when I was 19 and ended up in the Naval Base, Haulbowline, Co. Cork. Following a few months of military training with our Army in the Curragh Training Centre, I was sent off to train with the Royal Navy in Dartmouth. In total over my career, I spent two years training with the Royal Navy both ashore and at sea, which served me well, because at that time the training facilities at the Naval Base in Ireland were not fit for purpose, unlike now where they have a state of the art training facility in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork used by the Navy and Merchant Navy and other maritime agencies for nearly all types of training.
In the Navy, I served as Gunnery Officer, Navigator, Training Officer, in Charge of the Naval Diving Section, Sail Training, Commanded L.E. AISLING & L.E. ORLA, and served as Harbour Master at the Naval Base. I was twice seconded from the Navy, first time was to sail on the NCB Ireland for the Whitbread Round the World Yacht race and the second occasion was to sail onboard STV Asgard II, Ireland’s Tall Ship and Sail Training Vessel as Second Mate. I retired from the Naval Service after 21 and a half years, of which I spent 14 and a half over the horizon away from family and friends. I then took up the appointment as CEO of Water Safety Ireland which is the Statutory Body established to promote water safety in Ireland. I made a significant contribution in reducing drowning from an annual average of 185 when I joined, to 110 when I retired twenty-one years later, we developed many innovative and successful drowning prevention strategies, which many developed nations around the world followed to reduce drownings in their own countries.
THE REPORT | SEP 2025 | ISSUE 113 | 131
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