'In with the new, only more so ...' [1]: The politics of change and gender in the Irish Naval Service

The Irish Naval Service at its base in Haulbowline, Co. Cork, Ireland, carves out a unique social and communal niche for itself. Sea and shore activities foster a different network of associate meanings and social relations. Camaraderie, loyalty and conformity fuse the disparate elements of the Navy and are vibrantly articulated in the rich nickname culture and high jinks of this lived in and work community. The close-knit relations of the Navy personnel have been opened up with the introduction of female recruits since legislation was passed in 1994. What impact can the imposition of female 'outsiders' have on the life-world experiences of the Officers and Seamen? If change can uproot the meaningful logic of a collective, how does a previously exclusive male domain come to adjust and accommodate the challenge that this entails? To answer these questions, the prevailing discourse of some Naval Service personnel is tapped into to document the ordeal of change.