HMS Irresistible

Last updated October 16, 2021

Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Irresistible. A fifth was planned but later renamed:

HMS Irresistible (1782) was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1782 and broken up in 1806.
HMS Irresistible was a prison ship, launched as HMS Swiftsure in 1787. She was captured by the French in 1801, and recaptured in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. She was renamed HMS Irresistible in 1806 and was broken up in 1816.
HMS Irresistible (1859) was an 80-gun screw propelled second rate launched in 1859. She was used for harbour service from 1869 and was sold in 1894.
HMS Irresistible (1898) was a Formidable-class battleship launched in 1898 and sunk by a mine in 1915 in Gallipoli, Turkey.
HMS Irresistible was to have been an Audacious-class aircraft carrier. She was renamed HMS Ark Royal before being launched in 1950.

This article includes a list of ships with the same or similar names. If an internal link for a specific ship led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended ship article, if one exists.

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Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Bellona after Bellona, the goddess of war in Roman mythology:

Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Monmouth. Monmouth was the name of a castle and is now the name of a town in Wales; the name also recognises James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, the "Black Duke".

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Royal Oak, after the Royal Oak in which Charles II hid himself during his flight from the country in the English Civil War:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Ardent, whilst another two were planned:

Seven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Bulwark, after the reference to the Navy as the 'bulwark' (defence) of the country:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name Renown, whilst three others have borne the name at various stages in their construction:

Thirteen warships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Revenge:

Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Hyacinth after the hyacinth flower:

Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Jason, after the Greek mythological character Jason:

Five ships and one shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS President, after the office of president meaning "one who presides over an assembly". In the case of the first two British ships, the name may have applied to the Lord President of the Privy Council.

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Conqueror, and another was planned:

Sixteen ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Mermaid after the mermaid:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Northumberland after the English county of Northumberland, or the Dukedom of Northumberland. Another was planned but later cancelled:

Nine ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Shannon, after the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland:

Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Formidable with a fifth, the French Formidable, renamed HMS Ham after being captured and recommissioned; a sixth has been announced:

Ten ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Pandora after the mythological Pandora. Another was planned, but the name was reassigned to another ship:

Nineteen ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Drake after Sir Francis Drake or after the drake:

Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Unicorn, after the mythological creature, the unicorn:

Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Siren, Syren or Sirene, after the Sirens of Greek mythology:

Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Blonde:

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