NIR 112 was on long-term loan to Iarnród Éireann from April 2003 until September 2006, when it was returned to Northern Ireland Railways.

The locomotives arrived in Ireland on 2 November 1976 and were purchased to facilitate 90 mph running on the Cork and Belfast lines.

[1] A trade dispute resulted in a significant delay in their introduction; the first service was operated on 23 May 1977 hauled by 082 on the 14:30 Dublin Heuston to Cork.

[1] The class was originally fitted with an EMD 12-645E3B engine but was upgraded to 12-645E3C specification in 1992, along with the installation of yaw dampers to resolve issues of poor ride quality and bogie cracks at high speeds.

In 2013 an overhaul programme started for all eighteen class members which includes an engine rebuild, refurbished bogies, new panels, new cabs and a new slate grey livery complete with European numbering.

In 2016, several members of the class received a commemorative plaque beneath their handbrakes in recognition of their 40 years of service with CIÉ and Iarnród Éireann.

Loco 071 was repainted back to its original CIÉ Supertrain livery of black and orange in May 2016, with its first working thereafter being the RPSI diesel tour from Dublin to Waterford and Limerick Junction.

IÉ announced plans in 2023 to convert a member of the fleet to run on hydrogen with the assistance of Latvian firm DIGAS.

[12] Both the 071 and 110 class have been produced as player drivable locomotives in the Microsoft Train Simulator add-on, "Irish Enterprise North" by Making Tracks.