Council urged to bid for naval vessel
But the local authority could face competition from likely buyers — governments and private firms — as far away as Africa.
The Department of Defence has appointed Cork auctioneer Dominic Daly to sell off the LÉ Aoife and LÉ Emer which are to be replaced by new vessels.
Mr Daly said LÉ Aoife would probably go under the hammer shortly after completing its last voyage next month.
“It has already generated a lot of interest. There is always a need for standby naval vessels or ships which can be used for research and even private companies which need them for anti-piracy operations,” he said.
The auctioneer said he would not be prepared, at this stage, to quote a guide price for the ship.
“I would, however, be very confident she will be snapped up very quickly. Even though we are a bit away from an auction, I have already had inquiries from West Africa, South Africa, Turkey and Ireland,” he added.
It is likely one of the replacement vessels, still being fitted out, will be ready by late 2013 or early next year. The new vessels will be named after James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.
Meanwhile, Cobh-based Cllr John Mulvihill (Lab) said he had already approached county manager Martin Riordan in the hope the county council would seek to purchase one of the vessels.
He suggested it could be anchored off Spike Island as part of the local authority’s drive to create a tourist mecca there.
Cllr Mulvihill said it would be ideal as a floating museum-cum-restaurant.
Mr Daly, however, agreed the vessels had multi-purpose potential.
He said, in terms of a likely tourist attraction, the county council may not be able to finance such a purchase on its own due to current stiff international competition, unless Fáilte Ireland was prepared to some on board.
“It does have a very good galley (cook house) and three messes on board. I previously sold The Killarney tender for CIT which had originally purchased it for the Maritime College of Ireland. It is now a successful bar and restaurant at the North Wall in Dublin,” Mr Daly said.
“If the council was to acquire the naval vessel, it could be used for that as well as a floating museum, just like HMS Belfast which is anchored in The Thames in London.”
However, it’s more likely the council would want to get its hands on the LÉ Emer which will go to auction late next year. She is twinned with Cork while the LÉ Aoife is twinned with Waterford.
LÉ Aoife played a major role in the location of the flight recorder of the Air India airliner which crashed off the south-west coast in 1985.
Meanwhile, LÉ Emer chalked up a notable first when she undertook the first ever deployment of an Irish warship to resupply Irish troops serving with the United Nations in Lebanon in 1979.
