Hopes Astrid will be floating museum

She should have led a flotilla of yachts in a parade of sail in to the magnificent Kinsale harbour in Co Cork six weeks ago.

But instead, the badly-damaged wreck of the historic Dutch tall ship training vessel, Astrid, was hoisted slowly on to a recovery barge at the town’s Lobster Quay last night where her fate will be decided today.

Gardaí have secured the vessel following a request from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, which is due to examine it this morning.