Plea to convert LÉ Eithne into Cork naval museum, rather than selling it for scrap

The flagship of the Naval Service is to be decommissioned and amid rumours the vessel is simply to be scrapped, councillors in Cork are requesting it be converted into a maritime museum

Although completely refurbished in 2017, LÉ Eithne has been laid up since mid-2019. However, she was briefly brought back into service in 2020 to provide support to the HSE’s Covid-19 operations. File picture: Larry Cummins

A last-ditch effort is under way to see the flagship of the Naval Service converted into a maritime museum, rather than sold for scrap.

Cork County Council is writing to the Minister for Defence and the secretary-general of the Department of Defence asking that LÉ Eithne be retained in Cork as a monument, rather than scrapped or sold.