L.E. Aoife.

Max Powers wrote: »

Silly post really, this is a good news story potentially for Waterford, the hope is that the ship will become a tourist attraction in Waterford and that the ship replacing the Aofie might be twinned with Waterford too, maybe a brand new ship might be more apt as Waterford has made many positive strides of late, more to come hopefully but some just cant wait to push their negativity onto others.

I agree with you I must say - I think it's good news. All ships come to the end of their usable lives and it's nice for Waterford to have this involvement. However the report just says it's going to be decommissioned here - I don't see anything to say that it will be a permanent fixture here, in the way the Intrepid in New York or HMS Belfast in London are. Do you know something that isn't in that report?

mountcisco wrote: »

The Minister Simon Coveney said in the Dail on 3 December last that the L.E Aoife would be decommissioned and sold. Looks like it's just going to be decommissioned in Waterford and taken away afterwards. Have to agree it doesn't send a positive message.

It wont be taken away the crew will stay onboard and the ship will sail back to the Naval Base.

The Aoife has had a long history with Waterford and its very fitting that the Department of Defence recognises Waterfords maritime traditions by having the decommissioning ceremony in Waterford.

TheQuietFella wrote: »

My point was it goes well with all that has been decommissioned in this City.
The eventual cull of both Bus Eireann, Iarnrod Eireann, Waterford Airport to go along with Waterford Crystal.

As for pushing negativity Max, I only comment on what I see.
Take off your blinkers!

No blinkers here.Your comment smacked off someone who couldnt wait to spread a negative story when the decommisioning ceremony story is not negative. Jobs loss are a justifiable negative story, poor health care is a justifiable negative story, losing services is a justifiable negative story but spreading stories that are not really negative or being another kick in the teeth for us is just plain wrong, why push something that is not negative, it is not I with the blinkers.
It is thoroughly disappointing to learn from mount cisco that it will be sold (to whom?) surely it would be possible to do Eddie Mulligans plan/hope that it would become an attraction, thought it was a great idea. I suggested in a previous thread that we should have added an extra 5% to the LPT which could help fund capital and worthy projects that benefit us all, this would be an ideal case, buy the boat, for small money and get the project started.

mikeym wrote: »

It wont be taken away the crew will stay onboard and the ship will sail back to the Naval Base.

The Aoife has had a long history with Waterford and its very fitting that the Department of Defence recognises Waterfords maritime traditions by having the decommissioning ceremony in Waterford.

OK, so it will be taken away by the crew to the Naval Base and then sold. What many Waterford people are seeing here is that a ship which "has had a long history with Waterford" is being decommissioned and sold. This is seen by some as just another symbol of the decline of Waterford, and it's perfectly understandable. To be honest I can't see why politicians think it's a good thing for Waterford to have a ship decommissioned there. It's perceived by some as a negative thing. Aoife's sister ship L.E Emer, a year older, was sold for 320,000 euro to a Nigerian businessman in 2013.

It's just a large boat being decommissioned, nothing more.

The only people who will think of this as 'another decline' in Waterford are the people in this thread.

Max Powers wrote: »

ghly disappointing to learn from mount cisco that it will be sold (to whom?) surely it would be possible to do Eddie Mulligans plan/hope that it would become an attraction, thought it was a great idea. I suggested in a previous thread that we should have added an extra 5% to the LPT which could help fund capital and worthy projects that benefit us all, this would be an ideal case, buy the boat, for small money and get the project started.

there are plans afoot to keepit in Waterford - money depending - i for one remember the Guilimot Lighthouse ship on wexford quays when growing up - there was always activity on board at weekends - small entry fee - kids parties onboard, im sure Waterford folk could make it work!

What time is the DE-comissioning ceremony starting at?

i heard/read somewhere that the last ship to be sold was sold privately for about 300,000....not much, worth bidding for LE aoife? Obvioulsy some sort of plan on how it would be maintained would need to be part of the councils bid if it went down that route. Surely, they would sell it to the council for less. I think their are volunteers out there, i was on a similar ship (WW2 one) in the USA recently, all volunteers, free to enter but you give a donation obviously. Here, its not so much the initial cost but the insurance and mainteance costs that are the biggest hinderence probably.

wont be coming to waterford for any maritime feature/museum now,
thejournal.ie/malta-aoife-1948564-Feb2015/

cookie.monster wrote: »

link is'nt working

You never know seeing that the Maltese have rubbished the idea.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/malta-calls-navy-ship-gift-junk-313894.html

TheQuietFella wrote: »

The government has given the vessel to Malta on humanitarian grounds!
E500,000 would have done quite an amount of 'humanitarian' work in regional
hospitals!

Will The Labour Party ever pull the plug on this shambles of a government?

they love wasting our money!!! fianna fail does'nt have a patch on this coalition jaysus!!!

wmpdd3 wrote: »

My father nearly choked on his lunch when he heard. they even had expressions of interest from parties willing to pay. Typical.

I was as disappointed by anyone as its not being given to or bought by Waterford but in fairness, you can tell your father that it is being used to prevent people from risking their lives to get to a place where they can live and work a normal life.
By your rationale, we should give zero to charity, if that is what you are saying, there is an argument for that.