LÉ Eithne, the former flagship of the Irish Naval Service, is to be taken apart for scrap after hopes to convert her into a museum have come to nothing.
The 39-year-old vessel was the last naval ship built at the Verolme dockyard in Cork harbour before it shut.
LÉ Eithne was a ship of firsts: The first Irish naval vessel to have helicopter capabilities; the first to cross the North Atlantic to North America; and the first to travel to the southern hemisphere.
Comfortable and with a crew capability of 75, she is regarded with great affection by those who served on her.
But her age and the fall-off in numbers joining the navy, leaving the service without enough sailors to crew all of its ships, are among the reasons for her being decommissioned, along with the smaller LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla.
Latest figures show there are 744 full-time navy staff, which is 350 short of what is needed to run the fleet.
The Department of Defence recently confirmed that the three vessels, which represent one third of the fleet, are to be disposed of and that a decision on a ship-breaking yard to dismantle them will be made in the coming weeks.
Former commodore and flag officer John Kavanagh, who joined LÉ Eithne as commanding officer in 1989 and served on board in that capacity for two years, said that "she was a comfortable ship and a very happy ship to serve on".
He said it is regrettable that she has reached the end of her useful life.
"By the end of next year, the vessel will be 40 years old, which is fairly elderly for a naval vessel, especially in the conditions in which they have had to operate in on the Irish coast, especially of the west coast," Mr Kavanagh said.
"I do feel that on her last trip down Cork harbour, the naval service will be very sad to see her go and especially the various crew members, men and women, who have served on board her over those 40 years."
Chief Petty Officer Paul McCarthy said he remembers the excitement of joining the navy's newest and largest vessel in 1989.
"The thing about the Eithne was the comfort on board her. You had a lot of crew. She had the largest crew compared to other naval vessels, but the big thing that sticks in my mind is the camaraderie you develop when you are a young ordinary seaman going out on a vessel like this," he said.
"And I suppose that's what a lot of people will be remembering and that's why they will be so sad."
There had been hope that LÉ Eithne could be secured as a maritime museum and a number of parties, including Dublin Port, and both Cork City and Cork county councils, had approached the Department of Defence.
But, while the department said it had "engaged with these interested parties" following, "in some cases, lengthy discussions, all these parties withdrew their interest in taking the ship".
Initially, Cork County Council was very interested in securing the naval ship as a potential tourist attraction.
But independent county councillor Marcia D'Alton, who proposed the idea, said it was decided eventually that there would not be the footfall to make it viable.
"It would have been a huge project. To have a floating museum and even one floating attached to a quayside," she said.
"You have to keep the engines working, you have to keep the electrics and the ship in order, and that in itself is a huge annual cost and if we didn't have the footfall to offset that, and make a bit of a profit, it just wasn't viable."
There are plans to replace the vessel with a multi-role vessel. The Department of Defence has said work on the project is progressing.
