The Mayor of the city of Cork has called for the Irish vessel LÉ Aoife to be donated to the city for use as a museum after what he said was the Maltese military’s ‘snub’ of an offer to take the vessel  free of charge.

The donation of the 35-year-old vessel to Malta was criticised in some quarters in Malta, with a former military officer having described the vessel as 'junk'.

The comment angered the Irish press and Cork county councillors.

County mayor Alan Coleman said that if the Maltese don’t want the vessel, then Cork could use it as a floating museum.

He said that a group in Cork’s lower harbour — close to the naval service headquarters at Haulbowline island — wanted a naval vessel to use as a museum.

The mayor got unanimous support from colleagues when he asked for the local authority to formally write to Defence Minister Simon Coveney asking him to provide the tourist group with the ship, the Irish Examiner said.

The Republic of Ireland had originally intended to auction the ship, which was decommissioned in January.

A sister-ship, LÉ Emer, was sold to Nigerian-born businessman Cyprian Imobhio for €320,000 in October 2013.  

It was expected that the LÉ Aoife would have made more at auction, because she has an onboard desalination plant, which creates freshwater from sea water, and a bow thruster, both of which ere absent on the LÉ Emer.

The Irish Department of Defence said talks were continuing with the Maltese Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security about transferring the vessel to Malta.