The Jeanie Johnston replica famine ship will not now attempt a transatlantic voyage this year, it has been confirmed. Instead, the ship will sail around Ireland.
Part of the reason for the cancellation of the transatlantic trip is because negotiations with State agencies to take over the ship are at a critical stage, it is understood.
Plans were being put in place earlier this month to undertake a second voyage.
So far the Government has failed to be convinced to take over ownership of the €15.5 million vessel
Most of the money to build the Jeanie Johnston came from the State, either in the form of direct grants or through money borrowed by Kerry County Council and Tralee Town Council for the project.
Yesterday a spokesman for the Jeanie Johnston company, set up last year to rescue the project from liquidation, said the second transatlantic voyage was not going ahead this year.
"We have a number of serious invitations around the Irish coast. We are in discussion with a number of ports, many of which the Jeanie has not visited before," the spokesman said.
The company, comprising Kerry Group, Shannon Development Tralee Town Council and Kerry County Council, was to have ended its relationship with the ship at the beginning of 2004.
However, behind the scenes negotiations with the Government to convince it of the sail training and tourism potential value of the ship have not so far succeeded.
Those discussions have intensified in recent weeks and this is part of the reason the longer voyage is not taking place, it is understood. The ship's Irish tour begins shortly at the Dublin docklands. Berthed at Cork, the vessel is undergoing pre-voyage preparations.
It is to be sold if talks with the Government fail. Its value is estimated to be a fraction of the cost of building it.
Tralee Town Council, which initiated the project, is in debt to the tune of €2.5 million because of its investment. It has taken out a 15-year loan to finance the debt.
Some 100,000 people visited the ship during its voyage to North America last year.