After nearly three decades of languishing in various sheds and yards around Dublin in a poor state of repair, the Asgard - the boat used by Erskine Childers to smuggle arms that were used in the 1916 Rising - is to get a permanent home at the National Museum in Collins Barracks.
Following an aborted attempt four years ago to have the yacht restored and refloated, a decision has now been made to keep it on dry land. The feasibility of restoring the vessel and putting it on permanent display at the museum is now being examined.
The boat, which is designated a national monument, played a key role in Irish history and was used by Erskine Childers in 1914 to land the guns that were eventually used in the 1916 Rising in Dublin.
Its future was the subject of considerable controversy after its poor condition was raised by a voluntary group proposing its restoration in 1998.
By this stage the boat had lain in an open shed at Kilmainham Gaol where it was decaying due to its exposure to the elements.
The Asgard Restoration Project proposed its refurbishment to get it into a seaworthy condition, at a cost of €650,000, with the Government agreeing to fund half of the project.
The proposal faced opposition, however, mostly from the Department of Defence, because concerns about cost and the fact that so much of the boat would have to be replaced that the refurbished model would effectively be a new boat.
In 2001, after the restoration project took possession of the Asgard, the Government sought its return, due to worries about the fact that it was being stored outside. Since then it has been in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and is held at its St John's Road site in Inchicore.
With this site having been sold, the vessel is due to be moved again to the gym at Collins Barracks where it will be stored temporarily.
Yesterday a spokesman for the Minister for Arts, John O'Donoghue, said a feasibility study on preserving and creating a permanent display for the yacht was now being carried out. A decision had also been made not to restore the boat to seagoing standard.
The Minister was "anxious that the Asgard be put on permanent display at the museum", and it was hoped this could be done in time for a planned major public display of Irish military history next year.