The house believed to be the childhood home of Admiral William Brown in Foxford, Co Mayo, has been demolished.
The house, which did not have a preservation order on it, was demolished two weeks ago as several people from the area set out to visit Argentina to take part in ceremonies to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of the admiral, the founder of the Argentine navy.
A local man who bought the house some months ago said he was acting on professional advice to demolish it because of the danger posed by the front wall leaning on to the street.
Michael Tolan said the local Admiral Brown Society was aware of the problem, and proposed that the house be re-erected at a new town park to be constructed in honour of the admiral.
He said he has donated all the stone from the house for this purpose.
The president of the Admiral Brown Society in Foxford, JJ O'Hara, who has recently returned from Argentina, expressed his disappointment, but added that it was not the end of the world.
He said visiting Argentine navy personnel would be invited to lay some of the stones during the reconstruction of the house in the town park.
Some local people claim that the demolished house, which was marked with a commemorative plaque less than 20 years ago, was not the admiral's homestead.
They say he was from Coranaragh, a hill-top townland outside Foxford.