Ireland's new national training ship - the Grace O'Malley - has sailed into Dublin for the first time.
The 164ft vessel, named after the 16th century pirate queen, replaces the Asgard 2 which sank in 2008.
It is run by the Atlantic Youth Trust charity which aims to provide training to 1,000 young people from all socio-economic backgrounds annually.
The ship however needs to be refitted before it can carry out its educational voyages which would see up to 45 children on board.
The cost of those works, which includes upgrading safety and disability access is estimated to be in the region of €2.5 million.
The charity hopes the renovations will take place over the winter and expects the ship will be fully operational in 2023.
The ship, a three masted Tradewind schooner, was built in Sweden in 1982 and is made of submarine steel with a teak black superstructure.
It was bought by the charity for €2.5 million from donations and is seeking Government funding for around half of its ongoing operational costs.
Established in 2013, the all Ireland charity aims to build life skills, resilience and cultural integration through the medium of sail training.
