Hopes that the Waterford Crystal manufacturing plant could be saved have been dashed.
A receiver - appointed a year ago - has decided to put the 36-acre site at Kilbarry, near Waterford city, on the market, ending any hopes of reviving crystal production there.
The site includes the Waterford Crystal visitor centre, and is valued at between €10m and €20m.
The rest of Waterford Wedgwood's businesses were sold to a US investment firm last February. The company now produces crystal under the Waterford brand in Germany.
After news of the planned sale, former Waterford Crystal workers have called on the Government to step in and support efforts to resume crystal manufacturing in the city. Jimmy Kelly of the UNITE trade union said some former employees were trying to get a high-end production project going, which the Government should support.
