Shifting sands unveils three new historic shipwrecks to local photographer off Irish coast

Archaeologists from the National Monuments Service are assessing three newly-revealed shipwrecks just off the Irish coast.

A local underwater photographer and drone operator, Nigel Motyer, captured aerial images of a 19th-century wreck which was last visible in 2017 after it had become exposed due to a shifting sandbank.

During the National Monuments Service (NMS) inspection, the team also discovered three previously undocumented wrecks. The wrecks, which are in the process of being fully identified, appear to date from as far back as the 19th century.

Karl Brady, Senior Archaeologist with NMS who led the inspection explained: “Prolonged periods of wind from a particular direction move beach sands constantly and, in this case, had temporarily stripped the southern end of the beach of sand leading to the exposure of these wrecks”.

The NMS team has surveyed and photographed the wrecks, and ongoing analysis of the materials, size, and construction style will help find answers as to the identity of the wrecks.

“The newly-discovered wrecks are poorly-preserved due to continuous tidal and storm action over the years,” Mr Brady added.

“In general, while only the lower portions of the hulls and bow areas has survived, our team has identified timber frames, planking, metal knees, and even a metal winch/windlass system at the bow of one of the boats.”

Some 50 wrecks are recorded for the Portmarnock/Baldoyle area in the Wreck Inventory, identified through years of painstaking historical and archival research by the NMS. These range from 14th-century trading ships to 20th-century coal-boats. The physical remains of at least 13 of these vessels have been located.

“18th and 19th century newspaper articles and specialist maritime sources can shed some light on the wrecks, where they were built, and the identities of the crew. In some cases, records exist detailing the final moments of the vessels, as well as rescue attempts undertaken by local lifeboat crews, often in severe weather. 

“Many vessels have similar construction style over the centuries, and there are often no dateable artefacts recovered, so confirming the identity of the wrecks and aligning them with historical records is challenging.”

Research by NMS indicates that most of the vessels recorded off Portmarnock Strand were lost during bad or stormy weather. 

“Several of the ships, en route to Dublin, may have attempted to seek refuge in Howth Harbour during stormy conditions but failed to reach the safety of the harbour entrance and were compelled to run ashore on the strand, a desperate measure to save lives. 

“Other ships, originating from ports on the west coast of Britain and bound for various global destinations, seem to have been unfortunate victims of stormy weather, driven ashore at Portmarnock, often at night. There is an unusually high number of wrecks in this location.”

Speaking about the discovery, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD said: “This is a very exciting development. No doubt each of these shipwrecks has an important story to tell and we hope that, in time, we will learn more about them and the roles they have played in shaping our history. 

“With a long-standing maritime legacy to celebrate and record, the important work of the National Monuments Service protects and preserves our underwater heritage, as evidenced by the 18,000 sites recorded in the Wreck Inventory of Ireland Database.”