A list of over 10,000 wrecks of ships off the Irish coast has so far been compiled by a specialised unit of the National Monuments Service. Anne Lucey reports.
The unit is now beginning to look at the sites, said Mr Fionnbarr Moore, senior archaeologist with the underwater archaeology unit of the service. Mr Moore has been asked to investigate whether two wrecks which have emerged in recent weeks at low tide on Banna Strand, Co Kerry, might be those of large merchant ships which went missing in the early 18th century.
In 1730 the Golden Lion, a frigate, was on her way for the Danish East India company from Copenhagen to pick up a cargo at the Indian port of Tranquebar.
It had on board 12 chests of silver bullion when the ship stranded near Ballyheigue. The captain and all 80 crew, along with the silver, were rescued. However, the silver was later robbed and became the centre of a celebrated court case.
The second vessel, Wind Trader, a sailing ship, went down in 1729 in the same area. Bottles and coins have been recovered in recent years.
Mr Moore suspects the wrecks which have appeared on Banna may not be these ships, but he is to investigate the reports.
The underwater archaeology unit was set up in 1997, and has compiled lists of wrecks from documents including Lloyds insurance lists, shipping newspapers and registers.
"We are trying to do it in a systematic way. We now have a dive unit and are beginning to look at the sites of these wrecks," Mr Moore said. The dive unit was set up in 2000.
There are more records of ships along the east coast because of the busy trade between the UK and Ireland. However, Kerry and Donegal have high numbers of wrecks including ships plying international routes.
Kerry has over 600 wrecks off its coast, an initial survey has found. These stem from ships of the Spanish armada, some of which have been located, to 19th century gun ships, to smuggling vessels associated with Daniel O'Connell's uncle in Derrynane.
There is some evidence that ships were lured onto the rocks by wreckers, Mr Moore said.Wreckers would light a fire in stormy weather to lure the ship knowing it would founder. Some 18th century histories mention Kerry as being "infamous" for shipwrecks, he said.
The first of four volumes entitled An Inventory of Shipwrecks is to be published early next year and it will cover the area from Louth to Wicklow. Maps are also being drawn up where wrecks have been located and identified.