The number of shipwrecks in Irish waters is believed to be in the region of 18,000, according to information compiled by the Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU) in the ‘Shipwreck Inventory of Ireland.’
About 500 have been surveyed in the INFOMAR – ‘Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource’- inventory which originated from the Irish National Seabed Survey. This database has detailed information about the each wreck on the seafloor – condition, extent, dimensions and water depth, acquired from multibeam data over wreck sites.
Two shipwrecks occurred on the same night in Rosscarbery Bay in February 1871- the Crescent City and the Cecil. Eight crew were rescued by Coast Guards. Forty crew and passengers got off Crescent City in the ship’s own lifeboats. The Galley Head Lighthouse did not exist then. The Dhulic Rock off the Galley is a formidable threat.
A 20-year programme, managed by the Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) and the Marine Institute, it maps Ireland’s seabed, providing a comprehensive baseline to support management of our marine resources. ‘The Real Map of Ireland,’ as it is called, shows marine territory extending far beyond our coastline – up to 220 million acres (approx. 880,000km2). That is ten times the land mass. Ireland’s Continental Shelf is one of the largest seabed territories in Europe. Quite a resource available to this island nation – were it to be fully appreciated.
