When local drone operator Nigel Motyer captured aerial footage of a 19th-century boat buried beneath the sand of a north Dublin beach, little did he realise it would lead to the discovery of three previously unknown historical shipwrecks.
Motyer’s recent find – believed to be the wooden skeleton of an old fishing trawler – was possible because of shifting sands at the long Portmarnock strand.
The find had already been logged in State records but was last visible in 2017 and before then not until the 1990s.
But for archeologists at the National Monument Service (NMS), the real excitement lies in the mystery of three other historical wrecks whose stories have probably lain undiscovered for generations.
“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,” said NMS senior archaeologist Karl Brady.
“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.”
In fact, the official Wreck Inventory of Ireland shows about 50 recorded in the Portmarnock and Baldoyle area of north Co Dublin alone. They are among 18,000 nationally.
Those in the immediate area of the recent discovery range from 14th-century trading ships to 20th-century coal-boats. Many carry stories of a bygone maritime age, such as the Nicholas, a merchant ship from Co Down that ran aground at Portmarnock during a violent storm in 1306.
Its cargo of wine, jewels, copper pots, spices and steel was washed ashore and plundered by locals, resulting in numerous charges of theft.
What stories the most recently discovered wrecks might offer remains a mystery – one the NMS is just beginning to investigate. An analysis of materials such as timber or possibly metal as well as the size and construction style of the vessels will help.
“The newly discovered wrecks are poorly preserved due to continuous tidal and storm action over the years,” Mr Brady said.
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“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.”
Newspaper articles from previous centuries as well as specialist maritime sources may also help in the search for answers, even to questions including where vessels were built and the identities of crew.
In some cases, records can detail the final moments of the vessels as well as rescue attempts undertaken by local lifeboat crews, often in severe weather.
However, many vessels with similar construction styles have no datable artefacts, meaning their final voyages and the circumstances of their demise could remain lost to the sea.
