(0 votes)With its jagged coastline and tumultuous waters, Ireland has been the undoing of many a ship over the centuries. An overview of the most famous shipwrecks off the Emerald Isle.
The Invincible Armada in 1588 The most famous shipwreck of all! In 1588, a storm dislocated the fleet of the Invincible Armada sent by Philip II of Spain, drowning 5,000 sailors. Some survivors integrate into the Irish population.
This English ship carrying 180 men and gold crashed on the reefs south of Wexford. Only 88 passengers survived, taking refuge on an islet.
Built to transport Irish emigrants to America, this three-masted sailing ship sank off Cape Horn during a violent storm. 48 people drown.
Torpedoed by a German U-Boat, this British liner sank south of Cork with 1,200 passengers on board. This shipwreck marked public opinion and precipitated the United States’ entry into the war.
During the Second World War, no fewer than 1,000 Irish merchant ships were sunk by Teutonic U-boats, mainly in the North Atlantic.
From sunken treasures to symbolic shipwrecks, Irish waters abound with the remains of ships loaded with moving human adventures. It’s the stuff of legends in Celtic lands!
