The discovery was made back in July by local drone operator Nigel Motyer, who found one of the shipwrecks and shared it with the National Monuments Service (NMS), who investigate and preserve the 18,000 documented shipwrecks around the Irish coastline, 80% of which remain undiscovered and lost at sea.
The ship initially discovered by Mr Motnyer was discovered due to shifting sands along the 4km stretch of Portmarnock Strand and was already logged in 2017. However, the shifting sands have potentially unearthed a further three shipwrecks.
"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," Karl Brady, Senior Archaeologist with NMS, said.
"The newly-discovered wrecks are poorly preserved due to continuous tidal and storm action over the years. 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."
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien recently visited the underwater specialist archaeologists following the discovery, sharing that the other three shipwrecks, of unknown origin, were discovered.
"Minister Darragh O’Brien recently visited with underwater specialist archaeologists from the National Monuments Service as they assessed newly-revealed shipwrecks on the Portmarnock Strand in north County Dublin," the Department of Housing wrote on Facebook.
"NMS were researching a recently spotted vessel (which was last visible in 2017 and previously in the 1990s) when shifting sands threw up some surprises.
"During its investigation, the team also discovered three previously undocumented wrecks, which they are currently trying to identify."
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"This is a very exciting development," Minister O’Brien said. "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."
The Wreck Inventory of Ireland online database and historical documents, curated by NMS, highlights 18,000 wrecks from the coast and inland waterways of Ireland. On average 50 new wrecks are added to the inventory each year.
All wrecks over 100 years old are automatically protected under the National Monuments Acts. The public is asked to report any sightings but not to tamper with or remove any parts of the wrecks.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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