Northern Ireland

Divers warned about restricted wrecks as authorities probe reports of artefacts historic being taken

The anchor of the wrecked HMS Drake
The anchor of the wrecked HMS Drake The anchor of the wrecked HMS Drake

REPORTS that historic artefacts may have been removed from a 16th century Spanish Armada shipwreck off the Co Antrim coast are being investigated by the authorities.

The Department for Communities confirmed the probe as it reminded divers of the restrictions that apply to two historic ship wrecks.

Of the 340 known ship and plane wrecks in the waters around the north, only two have special levels of protection – La Girona, a warship of the Spanish Armada which sank near to Portballintrae in 1588, and HMS Drake, a WW1 cruiser torpedoed by a German U-Boat in 1917 and sank in Rathlin Bay.

Access to the site of La Girona is restricted and any person diving close to the wreck without a licence may be prosecuted.

Diving near the HMS Drake does not require permission, however, the removal of artefacts from the wreck without the appropriate consent may constitute an offence.

The department confirmed it was investigating a report last month of diving activity within the restricted area around La Girona and the removal of potential artefacts from the site.