Divers from Isle of Man Retrieve Iconic Ship’s Bell from S.S. Dundalk Wreck Site

A team of divers from the Isle of Man visited the port town of Dundalk in Co. Louth to retrieve artifacts from the wreck of the steam ship flagship, S.S. Dundalk. The divers, from Discover Diving based in Port, St. Mary, were guests of honor at Dundalk’s Louth County Museum. They retrieved the bell and its wrought-iron hanger, a porthole, and a washbasin from the Glasgow-built flagship of the Dundalk and Newry Steam Packet Company. These artifacts were then handed over to the county museum.

S.S. Dundalk was attacked by a German submarine during World War I on October 14, 1918, while returning from Liverpool to Dundalk. The torpedo attack caused the sinking of the 234ft long merchant ship and resulted in the loss of 21 lives. Only 12 people survived the incident, some of whom were brought to Douglas. The majority of the crew were local to the Dundalk area.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking, a committee of descendants of the crew traveled to the Isle of Man to unveil a memorial clock on the Castletown River waterfront. In addition, the Dundalk Sub Aqua Club divers carried out a commemorative dive to the wreck site on the 92nd anniversary. They laid a plaque of remembrance sponsored by the Dundalk town council.

In the centenary year, the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s Mannanan also held a ceremony at the wreck site. The fast ferry took a special detour to the site, which is located 60 miles offshore.

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