Colin Dunlop stands apart from the usual civil servant cliche. His daily routine bears little resemblance to the traditional city office environment, nor does research cascade to him through the veil of mundane emails or tedious spreadsheets. Instead, Colin’s workspace is the undulating expanse of the sea, under the vast expanse of sky, in his quest to uncover and safeguard the submerged remnants of Northern Ireland’s past.
On this day, we find ourselves swaying on the Irish Sea’s rhythm, just off the coast of Rathlin Island, approximately a half-hour sail from Ballycastle, hovering over the wreckage of the SS Lochgarry. A relic from a bygone era, this merchant vessel was once involved in the Dunkirk evacuation during the Second World War. Tragically, it later succumbed to the sea, claiming the lives of 23 crew members. Now protected by legislations, the Lochgarry is just one shipwreck among many that Colin and his team scrutinize and chart.
“We’ve stumbled upon hundreds of such wrecks,” Colin shares, “But the sea hides thousands more yet to be unearthed.” His team relies on a jigsaw of old maps, historical narratives, local lore, and sophisticated sonar technology to identify and document these submerged historic sites. Until now, they have traced 384 swamped ships and wrecked airplanes along Northern Ireland’s coastline.
The maritime artifacts span a timescale as broad as history itself: from a 16th Century Spanish Armada vessel through 19th Century wooden merchant ships to World War vessels. Yet, the marine heritage encapsulatesmore than just shipwrecks. Northern Ireland’s coastal and offshore regions conceal a rich archeological history of as long as 9,000 years.
These relics and relics-of-life, ranging from prehistoric flint tools to log boats to historic harbour installations — are recorded and monitored meticulously through the combined efforts of the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division and the Department of Agriculture’s Marine and Fisheries Division.
As the historic environment advisor to the project, Colin believes in the greater goal of raising public awareness about the substantial historical significance of this underwater heritage. While only a small portion enjoys legal protection, every single vessel holds massive cultural value. Raising awareness about these shipwrecks’ worth is as crucial as discovering or protecting them.
Alarmingly, in several instances, these wrecks have suffered damage and pilferage. Colin hopes, however, that increased awareness and sensitivity towards this submerged heritage will help transform attitudes. He compares the underwater treasures to visible historical landmarks concluding that, “These are hugely significant heritage assets that connect us to our history.”
