A dispute over when a ship sank has become a crucial issue in Lahinch, Co Clare. Part of its cargo of Liscannor stone was recovered from the sunken vessel at the weekend, but Duchas, the heritage service, claims the salvors may have acted illegally and has begun an investigation.
The Duchas investigation uchas was started after it learned of the work on the Elizabeth McClean, a schooner which sank in a storm with a cargo of stone slabs. The inquiry will centre on what year the 50-foot vessel, which was bound for Glasgow out of Liscannor, foundered.
In 1988 a director of Liscannor Stone, Mr P.J. Ryan, and an Ennisytmon newsagent, Mr Lorcan O'Connor, bought the salvage rights from the Customs and Excise Receiver of Wrecks for £1.
Local people say the ship sank in 1904, which would not class it as a historic site because it is not 100 years old. But Duchas, after an initial excavation of the seabed, said the wreck went down in 1894, which would make the site a protected area.
Duchas's executive officer, Mr Eamon Brennan, said as far as he was aware it sank in 1894 and if this could be proved it would be illegal for anyone to even dive near it.
A representative of the salvage group said yesterday local opinion was that the ship sank in 1904, and it was therefore decided to salvage the stone, bearing in mind that when the salvage was approved in 1988 there was no mention of time limits.
Hundreds of people watched the removal of several tonnes of stone at the weekend. It is believed 200 tonnes of kerbstone and flagstone in total is in the area. Spring tides and the recent storms uncovered the vessel, which has been visible only three times since it sank.
It was a race against the tide as the salvors had only a few hours each day to work in what had been called "the Lahinch stone rush".
The salvors could not value the stone, which will be exhibited in their Liscannor rock shop. It is used for making garden furniture and fireplaces, and is becoming very popular in Irish theme pubs. It has been shipped as far afield as Bahrain in the Middle East and Perth in Australia.