The uncharted wreck of a ship has been found in sand off Bull Island in Dublin Bay during dredging operations to lay an underwater sewage pipeline across the bay.
Archaeologists at Duchas and Dublin Corporation have described the find as "very exciting". It is probably the first ship to have been found "during an archaeologically monitored engineering operation", said Mr Donal Boland of the Tullamore-based Management for Archaeology Underwater Ltd, the consultants employed by Dublin Corporation to oversee the dredging operations.
The wreck was found on the Sutton side of Bull Island, when timber indicating its presence was recovered during dredging operations. Preliminary indications were that they dated from the late 17th century and the presence of a previously uncharted shipwreck was confirmed. Part of it could be seen in low spring tide conditions.
"All our energies were employed in protecting the site to allow the pipeline to go ahead," Mr Boland said. The wreck was barricaded with sandbags to protect the site and allow the trench to bypass it. In this way they managed to secure the wreck for excavation next summer and the 11 kilometre pipeline project's crucial September deadline - based on environmental criteria affecting the Bull Island bird sanctuary - could be met.
"We were able to employ best archaeological practice - leaving the wreck in its right place without disturbing it," Ms Ruth Johnson, the Dublin City archaeologist, said.
" We would like to carry out controlled research to try to understand the nature of the wreck and see how much impact the dredging had." It was difficult to estimate what degree of damage might have resulted because the water in the area was "quite cloudy". There was zero visibility. Difficult decisions had to be taken - and quickly - to secure the site.
There are 300 to 400 known shipwrecks charted in the Dublin Bay area, Ms Johnson confirmed, which makes the discovery of a previously unknown ship of this type potentially very important.