shipwreck discovery

Posted by b-unicycling on 17 July 2023 in English. Last updated on 31 July 2023.

I discovered an unrecorded shipwreck recently on Bing imagery, but because I don’t have the energy to put it all into words again, I’ll just copy and paste the press release I sent out today. It’ll be another chance to get the word out about OpenStreetMap.

I also made a video about it, but it’s a but all over the place, because I recorded, as the story developed, so it might be jumping around a bit. Sorry.

https://youtu.be/0gKV-SA1iNE

wikidata entry

Press release

Craft mapper discovers shipwreck after almost 100 years

Volunteer OpenStreetMap contributor Anne-Karoline Distel discovered a shipwreck on July 9th 2023 in the River Barrow. It was identified as the Tresness, a three-mast schooner which sank on August 21st 1929 on its way from New Ross to St. Mullins.

Anne had been mapping along the River Barrow using newly released Bing satellite imagery, when she discovered the wreck which is about 25m long and clearly visible on the imagery, possibly because the photographs were taken at low tide. After consulting with underwater archaeologist Jimmy Lenehan, she reported the discovery to Karl Brady at the Underwater Archaeology Department of the National Monument Service. Karl was able to identify the ship; it had made the news in the Irish Independent, the Northern Whig and Belfast Post and many other newspapers at the time.

The Tresness of 129 gross tonnage with an auxiliary motor was registered in Kirkwall on Orkney. Chartered by Mr. Dixon and in charge of Mr Symonds, it had been stopping in Rosemount (possibly at the pier South of Rosemount Lodge) on its way from New Ross to St. Mullins. There, it was to pick up a load of timber to bring to England. It struck a rock in the evening of August 20th 1929 at high tide and sank in the townland of Mountelliott the following evening. “The crew are safe.”, reported the Irish Independent and many other newspapers on August 23rd. As many as 17 Irish and British newspapers mentioned the incident in more or less detail. According to the Daily Mirror, the crew was British.

Anne is delighted about the find: “I had decided to follow the River Barrow from where the Nore joins it upstream to Athy looking for obstacles like rocks to map on OpenStreetMap. I certainly did not expect to find a wreck, especially not a large one like this. I’m amazed Karl was able to identify it, too. These are the rewarding moments for a volunteer mapper like me who has spent thousands of hours to make geodata material available for free.”

It is not the first time Anne has discovered archaeological sites; within the last 15 months, she has discovered several enclosures and crannógs in Ireland.

Malcolm Noonan, Minister for Heritage & Electoral Reform, commented: “This wonderful discovery significantly enhances our understanding of Ireland’s maritime archaeology, particularly the archaeology of our inland waterways. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Anne for making this report to my Department. Her curiosity and detective skills are truly admirable.

I am also delighted that the National Monuments Service of my department was able to contribute to the identification of the wreck as the Tresness, an old auxiliary schooner from Kirkwall in the Orkneys. It is fascinating to think that this vessel, originally constructed in Denmark in 1871, navigated the seas and inland waterways of northern Europe for 58 years before tragically sinking in the River Barrow in 1929. Fortunately, there were no casualties associated with the sinking.

The newly discovered details of this wreck have been incorporated into my department’s Wreck Viewer, an online platform dedicated to promoting a broader appreciation of Ireland’s maritime and riverine archaeology. Through this website, we aim to highlight the significant role that boats and ships have played in the development of our island society over countless millennia.”

The map material on OpenStreetMap provided by volunteer mappers like Anne is used by international companies like TomTom, Facebook, Instagram and Strava as well as Irish companies and institutions like MetÉireann, daft.ie, excavations.ie, duchas.ie and Waterways Ireland.

End of press release

EDIT:

Newpapers are picking up on it:

↑ These are all from the same newspaper group, so the articles are basically the same.

Edit (2023-07-31) I was on the local radio today talking about the discovery and OpenStreetMap in general, starting just after minute 58: https://soundcloud.com/kclr96fm/kclr-live-monday-31st-july

Location: New Ross Rural ED, New Ross Municipal District, The Municipal District of New Ross, County Wexford, Leinster, Ireland