SUBSEA Ireland’s Only Diving Magazine
RED SEA North to South B4 Hook Head Diving R.M.S. Lusitania Wreck diving below 45 metres
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SUBSEA
CONTENTS
ISSN 0791 - 475X Volume 10 Number 152 Summer 2015 5
EDITORIAL Editor's comment
5
BRIEFINGS What’s happening at home and abroad
13 BLACKWATER SUB AQUA ECOLOGICAL DIVE FOR FRESHWATER CRAYFISH By Timmy Carey 15 DIVE IRELAND 2015 REVIEW By Tom Shaw Dive Leader John Keane & Turtle at Jackson Reef, Red Sea. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
Attention SubSea contributors • Submit all material to the Editor at editor@diving.ie or to Head Office • Material must arrive well in advance of the deadline. • Pictures are essential to illustrate news items and articles. • Authors must remember that they bear responsibility to ensure that material is not copied from another copyrighted publication. • Ensure that digital photos submitted are: 120 pixels/cm (300 dpi) and sized at 30cm X 21cm.
SubSea is published by the Irish Underwater Council. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Council.
The magazine is not intended as an invitation or prospectus to members of the public or other interested parties to dive on any of the sites that are mentioned in the text and anyone intending to do so should take appropriate advice with regard to the safety and viability of their proposed actions. Boarding a wreck requires the permission of the owner. Diving on a 100 year old wreck requires a permit.
Edited by: Shane Stanley
19 DIVING R.M.S. LUSITANIA By Timmy Carey 23 LOUTH’S WORST MARITIME DISASTER By Don Baldwin 26 DEEP DELIGHT AND DEEP DEDICATION By Stewie Andrews 32 DRIFTER, TRAWLERS, AND THE GUIDE ME II IN THE GREAT WAR By Martin Baillie-Johnston and Colm Lowney 35 HOOK PENINSULA By Dearbhla Walsh 39 RED SEA – NORTH TO SOUTH By Ivan Donoghue
Advertising: Sarah Campbell
44 DIVE IRELAND 2015 - THRO’ A CAMERA EYE By Damien McGuirk and Ivan Donoghue
Typesetting and Design: Bernard Kaye
49 REPORT ON DUNGANNON SCOUT GROUP By Martine McCarthy
Proofreading: Peter O’Doherty Eibhir Mulqueen
Honorary Archivist: Michael Moriarty SubSea, Irish Underwater Council, 78a Patrick St., Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin. Tel: (01) 2844601. Fax: (01) 2844602. Web site: www.diving.ie E-Mail: info@diving.ie
Printed by Doggett Print & Design, Dublin. Tel: (01) 453 3151. Fax: (01) 453 3156.
Affiliated to
51 MART AND EXCHANGE
CMAS
Autumn 2015 Issue Deadline All articles for inclusion in the next issue of SubSea should be sent to the editor before August25th. All advertising should be sent to CFT Head Office before August25th.
SubSea Summer 2015
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EL HIERRO
DEPARTURES 2015
A magic, undiscovered little gem of an island on the western edge of the Canary archipelago. Only 25 miles long but 5,000ft high it has an extraordinary diversity of scenery from green fields and stonewalls like the west of Ireland, up on the plateau, through beautiful pine and laurel forests and vineyards down to fertile coastal plains awash with bananas, pineapples, papayas and cereals. The people are extremely friendly and there is zero crime on the island. There are no Irish bars, no English bars, no fast food joints, no golf courses, no snakes or mosquitoes - and hardly any tourists. In fact no nasties at all!
Our departures in 2015 are all on MONDAYS, so book your Ryanair flights to Tenerife on the designated Mondays. I collect you at Tenerife airport and we transfer to a hotel in the nearby resort of Los Cristianos from where we depart by fast ferry next day to El Hierro. We travel back on Sunday evening to the bright lights of Tenerife before flying home Monday. Departure dates:
The scenic driving and hill walking are both dramatic and amazing so it is idyllic for the non-diving spouse who values peace and quiet and an utterly relaxing holiday in the sun.
“OUR FLEET”
We have 4 vehicles and anyone who wishes can take a car for a drive around the island or to nearby swimming spots. The picture shows “our fleet” of two x 8seater Toyotas, a 5-seater Mercedes and a 4-seater Mercedes, parked beneath the apartments, overlooking the harbour in La Restinga. Those of you who were with us in the early days may mourn the passing of our old 11 -seater Land Rover but you will find these cars a lot more comfortable!
THE DIVING The best diving in all of Spain. The Spanish Open U/W Photography Competition (a major, heavily sponsored event) has been held here for the last 16 years! Probably the best diving in all of
■ 9 March ■ 23 March ■ 13 April ■ 18 May ■ 12 Oct ■ 19 Oct Euro-land. It is, after all, the most southerly (28 degrees) and the most westerly (18 degrees) point in Europe. Temperatures are tropical and the Ocean is 25 degrees in autumn so there is abundant Oceanic and tropical life, particularly in the Marine Reserve, situated in The “Mar de Las Calmas” or tranquil sea, an area of several square miles completely protected from the prevailing NE winds by huge cliffs. The seascape is spectacular with dramatic dropoffs, caves and pinnacles. Depths are daunting with 3,000m not far offshore. Visibility is 30m plus and the sea is a vivid blue. The variety and abundance of marine life is exceptional.
■ 9 Nov ■ 23 Nov
HOLIDAY COST The diving holiday price which includes all transfers and transport; all ferries; all accommodation and ten boat dives with tanks, air, weights and dive guide is €625. Non divers and hill walkers (5 days guided walking) travel for just €425.
SPECIAL OFFER Quote this special ad and get €50 discount (Divers: €575 and Non- divers & hill
LA RESTINGA The tiny fishing village at the southern tip of the island which is our base for the week; our lovely apartments are on the little promenade overlooking the harbour. Everything is within a couple of minutes’ walk - the Dive Centre, “El Bar” the little “supermercado” and the 5 very good restaurants (fresh fish every day). There are safe and simple swimming and snorkelling spots and the outdoor dining and wining under the stars are memories to cherish.
walkers: €375)
INFORMATION If you wish to give me a postal address I can send you the information leaflet Contact me on e-mail at any time if you have questions or queries. Good Diving! Shane
BRIEFINGS EDITORIAL Greetings fellow aqua buddies! For those of you who don’t know me, I am a member of Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club. Currently a C.M.A.S. ** diver, I certainly do not boast the stars or credentials of many of my fellow divers, but in a sport that has truly changed my life; passion is not in short supply. I began my love affair with the sea and diving in 2012 and since then I have wanted to promote it in every way possible. What better way to achieve this, than to run for the vacant Publications Officer position at Dive Ireland 2015 and the C.F.T. A.G.M. So here I am! I follow in the footsteps of some inspirational editors such as Denny Lawlor and more recently, Jean Kelleher and while it might be a touch cliché, I really do hope I can reach the standards they set before me. I also want to thank them both for the support and mentorship they have shown me while entering into uncharted waters so to speak. Subsea magazine dropping through the letter box is a magical moment for me and to become its editor is exciting beyond words. I have immensely enjoyed pulling together, this, my first edition and in this edition we take a look back at Dive Ireland 2015 which was held in The Great National Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh with Tom Shaw Coordinator of the show and from the Underwater Photography group we have a summary of how things went from Damien Mc Guirk. I know there are many of you who have had the pleasure of diving the red sea and for those of you who haven’t, Ivan Donoghue’s article accompanied by some fantastic images from his trip will certainly whet your appetite. On this, the centenary anniversary year of the sinking of R.M.S. Lusitania we have a spine tingling account of Timmy Carey’s experiences from diving the ill-fated wreck. Continuing with wrecks, we also have ‘Where passion runs deep’ by Stewart Andrews, an enthralling article about what it is like to be a deep wreck diver and incredible images of his favourites, the Donegal wrecks. We take a look at the marvellous snorkelling achievements of what we hope will be C.F.T.’s next generation of SCUBA divers with National Snorkelling Officer Martine McCarthy. We look forward to the South East Dive Rally in Slade Harbour which takes place from July 3rd-6th and much more besides. I have been humbled by the effort put in by contributors to this magazine and look forward to hearing from them all and more again. Deepest thanks to all. I hope you enjoy reading and casting your eyes over the spectacular images inside and until next time, Slán!
Shane Stanley, Editor
Clean Coasts Launch 6th Annual Love Your Coast Photography Competition #LoveYourCoast
Winner Love Your Coast 2010 Andy Mc Inroy, Fanad Head Lighthouse
Clean Coasts launched their annual Love Your Coast Photography Competition today as part of Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week and with a prize fund of €5,000 it is expected to attract huge interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers. There are five categories in this year’s competition; Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast and Wildlife & the Coast and Underwater. Speaking about the competition, Annabel FitzGerald, An Taisce’s Coastal Programmes Manager said, “This competition is about capturing the essence of the Irish coast – its extensive beauty and diverse character. The photographs will serve as a reminder of the responsibility that we all have in protecting the beauty and diversity of our coastal environment. She added, “Underwater is a new category in this year’s competition, I am really looking forward to getting a glimpse of our underwater world!” Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs & Communications Manager Coca-Cola Hellenic Ireland said “I am looking forward to being on the judging panel again this year, it is a difficult task, however the stand-out images over the past years brilliantly captured the scenic beauty and wilderness of our beaches and the unique and special relationship the people of our island nation have with our coastline. I can’t wait to see this year’s entries” For more information about the Love Your Coast photography competition, how to enter the competition and competition terms and conditions please visit www.cleancoasts.org.
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BRIEFINGS
County Longford Scuba Divers - Fun Fin Swim Saturday 15th August 2015 by Rose Kane The first event of this kind took place in August 2014 and was a great success as part of our Clubs 25th Anniversary Celebrations. We plan to build on that this year and have already confirmed the date for Clondra, Co Longford, Saturday 15th August. Our Club was founded in 1989 and we are an active club in the Midlands region since then. Our Search & Recovery Unit have helped out on countless searches throughout the area and are well trained and equipped to such tasks. The people of Longford and surrounding counties have always been very supportive in our fundraising activities and Longford Scuba Divers Snorkel Training Officer Rose Kane & Club Chairman Finbar Holmes pictured we wanted to give something recently in Clondra. Rose & Finbar are part of the committee organising the Fun Fin Swim in Clondra on back to the community and 15th August this year. Photo by Michelle Ghee (www.gphotos.ie). host an enjoyable afternoon the word to all the clubs in the region Canal and finishing just at the Harbour showcasing our sport and inviting – Athlone, Mullingar, Lough Ree, – total distance is 900meters. The time members of the public to join us. The Roscommon & Leitrim in in the water I expect will be no more sport of Scuba Diving has had several particular. We have also asked other than 30 minutes. Waterways Ireland fatalities over the last few years and the clubs locally to participate – TriAthlon, will be restricting marine traffic in the positive side of diving and snorkelling Swimming and Canoeing. We are area for the duration of the event. is rarely seen. welcoming both adults and juniors to Afterwards all of the participants I have no doubt that the day will be try out snorkelling and feel this is a will get a certificate of achievement a success and will generate interest in great way to showcase our club and the and there will be music and food for not only our own club but also the enjoyable and sociable aspect of diving everyone to enjoy at the Harbour. surrounding clubs in the region and and snorkelling. If you need anything further please give a positive aspect to the sport in The location for the snorkel is do not hesitate to contact me. general. Clondra which is approximately 8kms The aim of the event is to promote Many thanks & best regards from Longford town. The village is the sport of snorkelling and give Rose very picturesque and is the confluence people the opportunity to try it out in of the Royal Canal and the Camlin a controlled, safe and fun Rose Kane and Shannon Rivers. The 90 mile environment. Contact Kanes TravelInfo. Royal Canal from Dublin ends here at I expect each diving club in the 27 Ballymahon Street lock 46. Midlands will bring their members, Rose Kane Longford Parking will be in the village where friends and families to take part. I feel Kanes Travel Ireland we have access to changing and toilet it’s a great opportunity to introduce 27 : + Ballymahon Street Tel 353 43 333 4500 facilities (Waterways Ireland have people to the sport and gain new Longford Fax: + 353 43 334 6972 excellent facilities which are available members to our clubs. Ireland rose@kanestravel.ie to us). The snorkel will start at Burkes We will promote the event locally Tel : + 353 43 333 4500 www.kanestravel.ie Lock in the Shannon which is 10 with Shannonside Radio and the Fax: + 353 43 334 6972 minutes’ walk from the Harbour. The Longford Leader as well as through rose@kanestravel.ie snorkel is from the lock up to the Social Media and our Clubs website. www.kanestravel.ie Camlin River to the Lock of the Royal We appreciate your help in spreading
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SubSea Summer 2015
BRIEFINGS
The CARVE Programme 2015 (Leonardo Da Vinci Work Placement Programme)
Photo: Kushnirov Avraham (www.dollarphotoclub.com).
Sending 25 Irish Outdoor Activity instructors on what could be the work placement of a lifetime
Last summer Elaine Meally and Chris Loughran moved to Inishbofin Island to run snorkelling sessions as part of the Blueway pilot scheme. As a result of their successful summer they were selected to take part in the Landon CARVE program. The program aims to promote the mobility of people involved in the outdoor recreation sector between Ireland and other European countries. As part of the program they were asked to try and give back to it by promoting it in some way so we agreed to publish it for them. Irish Outdoor Activity instructors will spend two weeks in the Alps on the Course for Adventure Related Vocational Educators (CARVE), working and living alongside their French counterparts and gaining a valuable insight into the way adventure centres are run in France. The successful applicants competed in a selection process that began in July. The candidates are from over twenty Outdoor Education Providers in Ireland. The participating instructors are skilled not alone in the technical delivery of outdoor activities such as kayaking, hill walking and rock climbing but also in the delivery of education through the activity. They specialise in developing life skills through adventure activities, and very often work not just with outdoor activity enthusiasts but with youth-at-risk groups, groups with disabilities or addiction, and in some cases elite athletes. In addition to observing French work practices, participants will also spend some of each day learning to ski or snowboard or improving their existing skills. As well as increasing participants’ levels of spoken French and their technical skills, it is hoped they will return with systems and techniques to improve their work in Ireland, and that the work placement will help develop relationships between the Irish and French centres.
The programme, now in its third year, was being funded through Europe, and participants received FETAC Level 3 language training in preparation for their trip. The Leonardo Programme has also allowed for the funding of all flights, transfers, accommodation, lessons and subsistence, as well as providing equipment for the harsh Alpine environment. The CARVE Programme is one of many programmes managed by Landon Carver and funded by the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme. Others this year include the Irish Slovenian Outdoor Development Experience (ISODE) and the Club Mistral Wind Surfing Placement (CMWSP). When asked about the programme, Mark Toner, MD of Landon Carver, said: “We are delighted with the interest in the programme and to be able to provide for a group who do exceptional work in their own right in Ireland but get very little praise for it”. “It’s good to finally have a good news story, and we are delighted to be involved. We have an exceptional group of people travelling out on this programme and we would like to pay tribute to them for all their hard work over the years, and for their input on the programme. We would also like to pay tribute to Léargas for all their assistance and we look forward to hearing all the stories when the group get back.” Outdoor education instructors deliver life skills through the medium of outdoor activities. The CARVE Programme 2014 takes full-time instructors who are working in outdoor centres on a twoweek work placement in France. The group will work in a UCPA ski centre around the famous Chamonix valley at the foot of Mont Blanc. Further details of the CARVE Programme can be obtained by email to: david@landoncarver.com
SubSea Summer 2015
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BRIEFINGS
South East Dive Rally 2015 by Dearbhla Walsh Rally the Troops! For the third year in a row divers from all over the country will descend on a small peninsula in the South East with one small harbour and a very famous lighthouse. We are talking of course, about Hook! This is where, in July, you won’t be able to flip a fin without hitting a diver! The third annual South East Dive Rally takes place on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th of July and this year promises to be the biggest yet and we want you, your club, your family and friends to be part of it! The rally is collaboration between the four clubs in the South East Region: Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Hook. The focus point for this event is Slade, the main harbour (well only harbour!) on the Hook peninsula. For those of you who are not familiar with this area, the Hook offers a selection of dive sites from shore dives to wrecks and drift dives of various depths. Over the rally weekend dives will be organized for all levels of divers. The diving will kick off for early birds on Friday 3rd and continue throughout the weekend with each organising club hosting up to three dives per day. These dives will range from fantastic wreck dives such as the Girl Arleen, Harrys Wreck and The Lismore to scenic dives on the breath-taking Big and Western Rocks. There will also be plenty of shore diving with sites such as Tower Hole, the Bathtub and Churchtown full of life! Each organising club will have at least one boat present to bring people diving and places on these boats can be arranged at the rally. We would encourage as many clubs as possible to bring their own boats. They can be stored at the Hook club house and launched, no matter what the tide (Slade Harbour is tidal so at times can be completely dry), with Hook clubs tractor. This year sees the return of the hotly contested Vincent O’Brien Memorial Photo Competition. If you like diving
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SubSea Summer 2015
and taking photos you need to be in the Hook at the rally to submit your photo from the weekend. Last year’s competition was a huge success with fantastic photos taken. This is a great event organised by Ivan Donoghue from Wexford Club. There are several categories, even an above water photo competition, but photos have to be taken on the weekend. There are fantastic prizes on offer and loads of glory! If, by now I have convinced you to come to the rally, then you need only sort your accommodation. There is loads of accommodation in the Hook area. This includes self-catering houses and B&Bs. For a full list of accommodation contact www.hooktourism.com. If people are interested in camping they are welcome to camp at the Hook clubhouse for FREE, there is loads of room! The Hook club house has a kitchen, changing rooms, areas to wash boats and gear and best of all hot showers!!!! All people participating in the rally are welcome to use the facilities. There will be a BBQ
held at the club house on Saturday afternoon. To participate in the rally divers must be firstly, active and secondly, registered. Registration couldn’t be easier, it takes place all weekend and will soon be available on COMS. Registration is 10 euro and this will cover use of Hooks Club facilities over the weekend which includes hot showers, kitchen and gear washing facilities. Tanks can be filled at the club house with the Hooks built in compressor in less than 5 minutes. Air fills cost 5 euro. On Saturday night get your dancing shoes and thinking caps on! There will be entertainment in the local pub and the return of the hotly contested South East Dive Rally Table Quiz!!! The table quiz is open to all divers and nondivers! For non-divers there is plenty of entertainment. The Hook Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in Europe and has tours daily and a coffee shop. Sunday July 5th is ‘Pirate Day!!!’ This is an event for all the family and will include a BBQ and games. There is a fancy dress competition for the Best Dressed Pirate! Loftus Hall (the house that reportedly had the devil playing cards) is organising a spooky ghost tour for all ages over the weekend with special discounts for those attending the rally. Within 10 miles, there is the town of New Ross; this has the Dunbrody Famine Ship. Tours provided. There is also John F. Kennedy Park. This is beautiful for walks, with HUGE kids play areas and a pond complete with ducks that love to be fed. We hope you will join us for this diving extravaganza in the South East and help us to make this an event to remember. For more info contact Dearbhla 087 9902641 or email southeastdiverally@gmail.com See you there!!!!
Vinnie O’Brien Photo Competition (Organised by Wexford Sub Aqua Club) In September 2012, underwater photography in Ireland lost one of its friends, Vincent O’ Brien. Vinnie loved all types of image making: landscape, underwater and video. To honour his memory, Wexford Sub Aqua Club are running a photo competition at the 2015 South East Diver Rally on July 4th and 5th. Like last year, the event is open to all participants: young, old, diver, snorkeler and even those who stay onshore. It’s a fun competition and we hope that everyone who has either a compact, SLR, go-pro, or even a camera phone will submit a few pictures into the competition. Categories include: • U/W wide angle • U/W macro • U/W video • Marine landscape (best picture taken above water during the dive rally) • Under 18 category Winning images will be chosen on the final day of the SE dive rally and a presentation of prizes and trophies made to the winner.
The top prize of a Canon G7x and housing (€900) is sponsored by Canon Ireland. This package retails at just under €1,000 so it would be a fantastic prize to win. Oceanaddicts are onboard and are offering a gift voucher. Use it for one of their underwater photography courses! John Collins Photography in Kinsale will sponsor a Polar Pro filter for the Go-pro range. Sam McCauleys one stop health and beauty shop will print winning images onto canvas. We also have sports equipment voucher from Hores Stores and jewellery from Martins Jewellers. We really hope you take part in some way. There is no entry fee. More details on a combination of the CFT Underwater Photography page, South East dive rally 2014 page and also from email ivandonoghue@gmail.com or 086 8718562
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BRIEFINGS
Oceanaddicts, CMAS* & CFT
April / May is the end of the training season in most CFT clubs, however it is also the time when we get most requests for training from the public. To assist in the growth of CFT membership, we have now teamed up with Oceanaddicts in Cork to train people throughout the summer months to CMAS* (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques) level. If your club is open to one star divers but not available to train them (due to time of year or lack of club resources) you can now send them to Oceanaddicts who will train them under the CMAS system. Once their training is complete they can then return to your club with their one star certification. We are delighted to be working with Oceanaddicts on this new venture which we hope will assist your club, however please note: club training is our primary ethos and this is just an additional route should the first not be available.
CMAS
Oisre from Oceanaddicts out with divers. Photo provided by Oceanaddicts.
Graham & Anne from Oceanaddicts. Photo provided by Oceanaddicts.
Snorkelers. Photo provided by Oceanaddicts.
10 SubSea Summer 2015
If you would like to avail of this facility please contact Anne in Oceanaddicts on +353 87 7903211 or anne@oceanaddicts.ie
BRIEFINGS
From Oceanaddicts
Photo provided by Oceanaddicts.
“Graham and Anne Ferguson of Oceanaddicts are thrilled to be working with CFT in providing CMAS 1*Star training to those interested in joining a CFT club. We see our role as one that will supplement club training and not replace it. Coming from a CFT Club background ourselves, being former members of both Cork and Daunt SAC’s, we fully understand the difficulties clubs may face when training new members, especially when the dive season is in full swing or when resources are limited. Mid summer can very often be the time when potential new members approach clubs, and this is the time clubs are out doing what clubs do Diving. We can help train these new potential members for you and look forward to hearing from your club and to working with you going forward to help grow your club and the sport of diving in Ireland.”
DivewithOceanAddicts
www.oceanaddicts.ie graham@oceanaddicts.ie anne@oceanaddicts.ie Graham 087-2744992 Anne 087-7903211 www.facebook.com/oceanaddicts
SubSea Summer 2015
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Noted Irishmen by Denny Lawlor
Harry Ferguson Inventor of the modern tractor Harry Ferguson was born in 1884 in known as the Ferguson System and Growell, County Down. He was the while improved in many ways it can fourth child of eleven born to Mary still be seen on every tractor today In 1936 a prototype of the ‘Ferguson and James Ferguson. Black’ was built at the David Brown As a youngster he was quite a thrill Factory in Huddersfield in the UK and seeker. Although he was the son of a two years later both companies merged farmer, his main passions were aviation to form Ferguson-Brown Ltd. and motor racing, in fact when he was The company’s big break came in in his early twenties he made history When Ford’s grandson, Henry Ford 1938 when Ferguson met the legendary by being the first Irish man to build II, took over negotiations with Henry Ford Senior. Ferguson showed and fly his own plane. Ferguson the relationship between the Ford patents for improvements to the He became interested in aviation two companies turned sour. They were tractor. They struck a deal and in 1939 seven years earlier when he had got a unable to agree acceptable terms but the Ford-Ferguson 9N was launched job with his brother, Joe, and learnt his Ford continued to produce the tractor and over 300,000 were made over the trade as a mechanic. But Joe was not despite the fact that Ferguson owned next 12 years. impressed with his intense interest in the patent. aviation, especially the safety Harry Ferguson was not aspects. They eventually fell out happy with this and launched a and went their separate ways. lawsuit against Ford for illegal With no employment Harry use of his designs and damage set up his own business and caused to his business. It never called it Harry Ferguson Ltd. got to court as Ford made a He sold cars and tractors. settlement of $9million. The fact that the tractor and In 1952, Ferguson’s patents its plough were separate units ran out which prompted the and took up too much space majority of tractor when working in small fields set manufacturers to start using his him thinking that there should designs. His next move was to be a better way. So he set about merge his company with Massey setting up a better system. Harris to form Massey In 1917 he built a plough Ferguson. that could be attached to a car. All his life he never lost his It was not a massive success but passion for motor racing and he saw it had potential. He he was instrumental in teamed up with George and introducing an Ulster Grand Eber Sherman and spent several Prix and developing the first years developing his idea adding four wheel drive car to be used a Duplex hitch system and a in Formula 1. new hydraulic system. He died in 1960. However, it was a system of The Harry Ferguson mechanical engineering called Memorial Garden is set the “Three Point Linkage” that opposite the Ferguson Harry is most famous for. It Homestead at Growell, Co. works off the hydraulic system Down and exhibits a life size at the back of the tractor bronze statue of Harry. The enabling the driver to raise and Garden has the facility to lower any implement mainly a display a Ferguson tractor on plough and therefore making Brochure for the Ford Ferguson 9N tractor. Henry Ford Senior in site plus information and history the driver’s seat while Harry Ferguson looks on. farming so much easier. It is boards throughout. ◼
12 SubSea Summer 2015
Blackwater Sub Aqua Ecological Dive for Freshwater Crayfish By Timmy Carey Living Proof of the existence of Freshwater Crayfish in the River Blackwater in a crevice on a night dive. Photo by Stephane Portrait.
Freshwater crayfish are protected under the wildlife act and are classified as vulnerable and rare on the IUCN red list of endangered animals. Ireland is thought to be one of only three European countries that have indigenous white clawed freshwater crayfish (along with Estonia and Norway). While parts of Ireland such as the river Suir and the midlands have large quantities of freshwater crawfish, in many other waterways in the country they are entirely absent and have not been noted on any previous published ecological studies. One such example is the river Blackwater in Munster which has soft acidic water; the crayfish needs hard alkaline water for the secretion of the crayfish’s exoskeleton (and so was thought not to be present in the river). In recent years some of the club’s divers have occasionally found dead crayfish in the area which could have indicated that they were washed very far downstream from an alkaline tributary of the Blackwater (such as the Aberg) or else that there was a previously unrecorded population of the species in the area. After reporting the finds to the National Parks and Wildlife service, it was agreed to carry out a joint survey along with professional ecologist Pat Smiddy. As sightings had never occurred during daylight, it was
decided to investigate eight different locations at night to see if any live specimens could be found and photographed. After 90 minute dives, the dive teams returned with photographs of two live crayfish (which were not touched or disturbed)
and gave definitive proof of either an unrecorded population in an area where it was thought they could not live or else it could maybe indicate a change in river water conditions or chemistry. The dives and investigations are currently being recorded as part of
Freshwater crayfish below Fermoy weir. Photo by Timmy Carey.
SubSea Summer 2015 13
Freshwater Crayfish
Those involved in the Freshwater Crayfish survey night dives (from left to right) Cyril Saich (national parks and wildlife) Eugene Whelan, Timmy Carey, Pat Smiddy (Ecologist overseeing the survey dives), Elden Keegan, Matt Culloty, Billy Carr, Mike Reidy, Joost Vermussen, Stephane Portrait, Eamonn O Herlihy, Dick Vaughan, Finbarr Mulcahy, Olan O Farrell, Owen O Keeffe and Ken Barry.
a paper for an ecological journal and is an area that will now be the subject of further research. As divers, we are in
14 SubSea Summer 2015
the privileged position to see an incredible underwater panorama and while most divers will only ever dive in
a marine environment; the freshwater too has its own fascinating sights and rewards for those who persevere. â—ź
Dive Ireland 2015 review CFT President Mike Orth with members of Lough Derg SAC at the launch night of Dive Ireland 2015.
By Tom Shaw
This comes as a big surprise, me being asked to do a report on Dive Ireland 2015..... But then, I was the coordinator of what turned out to be one of the best Dive Shows ever (well, I am allowed to be a little bias here). So how did we go about it? Dive Ireland started for Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club in 2013, with an unsuccessful bid to host the 2014 show. Undeterred, we applied again in 2014 and were awarded the hosting of Dive Ireland 2015. The location was The Great National Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh, Co Tipperary and the dates....as ye all know were Feb 28th and March 1st 2015. Now we had the hosting and location sorted, we were a bit like a dog chasing a car and caught it...Now what? A series of meetings got
underway...very slowly at first you understand, sure the show is over a year away! The first thing we did was elect a coordinator. Now as I see it, this is basically the person who pulls things together, and in the event of success, let the people responsible take the praise....and in the event of things not going to plan, well, the coordinator takes the blame! Now, how could I or indeed anyone resist such a job description or challenge such as that!
Anyhow, we elected a treasurer and a secretary and then, almost every member in the Club (and some past members and family and friends) fell into different groups. We had groups looking after raffle, speaker’s stands, exhibitors, pro, photography, social media, signage...the list goes on and some people helped in numerous groups. One of the things that gave me real pleasure was watching everyone move into a group and watching all that hidden talent coming out. Remember, it’s not every day that you can help to SubSea Summer 2015 15
Dive Ireland 2015
CFT President Mike Orth with Lough Derg SAC ready to cut the ribbon at Dive Ireland 2015.
organise a successful International event, which had exhibitors from all across Europe, England as well as Ireland. A lot of firsts there. Our series of meetings went slowly at first. Every month and then around Christmas people sort of realized that well, after Christmas it was only 58 days to go! Now I’m not saying that a bit of panic set in or anything....It was more of a realization, yes that’s what it was, a realization that something might hit the fan. We began to meet twice a month,
then weekly and let’s just say that in the final week....not a lot of gainful employment was done by some! In the lead up the show we decided to have our launch night, nothing really special there, only that it was pointed out to us on the night that.....well, it had never been done before for the Show, another first! On probably the worst night of the year weather wise I might add (yes, snow, snow and more snow, did I mention the snow?). Minister Alan Kelly
The Lough Derg team in the final days leading up to Dive Ireland 2015 . Photo by Brian Donnelly.
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“Another first for Dive Ireland was the “Ted talks”. This was very successful. The plan was that during lunch time we would organize a podium for anyone who wanted to talk on a subject of their own choice, simple really. Wow did we get volunteers, ranging from Fred Parle who was delivering a ship and was hijacked by Somalian Pirates to Chris Healy’s Guinness world record 20km dive…...”
Dive Ireland 2015
The newly elected CFT Executive Committee at the annual CFT AGM at Dive Ireland 2015.
formally launched the show. We also had CFT President Mike Orth (without his chain, major disappointment) along with a host of local politician’s, county counsellors, press and photographers along with past members and friends. A really worthwhile night and some of our Club members even got up on a podium and spoke in front of a crowd, can you believe that, see what I mean about hidden talents. Shane Stanley was so impressive that he was robbed by CFT and is now editor, yes editor for this mag, wow! Coming up to that time, Derry O’Donnell and I (yes, Derry did such a good job, CFT also robbed him as their PRO) did a local radio show with Tipp FM which went really well. So well that Derry came up with another first....Dive Radio...broadcasting on long wave, short wave and under the waves!! The two of us did the first broadcast while having a coffee in Deborah’s Country Cafe in Nenagh, actually, if you haven’t been into Deborah’s ...you are missing out, if Carlsberg did coffee it would....you know what I mean! Sorry, my mind drifted thinking about the coffee in Deborah’s. Anyway, Dive Radio proved to be a great success with interviews being conducted before and during the
show and aired on FB, wow that was simple and effective, I’ll let Derry take the praise for that...see what I mean about coordinating, it’s really simple when you get the hang of it. Another first for Dive Ireland was the “Ted talks”. This was very
Dive Show Coordinator Tom Shaw with Minister Alan Kelly at Dive Ireland 2015 launch.
successful. The plan was that during lunch time we would organize a podium for anyone who wanted to talk on a subject of their own choice, simple really. Wow did we get volunteers, ranging from Fred Parle who was delivering a ship and was hijacked by Somalian Pirates to Chris Healy’s Guinness world record 20km dive (which Lough Derg SAC played a small part in.... I’m only saying), and a lot more in between. So successful in fact that they all ran over time and we had to organize an extra speakers room for the “main speakers” the second day. Another huge part of the show was and is every year, the photography element. This was coordinated by Ivan Donoghue and his pals and they did a super job. So good in fact that all they really want is a room and a lot of chairs and leave the rest to them, perfect. No show would be possible without the exhibitors who came this year from across Europe. It was an absolute pleasure to deal with them all. This Show would not be possible to run without their participation and we hope they all did well out of the show and are doing well since as a result. CFT members should really support and purchase from these companies as they support CFT in a very big way. SubSea Summer 2015 17
Dive Ireland 2015
Derry O’ Donnell and Tom Shaw taking Tipp FM Selfie. Photo by Derry O’ Donnell.
They also contributed some fantastic prizes for our raffle at the show and the prize winners were as follows: 1st Theresa O Connell, Limerick SAC 2nd Conor Hogan, Lough Derg SAC 3rd Dervla Murray, Ocean Divers SAC 4th Elizabeth Kirby, True Blue SAC 5th Emer Sheehan, Limerick SAC th
6 Richard Long, Lough Derg SAC 7th Claire Mc Greevy, Seal Bay SAC 8th Mick Mockler, Lough Derg SAC 9th Kieran Flynn, Galway SAC Special thanks to our raffle sponsors: • Castle Oaks Hotel, Castleconnell, Co. Limerick. • Myles Creek B&B, Kilkee, Co. Clare. • O3 • Oceanaddicts. • Sunnto. CFT also hold their Dive Officer and AGM at the show. Now, as a well known Priest from Craggy island might say, “I’m not much into that sort of thing” and I was a bit busy during the days but, I breezed in and out of
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proceedings and found the two meetings well worth while and very interesting and yes, every member should attend, and you would never know what you might learn. Oh yeah, and in the middle of proceedings, we got two members elected to the CFT executive , Shane Stanley and Derry O’Donnell, congrats to you both....another first for Lough Derg! The big weekend came and went without any major hitch. I’m probably going to leave out someone and for that I apologise but, a huge thank you to everyone, especially those who attended or helped in any way. Thanks to CFT for a having the confidence in awarding us the running of the show, and to Denny and Louise for keeping a little eye on us. Thanks to all the Club members, past and present and their families for their help and support in every way. Thanks to the speakers, to everyone who bought and sold tickets...including the hotel manager, well he was just ensuring we made enough to pay the Abbey Court, without whose help the show would not have been possible. Oh yeah, and a big thanks to the exhibitors. You are doing well if you are still reading at this stage and haven’t a lot more to say soooo, I’ll leave you with
a few of the comments and emails we received afterward:“We really enjoyed the show and appreciated the fantastic Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club’s support throughout the weekend”. “Thanks Tom for everything. Ye were all super” “Many thanks to you and your club, a very professional operation “ “Probably the best organised Dive Show we attended” “I would also like to say thank you for your effort and the work of the entire Club. It was my first dive show and we had a really good time”. And my own personal favourite: “Well done on what was a well organized event. You certainly had a good crew, and I was impressed with the co-ordination of things all round. It has restored my faith in the CFT show”. That, I say, that is what makes it all worthwhile. Would we do it again, well ….......we would have to call another meeting! ◼
Diving R.M.S. Lusitania By Timmy Carey
Timmy Carey surfacing from his first dive on the Lusitania in 2004. Photo by John Collins.
Arctic Reflections.
SubSea Summer 2015 19
Lusitania
Richard Wakefield and Stephen Phillips decompressing over the wreck. Photo by and © Timmy Carey.
In May 1915 the sinking of the R.M.S Lusitania, the pride of the Cunard line, created a tidal wave of revulsion around the globe, with sensationalist newspaper headlines such as “the ghastliest crime in history” being commonplace. In America Theodore Roosevelt described the sinking of the Lusitania by U-20 as “piracy on a vaster scale than any oldtime pirate ever practised”, with the American ambassador in London sending a cable to Washington to the effect that “the U.S. must declare war or forfeit European respect”. The reaction as would be expected was much different in Germany, with Germany declaring the Lusitania as a legitimate target. Almost from the moment the torpedo sped from U-20, the Lusitania seems to have courted controversy on a grand scale and has always been a ship of intrigue. Just some of the controversial issues are whether or not the vessel contained priceless works of art in lead
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containers which were in the care of Sir Hugh Lane, how many torpedoes were fired, whether or not the Lusitania was a legitimate target and theories have also been put forward that the British admiralty steered the Lusitania into the path of U-20 to help bring America into the war. By far the biggest point of controversy however remains the fact of just why did she sink so fast after being struck by only one torpedo, resulting in the deaths of 1,198 people including almost 100 children. Many explanations have been put forward, many people initially thought that more than one torpedo had been fired but this has since been disproved. Bob Ballard attributed the second larger explosion to a coal dust explosion following his trip to the wreck in 1993 aboard a submersible. Paddy O Sullivan has theorised that it may have been caused by an aluminium powder explosion which is listed on the
manifest, while other people believe the boilers may have exploded. Another theory which is often forwarded is that the Lusitania may have been carrying wartime munitions for the British, a claim denied by the British government; the Lusitania seems to be steeped in controversy over the past 100 years. At 31,550 tons the Lusitania is a huge shipwreck and is much dilapidated from the sleek elegant vessel which crossed the Atlantic in luxurious style and in record speeds in the early 20th century. Added to this the vessel is often festooned in abandoned snagged fishing nets which could prove lethal to a diver should they become entangled. Located almost 12 miles from the old head of Kinsale the Lusitania lies in almost 94 meters of water, meaning that any diver diving the wreck will incur a serious decompression penalty (typically in the region of three hours).
Lusitania
Lusitania arriving in New York. Photo from George Grantham Bain collection, United States Library of Congress.
For this reason dive trips to the I first dived the wreck in 2004 and After dropping through a 90 meter Lusitania are generally by invitation over the past decade have been lucky water column and accustoming your only and in addition to the diving enough to be involved in almost a eyes to the darkness and making all the certification, costs and other barriers; dozen different expeditions to the necessary checks of all the divers’ each group also need a state licence famous wreck (approx. half of which equipment; the first glimpse of the from Duchas as well as the owner’s were cancelled due to Atlantic storms) vessel is a huge feeling of exhilaration permission Mr Greg Bemis. and for those who persevere and make with the diver keen to make the most The other major stumbling block in the necessary sacrifices, the rewards of the precious bottom time. mounting diving expeditions to the can be immense. Swimming around the wreck is a Lusitania is the pernicious very touching experience nature of the Atlantic and is like transcending Ocean and this results in time to an era of well over half of the imperialism when millions planned trips never taking of men suffered horrendous place. So why do divers injury and death as the make the effort – well in world was embarking on short, diving the Lusitania the folly of global conflict. for wreck divers is a bit like The most intact part of the climbing Everest for ship is the bow area where climbers; added to this mix the diver will see the huge is all the intrigue and capstan and it was here that controversy surrounding an Irish dive team of Harry the vessel and the fact that O Connor (Waterford is regarded as the second Harbour SAC) and Victor most famous ship wreck in Quirke (Wexford SAC) first the world after the Titanic. found large quantities of In 1996 when still diving ammunition in 2006. In an ABLJ and a single 12 litre 2008 a later expedition cylinder (and when would locate empty shell decompression was a word casings deep in the bow of that could only be whispered the vessel; which have yet to in corners!!) I first decided be recovered and which in that I would like to try and time may help explain how dive RMS Lusitania (after an the ship sunk so quickly. inspiring AGM lecture to a Ornate portholes litter packed audience in Athlone the wreck having since by Des Quigley and Paul fallen from the steel that Walsh); little did I realise once held them firm, brass that it would take me deck lamps can often be Stewart Andrews and Colm Humphries preparing to drop an ROV on the another 8 years to finally get seen embedded in the silt, wreck in 2008, the ROV would later get snagged and Stewie found the ammunition while cutting the ROV free. Photo by and © Timmy Carey. to dive the wreck. as well as ceramic sinks, SubSea Summer 2015 21
Lusitania
Telemotor lifted under licence from the wreck in 2011 by Eoin Mc Garry. Photo by and © Timmy Carey.
baths and smaller items such as door handles and even an occasional shoe sole; many of these acting as a reminder that the Lusitania is still a grave site for a huge number of people. When travelling along the edge of the vessel the sight of so many life boat davits can be very thought provoking when you consider that these would have been used to launch the lifeboats in the last moments before the ship sank to the seabed. Ornate brass fittings from seats are also a frequent sight, as well as floor tiles and even cutlery, all acting as grim reminders of
the tragedy of the sinking. Over the last twenty years, the impact of Irish dive teams on diving the wreck has been immense with many high profile expeditions organised by Des Quigley (who was the first to dive the Lusitania by rebreather), Paul Walsh, Pat Glavin, Pat Coughlan and Eoin Mc Garry amongst others; and these have led to some very significant discoveries and artefact recovery (under licence) from the wreck. One inescapable fact of diving the wreck over a ten year period is that the wreck is constantly corroding and
Porthole lifted under licence from the wreck in 2011 by Eoin Mc Garry. Photo by and © Timmy Carey.
22 SubSea Summer 2015
collapsing further and is suffering a lot of damage from fishing nets. I have seen artefacts on the wreck during one trip that the following season when you dive the same area it has been completely destroyed by a combination of collapse and fishing net damage. Hopefully in the future all these artefacts can be raised by Irish dive teams and all the items conserved and put on display to allow the general public to see iconic items from one of the most famous shipwrecks in the world; rather than being the preserve of just a hand full of divers. ◼
Phil Murphy and Adrian o Hara handing over the ammunition raised from the Lusitania in 2008 to customs officials on the Suirbhear. Photo by and © Timmy Carey.
Louth’s worst maritime disaster By Don Baldwin of Dundalk SAC
Entrance to Carlingford Lough. Photo by Don Baldwin.
A gut-churning screech of grating metal reverberated through the bowels of the ‘Retriever’, as the sudden collision sent a shuddering spasm down the ship’s spine, jolting her from bow to stern. Instinctively, James Boyle the cabin boy, raced up onto the deck and straight into a scene from Hell. Tormented by wicked winds, the angry sea had suddenly hurled the ‘Retriever’ straight into the side of the ‘Connemara’ as the two ships passed in the narrows of the Carlingford Cut. Powerful and merciless, the raging wind snatched the desperate screams, angry roars, and bawling of cattle and hurled them all with disdain out into the dark void of night. Cold water surged hungrily in through the Connemara’s breached hull, swarming about its defenceless boilers which violently exploded with the chilling onslaught. Intuitively, James cut loose the Lifeboat and leapt in with one fluid movement, as the sea devoured the Retriever beneath him. Ravenous waves clawed at his flimsy craft seeking to snatch him down into the heartless deep, as the sea reared beneath him like a ‘possessed-poulka’. Demented, the wind howled its displeasure at the sole survivor, continuously overturning the battered boat before
contemptuously spewing the shattered youth out onto the jagged rocks, where strong hands hauled him out onto the safety of shore. The Connemara and Retriever tragedy on the 3 Nov. 1916 was surely the worst maritime disaster in Louth’s history. Yet, like so many local calamities, it too was somewhat overshadowed by the turbulent national and international events of the time. The Retriever had left Garston for Newry with eight members and a cargo of coal at 4 am early on that Friday morning, but, according to James Boyle, gale force winds and mountainous seas had slowed their progress and shifted the ship’s cargo. The Connemara which had been carrying 86 crewmen and passengers,
which included 17 young women, along with cattle, had left Greenore shortly after 8 o’clock that evening bound for Holyhead, hammering into the teeth of a fierce gale blowing in from the southwest which was driving against an outgoing tide of eight knots. Two miles from Greenore the Connemara passed the Haulbowline Lighthouse marking out the Carlingford Bar and entered into a narrow channel known as the Carlingford Cut. The ‘Cut’ is only about 300 yards wide and with the atrocious combination of wind and wave that night, there was very little room for error in the churned up cauldron of the channel. Half a mile beyond the Bar the Connemara met the inbound Retriever. Both vessels SubSea Summer 2015 23
S.S. Connemara
S.S. Connemara (Postcard).
were showing their lights, and there is no reason to suspect that either Captain had not shown due diligence. The Watchman at the Lighthouse seeing the Ships way too close for comfort, immediately fired off warning rockets, but it was too late. The Retriever, battling against wind, tide, and an unruly cargo, suddenly lurched into the Connemara’s port side, ripping into her hull, penetrating right into the funnel. For a brief moment the stricken Ships locked together in one
last fatal embrace, before the Retriever, having thrown its engines into reverse before the collision, swung clear; allowing the sea to rush into the Connemara’s gouged open hull, flooding the engine room and exploding the boilers in an instant. The Connemara went down within minutes, the Retriever sank 200 yards away soon after, it’s exposed Boilers encountering the same violent end. In total, 94 people perished. James Boyle, the only non–swimmer on the
Brass valves from the Connemara (Courtesy Greenore Museum). Photo by Don Baldwin.
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Retriever, being the sole survivor of the tragic accident. Sad proof indeed, that there are times when ‘the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle’. A grey morning revealed a waterline littered with wreckage, the carcasses of animals, and the bodies of the passengers and crew strewn all along the shore. On the first day 58 bodies were found, many badly burned and mutilated. For many days afterwards bodies of people and carcasses of animals washed up along the coastline from Cranfield to Kilkeel. Some took weeks to make landfall. The scenes of grief and despair as families identified their loved ones during those dark days were truly heart-breaking. The bodies of the dead passengers and crew were temporarily stored in barns and people’s houses; those identified being taken home by their families. Some were never identified and were buried in a mass grave at the Church of Ireland at Kilkeel. The inquest was held on the 6 of November in Kilkeel, the Coroner and members of the Jury journeying to the scene of the tragedy to view the wreckage and the bodies that had been
S.S. Connemara collected. James Boyle gave evidence of his gruelling ordeal, breaking down several times as he recounted the details of that terrible night. “Contrary to what one might suspect, there was no panic or confusion on the Retriever”, stated Boyle. “Captain O’Neill gave the order in a firm, clear voice, to take to the boats. Boyle, William Clugson, and Joe Donnan immediately went to get one of the two available boats ready for launching. Joe Donnan went below for lifebelts and advised them to remove their sea boots”. “That was the last I saw of him” continued Boyle, “although I heard his voice a few minutes later crying ‘Cut her away, Cut her away!”, ”I was holding onto the rope ready to jump into her, I cut her away, springing in at the same time”. As word of the tragedy raced through the area, accounts of strange portents which had foretold the disaster soon began to emerge. The Ghost Ship ‘The Blaney’ had been clearly seen reliving its death throes off the shores of Warren point, although it had suffered its sad end off the coast of Wales. Faithless rats had also been seen slinking off the Connemara the night before she had sailed, “never a good omen”, wryly remarked a cattleman, and considered that it was high time that he too moved to another vessel, alas not soon enough. Some passengers had suffered ghastly dreams predicting the awful accident and had refused to travel; others had experienced similar nightmares but put no store in such things, and sadly perished.
Coal from the ‘Retriever’ & Porthole from the ‘Connemara’ (Courtesy Greenore Museum). Photo by Don Baldwin.
There are few visible signs of Louth’s worst maritime disaster around Carlingford Lough today. North of the Lough, Pupils from Kilkeel High School respectfully erected a headstone over the mass grave in the Old Church Yard in 1981. On the southern shore in 2006 the Greenore & Greencastle Community Association erected a Granite Seat in Greenore to mark the 90th anniversary of the disaster, in a poignant ceremony attended by the Irish Coast Guard, the Dundalk Sub Aqua Club, and many more stalwarts from the maritime community. Beneath the waters, there is little left of either ship. The Connemara’s ruptured boilers now a suitable sanctuary for the denizens of
Pensive view (Memorial seat). Photo by Don Baldwin.
the deep, their violent end is long forgotten. While the Retriever’s scattered cargo of coal serves as a constant reminder to Divers, of the tempestuous nature of the sea. James Boyle went on to live another fifty fruitful years in Warren point, and died on the 19 April 1967. Throughout his lifetime James refused to discuss the details of that harrowing night, only finally agreeing to give an interview in the twilight of his years. It is a strange empathy that I share with James, for I too was the sole survivor of a traumatic battle with the waters on a grey November 3, as the cold shadow of All Souls Day lurked ominously near. ‘For there is never a slaughter that one man does not come out of to tell the tale’. ◼
Poignant plaque. Photo by Don Baldwin.
SubSea Summer 2015 25
Deep delight and deep
“What’s it like down there? “ Is probably the question most asked when people wonder about diving below the normal recreational depth limit of 45metres. It is difficult to know where to start with an answer. I struggle to convey the feeling(s) that one experiences and what you take away from it that makes you want to go back time and time again. What I do know is that the passion that people have for deep diving seems to be more intense.
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U89 – A large WW1 German sub, lost with
dedication
all hands. Photo by and Š Stewart Andrews.
By Stewie Andrews
SubSea Summer 2015 27
Deep Delight
H.M.S. Audacious – Armour plated barbette which once housed two 13.5 inch guns. Photo by and © Stewart Andrews.
You may feel that whilst diving here is first class in shallower waters, nothing much happens in the deeper waters off little old Ireland. Not so!! In 2012, a team led by Barry McGill dived the 160m deep RMS Empress of Britain off Donegal and we found out afterwards that even with all the divers in the USA, they could not have filled a boat to justify
such an expedition. In addition, the way that divers do their decompression is changing all the time and many of the recent advancements stemmed from the deep diving done here. A number of significant HMS’s (Navy), RMS’s (mail liners) and other vessels like submarines have been found and identified off Donegal, mainly by Irish dive teams in
Ascending slowly from depth – Note the different current directions. Photo by and © Stewart Andrews.
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depths between 80 and 140 metres. So, yes, you’ve guessed it, the ‘secret’ is out – the diving off Donegal offers the best wrecks with surprisingly good visibility and luckily it is now served by the excellent hard boats “Rosguill” and more recently the “Laura-Dean”.
“But isn’t deep diving dangerous?”
There is certainly more risk when diving to more than three times the normal recreational limits, however the main balancing factors are the increased attention paid to preparation (importantly,including experience) and awareness of what is going on - every minute of the dive. There is a lot more mental and physical preparation in the run-up to a dive as well – and I don’t mean Olympic-style fitness – I mean the fundamentals, “Am I rested, fed, hydrated, sea-sick, etc?” One question might be, am I prepared and comfortable enough to push my previous limit from (say) 70metres to 86 metres? Or should I wait until I have completed more dives at the ‘shallower’ depths and hold off until next year? It is refreshing to hear someone telling me that this type of diving is not for them – this means that they have thought
Deep Delight
H.M.S. Viknor – The final resting place of 300 souls. Photo by and © Stewart Andrews.
H.M.S. Hurst Castle – Impressive bow of the WW2 corvette. Photo by and © Stewart Andrews.
SubSea Summer 2015 29
Deep Delight
H.M.S. Hurst Castle’s squid launcher – A deadly sub killing device. Photo by and © Stewart Andrews.
about it and consciously made a decision that is right for them. It is easy to spot the divers who are not ‘ready’ – their own lack of preparedness is plain for all to see. It is the job of any diver to ask the “What-ifs” well in advance of a dive and mitigate against these, in as far as practicable. This involves taking personal responsibility. The one thing that you never hear on a deep dive boat is one diver critique another diver’s choice of gases or equipment configuration, etc – it’s just not done. And I can tell you it is not because these guys are not opinionated – they sure are, once you get them started! However, you have arrived at this point and you are expected to have the basics sorted. On the other hand, you will get all the advice you need if you ask – though be prepared for as many opinions as there are other divers around! Do ask questions – avail of other people’s learnings – but don’t accept everything you are told on blind faith. Be prepared to evaluate what you are told, drawing on your own experiences. Most of all
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perhaps, learn from other divers’ mistakes as well as your own. The only golden rule in ‘mixed gas’ diving that I am aware of is “rich is right” – meaning you keep the leanest gas (less O2) on the left hand side in case you need to donate gas at depth. There are well recognized limits for O2 exposure which are laid out on your Advanced Nitrox course - too much oxygen is not good for you in a hyperbaric situation, surrounded by water.
“Can you actually see anything at that depth?”
In terms of conditions on the bottom – the amount of light and the levels of plankton, which absorb the light–it’s a lottery and no two days are the same. The time of the year and location matter, obviously. However, the one thing that is common is that there is never an amazing amount of light down there – something which I am recently finding it hard to explain to some of my
photography dive buddies, having taken up underwater still photography in the last year. Some years are better than others, 2010 was excellent as were parts of last year, 2014. In this regard, it is no different to diving, say, HMS Vanguard, south of Dublin Bay. If you want good conditions on this wreck (say, 8 metres vis!), you simply have to dive it at least ten times and you will probably get ‘excellent’ conditions once! The problem is that many divers are impatient and will not make it a ‘project’ and keep an eye out for the right weather and conditions and simply get out there as often as possible. There will be many disappointments along the way (1 to 2 m Vis) but those who persist will remember ‘that extraordinary dive’ for decades after it comes along. A diver friend of mine constantly reminds me of the day he dived HMS Leinster off Dublin Bay in 30 metres and could lie back on the sand and see people leaning over the side of the boat! This required an element of luck and ‘dedication’ to get out there, often.
“Have you seen any unusual wildlife?”
For deep wreck divers, the fun sometimes happens just as you reach the wreck when a Sunfish swims curiously around the conning tower of a submarine for several minutes or a Minke whale passes up and down the shotline curious as to what is happening in their domain. Porbeagle sharks pass by and wonder what is going on with these ‘animals’ all hanging one above the other on a string!More and more we are seeing Bluemouth scorpionfish on the deeper wrecks and, from about 85 metres down, the deep-water hard coral Lophelia.
It’s a team effort!
With the experience of deep diving comes the need for extra money, time, patience, dedication, persistence and the need to gain experience gradually, etc. Also, the deeper you go (something > 70 m), the more reliant you are on the surface for support in terms of pre-prepared emergency cylinder ‘drop-sets’ which are lowered down when a yellow dSMB (delayed surface marker buoy) reaches the surface. Put simply, as you go deeper, you just cannot carry enough gas to complete your decompression obligations, without help from the boat. And if it all goes awry, you need a skipper who can do the necessary with the cylinders and surface divers to help in shallow waters. For various reasons, we do not ask any deep support diver to go any deeper than 80 metres, and even this would be in extreme circumstances, as he then runs up his own decompression time and effectively puts himself out of action. Typically, support divers do not go beyond the 6 and 9 meter bars on the decompression station that the divers complete the dive on, whilst drifting with the current. In my years deep diving off Donegal, Michael McVeigh (skipper of the ‘Rosguill’) has provided and shown an excellent duty of care for his divers and he has an enviable reputation for not missing the wreck as well.
Highlights
And so, if asked “What’s your favourite wreck”, I would probably give a short list of four or five, including U89 (a large submarine from WW1, in 61m), HMS Audacious (a WW1 battleship, in 64m), RMS Amazon (a luxury liner lost in WW1, in 117m), HMS Viknor (an armed merchant cruiser lost in WW1, in 86m) and HMS Hurst Castle (a British corvette lost in WW2, in 90m). It is no coincidence that your favourites are the ones that grab your attention above water as well and make you want to know more about their history. If you post pictures online and are fortunate, this leads on to contact with relatives from some of the navy and merchantmen who worked, and died, on these ships and this introduces a whole new experience to your diving.
Lots of possibilities!
We are now in the ‘golden age’ of diving where we can use rebreather technology to go to these wrecks and they are still there, despite visual degradation from year to year. Ireland has a lot to offer a passionate deep diver and the rewards are found in the joy of exploration and the camaraderie that comes with such extreme pursuits. ◼
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY with John Collins in
Marsa Shagra
9-16 September 2015 Successful in competition and widely published, in magazines, brochures and books, John has a big following of underwater photographers, eager to join him and enhance their photo skills. What better place than Marsa Shagra which benefits from an extensive and diverse house reef with hard and soft corals of offshore quality. PLACES ARE LIMITED. CONTACT OONASDIVERS TODAY TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
Tel: 01323 648924 Email: info@oonasdivers.com
WWW.OONASDIVERS.COM SubSea Summer 2015 31
Drifter, Trawlers, and the Guide Me II in the Great War By Martin Baillie-Johnston and Colm Lowney
SS Glengariff17
Several words have been used to describe the Guide Me II wreck in Dublin bay. Deep (by Recreational diving standards), Dark, and Challenging being probably some of the most notable. Though a relatively small wreck, the Guide Me II is very popular with divers. It was lost during a war the likes of the world had never seen before; came from a large local fishing industry and became part of a new type of costal defence to combat a threat that really first made an impact in the great war, the submarine.
One of the largest fishing ports in the United Kingdom; Peterhead is located in Aberdeenshire on the east coast of Scotland. In the late 1880s there was a fishing boom in Scotland that stemmed from the growing market for Pickled or Cured Herrings. Due to the increased demand for Herring fishing, new larger, more stable boats were developed. These new boats used drift net fishing gear and fished in deeper waters. Herring swim in large shoals, usually close to the surface at dusk. Nets were cast from the boats at dusk and the boats would then drift on the tide until the nets were fully suspended. At dawn each morning the nets would be hauled in full of herring.
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Early types of Drifter boats were sail powered wooden boats. The first steam built drifters were built around the end of the 19th century and were considerably faster than their sail counterparts. A steam drifter could cost up to three the times the price of a sail drifter. This increased cost led to many partnerships between fishermen and fish curers, each having a share in the boat.
In 1907 the Aberdeen ship builder Hall and Russell built the Guide Me II, a Steam Herring Drifter. Hall and Russell were formed in 1864 and went on to build numerous ships, including several ships for the Royal Navy. Probably the most famous ship made by Hall and Russell was the
Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior which was bombed and sunk in 1985. The Guide Me II was a Steam Herring Drifter with a length of 86 3/12’, breath of 18 7/12’, depth of 9 5/6’ and a gross weight of 100 ton. In 1907 two residents of Peterhead, John Mitchel and John Cow became the first owners of the Guide Me II. John Cow was a fisherman and John Mitchell was a Fish Curer having a staff of about 11 workers at one point. The Cow and Mitchell families appear to have jointly owned or leased several boats together during the first quarter of the 20th century. The Guide Me II continued to be registered to her home port of Peterhead up until the time the First World War broke out. She was hired out to the Admiralty in March of 1915 for wartime service.
Guide Me II Before a single shot had even been fired in the First World War both navies of Great Britain and Germany were already planning how best to use their submarine fleets in the event of war. At the start of the 20th century submarines were really a revolutionary weapon untested in war. Prior to the outbreak of war Admiral Jackie Fisher shocked his colleagues in the admiralty by even daring to suggest that the submarine could be used for commerce raiding but across the north sea in Germany that was exactly what the Germans were planning. Even when war broke out both sides were still unprepared for outright conflict and how best to combat the U-boat threat was an unanswered question for the allies. As the war progressed and German U-boats began to sink allied ships and the Royal Navy fell back to the idea of the Auxiliary Patrol vessels which were for the best part merchant navy trawlers and drifters drafted into military service. The idea of using trawlers and drifters to fight a war may sound odd, but who better to use than local fishermen who knew the waters, were familiar with their vessels and could operate effectively with little training. The Royal Navy was quick to secure vessels and the larger newer vessels were commissioned as antisubmarine ships whilst the older smaller ones became minesweeping vessels. The ships were converted and armed with deck guns and training given in their use. In the early days of patrolling the drifters and trawlers had no acoustic systems with which to listen for U-boats. As the Royal Navy became better organised patrol lines were established around the British and Irish waters and the admiralty co-ordinated all patrol operations. In the Irish Sea for example ships patrolled between Tuskar and Bardsey Island and between Youghal-Tuskar-BristolChannel-Scillies with nets being towed by drifters, protected by half a dozen armed trawlers. When the war expanded into the Mediterranean Sea the auxiliary patrols were also on duty there, in the Greek waters of Adriatic and particularly in supporting the Gallipoli landings.
World War 1 Armed Trawler17
With the introduction of the convoy system late in the war allied sinking’s passed their high water mark and shipping losses declined dramatically. As testament to the success of the auxiliary patrol system when World War 2 broke out the Royal Navy requisitioned drifters and trawlers once more for action. (One of the authors had the good fortune to dive on HMS Aston Villa an antisubmarine trawler in Norway in 2010).
Today we know it as Dun Laoghaire but back in World War One it was called Kingstown, and the harbour was extremely active. The shore based establishment HMS Boadicea II was located there and served as the base for the armed trawlers and drifters operating out of the port. In 1918 the HM Drifter Guide Me II was being used for Anti-Submarine duties after being fitted with a six pounder gun, and was based at Kingstown. The Guide Me II had two incidents of note, on the 3rd of Nov 1917 the Guide Me II was carrying out antiSubmarine duties near the Burford Buoy when she spotted a submarine and fired Very lights over her. Later that same night she almost collided with a German submarine (thought to be UC-75) when it passed her at no more than 50-100 yards, before disappearing into the night. On the fateful night of the 29th of Aug 1918 whilst on patrol close to the Muglins Islands the Guide Me II was sunk in a collision with the SS Glengariff. The weekly naval report
form Kingstown ending on the 31st of August states: “On the 29th Inst, at 11:50pm the S.S “GLENGARIFF” collided with, and sunk, H.M.Drifter “GUIDE ME II”, in position one mile East South East of the Muglins. One rating, Deck Hand John Edward Archibald, O.N. 15896 DAN , is missing. The loss of H.M. Drifter GUIDE ME II was reported in Kingstown telegram 1220 of the 30th August. A court of Inquiry was held at Kingstown on the 30th inst and the minutes and findings forwarded in my submission No 43/413 of the 31st of August 1918”
Note the authors tried to obtain the telegram and submission mentioned above, but were unsuccessful. It is thought that both ships were running with their lights out, the S.S Glengariff to avoid U-boats and the Guide Me II to hunt for U-boats. Unfortunately both ships collided in the dark with the Glengariff striking the Guide Me II just forward of her stern on the starboard side.
John Edward Archbold entered the Royal Naval Reserve in April 1917. He was a native of Craster, a small fishing village on the Northumbrian coast of England. John was born in 1885 and his father, a fisherman was found drowned in 1901. John himself worked as a stone breaker for many years before the war. He came to be serving with HMS Boadicea II in June 1918. His only Brother Thomas also a fisherman was lost at sea in 1928. SubSea Summer 2015 33
Guide Me II Generally there is life on the wreck throughout the season with congers throughout it, plus some monster lobsters. There can be shoals of different fish on it depending on the time of year.
Diver ascending onto the wreck18
Thanks to Mick O’Rourke, Ian Lawler, Edward Bourke , Stella Fraser (Aberdeen Archives), Richard McCormick, Joe Varley, Seamus O’Connor, Pat Sweeney (Irish Maritime Museum) Linda Fitzpatrick (Scottish Fisheries Museum), Meredith Greiling (Aberdeen Maritime History), Rod McDonald, Abigail Reed (Scottish Maritime Museum), Roy Stokes, Mark Stanley. ◼ 1 (http://www.nefa.net/nefajnr/archive/ peopleandlife/sea/fisherfolk.htm) Accessed 14 Apr 2015 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_east_ coast_fishery) Accessed 14 Apr 2015 3 (http://www.nefa.net/archive/peopleandlife/ sea/herring.htm) Accessed 14 Apr 2015 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall,_Russell_ %26_Company) Accessed 27 Mar 2015 5 [Peterhead Steam Drifters, by D Anderson] 6 (http://trees.ancestry.co.uk) Accessed 13 Apr 2015 7 (http://www.aberdeenships.com/single.asp? searchFor=guide+me+ii& index=101132) Accessed 13 Apr 2015
Fish on the wreck18
The SS Glengariff was a ‘lucky’ ship belonging to the City of Cork Steam Packet Co. built in 1893. She completed several voyages during World War 1 and seems to have led a charmed life, being one of only two steamers to have survived the war. After the war she was returned to her owners in Feb 1919 before being scrapped in 1924.HM Submarine D6.
The wreck is mainly intact and the original lines, hull and some of the superstructure are visible. The gun mount at the bow is also clearly distinguishable; the gun itself was raised by divers in the 1990s. Making your way along the deck from the bow to the stern on the port side the forward hatches are visible, though the covers are gone as are the
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stern ones. The holds are full of sand now. Past the wheel house it is possible to see part of the funnel, the rest of which appears to be lying on the sand beside the ship. The stern is circular in shape and the rudder is visible. Rounding the stern heading for the bow on the starboard side, about 3-4m from it, the impact point where the ship was rammed is visible. The gash is pretty significant and deep being approximately 2m in width and seems to go back into the ship about 2m. It is possible to see the bulkheads when looking through the gash. Moving past the gash the starboard side is pretty much the same as the port with Congers living under the hull. On the deck level it’s possible to see some of the circular openings to what may have been air vents as they are too narrow to be a hatch. Down to the bow again it is pretty well preserved.
8 (http://www.naval-history.net/WW1BookMN2aMerchant_Navy_in_WW1_Hurd.htm) Accessed Mar 18 2015 9 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ p02305l1) Accessed Mar 18 2015 10 (http://historyhubulster.co.uk/harboursdockyards-anchorages-ireland/) Accessed Apr 16 2015 11 H.S. 540 ADM 137 AREA 16 KINGSTOWN Weekly Reports Auxiliary Patrol, Weekly report for week ending 31st August 1918. 12 [Irish Passenger Steamship Services Vol 2; South of Ireland, by D.B. McNeill] 13 [U-Boat Alley, by Roy Stokes] 14 [Lloyds Register 1911-12] 15 (http://www.crasterhistory.org.uk/War%20 Memorials/WW1/ Archbold%20JEJ/Archbold%20JEJ.Html) Accessed Apr 16 2015 16 John Edward James Archbold Service record obtained from the National Archives in Kew 16 May 2014 17 Ian Lawler Collection 18 Copyright in all underwater photographs in this article resides with Mr Mark Stanley.
Hook Peninsula By Dearbhla Walsh
The Hook Peninsula, located in south county Wexford is home to one of the world’s most famous and long established lighthouses. The lighthouse watches over two of the most beautiful shore dives in the south east: Tower Hole and Solomon’s Hole (also known as Anchor Cave or the Bath tub). Pink Sea Fan on Coningbeg. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue. SubSea Summer 2015 35
Hook Peninsula
Solomon’s Hole. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
Tower Hole or Rays Hole as it became known after Ray D’arcy had his ‘Try a Dive’ there, is a fantastic 10m dive. Once you enter the water, a gully takes you right along the base of the rocks under the lighthouse. On your way, you will find a small swim through that is always teeming with squat lobsters, harbour crabs and shrimp. Further along, there is a deep crack in the rock that is home to several lobsters and blennies. As you continue south away from the lighthouse the gully opens up into a stony bottom littered with spider crabs and for those of you with eagle eyes, flat fish. Further on, there is a sandy bottom, an excellent place to search for sand eels especially at night. Tower Hole is also a good place to spot an octopus or two although usually on a night dive. Solomon’s Hole is the second shore dive in the shadow of the lighthouse. This dive is particularly special, as the entry point is only accessible at high tide in calm conditions. The entry point is a blow hole (bath tub) that opens out onto the far side of the rocks in front of the lighthouse. The colour and life on
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this side of the rocks is truly breathtaking but the highlight of this dive is the large anchor that sits at the mouth of a gully. If you pass over this and head up the gully there is a large cave though it can get very cramped near the end. If you are very lucky you might even meet the resident seal!
Diver and Dogfish, Tower Hole. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
Away from the lighthouse back up the road towards Slade Harbour there is an absolute hidden gem of a shore dive. Churchtown not only has its own wreck and cave dives but the most magnificent blowhole swim-through in the South East. In order to get to this magical spot, it requires a little bit of cross-country walking but it is all worth it. Under the calm waters of the cove at Churchtown lies the wreck of the Schlesin. Much of the wreck is destroyed but its winch system remains along with part of the hull and the impressive propeller. Leaving the cove, and following the sandy bottom there is a series of gullies filled with wrasse and jewel anemones. These gullies lead to a very large swim through cave with blow holes in the roof. This is the most spectacular part of the dive, with the light shining through the roof of the cave onto the stony bottom. Following on through the gullies you finally come to a smaller cave with plenty of life hidden among the rocks. Churchtown is a beautiful dive and well worth the trek! Leaving the Hook shoreline through Slade Harbour the sea opens
Hook Peninsula
Schlesin Propeller. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
up to an endless supply of dive sites. We will just highlight a few of the most notable ones around the Hook Peninsula. Two of the most famous dive sites in the area are The Girl Arlene and the Lismore. Both are impressive wreck dives. The Girl Arleen is the wreck of a fishing trawler and sits 27m below the surface. It lies due east of Baggabaun head and is 4 miles from Slade harbour or 10 miles from Kilmore Quay. The trawler went down in 1995 after the collision with another boat in the fog. The wreck is mostly broken up and quite flattened. There is a wide variety of sea life visible. Lobsters and conger eels are regularly seen within her wreckage while thick shoals of cod circle the area. The second most popular wreck in the area is the Lismore. This outstanding wreck lies in 35m (LW) / 38m (HW) of water. It is approximately six nautical miles southwest of Kilmore Quay (half way between Kilmore Quay and Hook Head in fact). The wreck is well broken up but it never fails to impress and it’s always a really great dive.
To get to the stern, you should see the drive shaft extending along the bottom leading to the props beneath the stern. If you’re planning on doing the bow and you see a long cylindrical pipe, turn back, you’re heading towards the stern! Along the way, you may spot bollards and metal plates until the impressive stern rises tall out of the sand. The stern section is stuffed full
of fish life, congers eels, bib, whiting and Pollock. Heading off towards the bow, there is extensive wreckage scattered around with a few pieces making swimthroughs for those that dare. The bow section forms a small enclosed room that teems with fish life including Wrasse, Pollock, Bib and Ling. It is possible to do numerous swim-
Western Brandie. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
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Hook Peninsula
Diver on winch of The Lennox. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
throughs at this point. The wreck is also covered in Lobsters, Crabs and many Conger Eels of all sizes, from very small to enormous. There is a huge boiler sitting on the seabed as well with lots of holes of varying sizes. These were filled with life. Two of the most impressive scenic dives around the Hook are the Big Rock (Western Bradie) and Western Rock. The Big Rock is a rock pinnacle 4 miles from Slade or 7 miles from Fethard Harbour, south-east of Hook Head. During the summer, it is always a good spot for Dolphins. The rock is approximately 15m high and the surrounding seabed is 30 to 35m deep. The steepest wall seems to be on the South East side of the rock although any side of the rock can be dived. This site is absolutely teeming with fish life with shoals of Pollock, Coalfish, Mackerel and Whiting in season. At the bottom of the wall, there are large boulders and gullies with lots of Wrasse, Conger Eels, Dogfish and a John Dory was even spotted. Western Rock is no less impressive. This rock is deeper than Big Rock with just as much sea life. It even has an elusive pink sea fan and a few rather large Crayfish. Further east from Slade Harbour lie the spectacular Saltee Islands. These two islands have beautiful dive sites and nearly as much wildlife above the water as below. The islands are home to thousands of seabirds and seals. One of the most impressive shallow dives is the wreck of The
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Lennox. It was a steamer and lies at 10-18m at the back of the Great Saltee. The wreck sits parallel to the Collough Rocks with its bow pointing out to sea. The wreck is well broken up and is mostly covered in kelp making divers wonder if they have actually found it. However, closer examination soon reveals that the
“Further east from Slade Harbour lie the spectacular Saltee Islands. These two islands have beautiful dive sites and nearly as much wildlife above the water as below. The islands are home to thousands of seabirds and seals. One of the most impressive shallow dives is the wreck of The Lennox.” wreck is scattered everywhere. This site is suitable for novice divers and is well dived by local clubs for training and pleasure. The S.S. Lennox was sunk when she was chased by a submarine onto the rocks at the Great Saltee. Built in 1895 by Barclay Curle & Co. Glasgow, she grossed 3,677 tons
and measured 107.44m x 13.46m x 7.72m and was powered by a 3 cylinder triple expansion engine. Kilmore Lifeboat rescued the crew of 45. It will come under the 100-year rule in 2016. Two of the best scenic dives in the area are Conigbeg and Coningmor. Coningbeg rock is fully submerged at high water, which can make it hard to find on a flat calm day. However, the slightest swell means that the sea can be seen breaking over the top. It is very easy to find depths up to 45m here, although the impressive rock formations also allow great shallow dives. The remains of a lighthouse may be seen on the bottom as well as parts of an unknown wreck. A good place to drop divers is on the landward side of the rock. We dropped divers landward and seaward and they all reported a superb dive. The rocks are covered with all sorts of coloured Anemones. Large Wrasse of all types curiously stare at you as you descend into the depths, swimming amongst Ling, Pollock and Bib. Lobsters, Spider Crabs and Congers Eels all await you at the bottom, happily moving about in the light as if they don’t have a care in the world. The rock is covered with large gullies through which the currents will gently pull you along. This has got to rate amongst the most beautiful Irish scenic dives. However, it must be noted that strange currents may be encountered at all depths, including up and down currents, making decompression a tricky business, and to be avoided if possible. Slack is a must. Conigmore is the larger of the two Coning rocks. It can be seen as it lies above water. The area is full of seals, which can be observed underwater close to the rock. The general depth is around 20-30m with good fish life and rock formations. This is a slack water dive. Divers report it is a nice dive but a bit on the boring side. These are only a few of the dive sites in the area. There are, of course, many more such as Harry’s Wreck, the Mine Sweeper and the Idaho. We hope that this encourages you to come and explore some of the amazing dive sites around the Hook peninsula. ◼
Red Sea
North to South By Ivan Donoghue
Brian Martin descends onto a pinnacle at Paradise Reef. Photo by and Š Ivan Donoghue.
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Red Sea
Brian Martin swims over the wreck of the “Heaven” liveaboard. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
It’s not often you get the chance to holiday in the Red Sea and it’s a miracle when you get to do two trips within a few months of each other. But miracles do happen and that’s how I found myself on a club trip to the southern Red Sea in October 2014 and a family trip to Sharm in February 2015 (search YouTube for “ivan donoghue red sea”, to see videos of dives mentioned) The southern trip had a superb itinerary, with seventeen dives planned for the more remote reefs. Getting there and back was the only tiresome part of the week as we first had to fly via Gatwick to the Egyptian city of Hurghada. Then we had a four hour bus transfer to the coastal town of Port Ghalib, where travel company Blue O2 had moored our thirty seven metre long liveaboard boat, Blue Voyager. We slept (ensuite cabins), ate and dived from this wonderful boat for the whole week. Food was very good and varied and after a first dive at 7am, coming back to a simple, but tastily cooked breakfast was a delight. The first morning we left harbour for two nearby dive sites called Abu
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Dahab 1 & 2. The purpose was to ensure our dive gear was working before heading further out to sea. The check dives were brilliant in themselves and on this dive, we came across the wooden remains of an old liveaboard which sank in 2004.
“Night diving with other liveaboard divers in the water is a bit like being an extra in a Star Wars battle scene where powerful LED torches cut through the darkness like a light sabre.” Our second day saw us complete four dives and we began at Small Habili, a reef which can be circumnavigated on one dive. There can be a slight current at the reef corner, but it is easy to swim through. We then headed via small RIBs to the surreal Umm Gock which had several large pinnacles rising from the sand. We cast our moorings after the morning dives and headed to Big Gotta.
Before each dive, dive guides Jose and Tarik gave us a comprehensive brief explaining the main points of interest. Directions at Big Gotta were as simple as “keep the reef on your right until you come to a huge coral and just above this you will find a cave system to explore. Coming back, keep the reef on your left and keep going till you see our moorings lines with the Blue O2 flag”...simple. The cave system here was lovely with light streaming in and we explored it twice. When we got back to our ascent point, my magnet underwater, the Anemone fish was right by our mooring line and after eighty minutes, my buddy and I quietly climbed back onto the boat deck and sheepishly gave our dive time to the Divemaster. The general routine was to dive a site and then move to the next one. While this might be great for the majority of divers to see new places, for photographers it was frustrating, as some locations like the caves of St. John’s or Elphinstone could have benefitted from a full day’s diving there. It was also frustrating that we didn’t have time to snorkel between
Red Sea
Daedalus Reef. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
dives and even when we were moored at Daedalus reef for two days, it is a marine reserve and snorkelling is banned. Every dive was on 32% nitrox, so decompression was never an issue and everyone felt very fresh during the week’s diving. When we returned to the dive deck, the compressor technician filled the cylinders for the next dive. All we had to do was analyse the mix, reconnect the first stage and we were ready to go. Another quick trip brought us to Paradise Reef, where during a night dive, we witnessed free swimming Moray Eels, and hunting Lionfish using our torch light to illuminate their prey. Night diving with other liveaboard divers in the water is a bit like being an extra in a Star Wars battle scene where powerful LED torches cut through the darkness like a light sabre. Morning saw us dive the site again, but with the new perspective of seeing it in daylight. Just under the boat we descended onto coral pinnacles and when we headed back to the main reef, we had a small swim through cavern system.
Our next dive that day was at the area I was looking forward to most.....St. John’s Caves. Even from the boat deck, this site looked very inviting with the reef set against an azure sea. Luckily, my buddy had dived here before, so he guided me through the labyrinth of swim throughs, caverns and overhangs. The high sunlight pierces holes in the cave ceiling and travels through the water before
shimmering on the sand. It was a magical experience and it’s no wonder a lot of dedicated photo trips spend time here. The water temperature was 27 degrees Celsius and very quickly some of the group decided to dive in just shorts and t-shirts. In the cave system, where water movement was minimal, you swam into some sections and it was like stepping into a greenhouse.
Group picture. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
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Red Sea
Manta Ray. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
Courtesy of Canon Ireland, I brought their G1x compact camera to test out. I had a few dives with it and it has real potential for great image making. Its wide angle of view and manual settings worked a treat in the clear water. I ended up lending it to another diver whose own camera housing had broken. He was delighted with the G1x and I had to prise it from his fingers when it was time to take it back. After St. John’s we headed back north and the highlight for many, was the next six dives on Daedalus reef.
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Due to it being the only reef for hundreds of kilometres, it is used as a reference point and feeding site for big animals. Divers go there to interact with the big pelagics and it was here that a school of Hammerhead Sharks swam around us and where I saw my first Manta after twenty five years of wishing. The dive guides said they have not seen Hammerheads congregate in such large numbers that year, and it was clear the luck of the Irish was working. If you ever heard that most annoying of sayings, “you
should have been here last week”, well we were there that week. After two days at Daedalus, we cast our moorings and headed further north. While the captain steered the boat, we chatted on the warm upper decks watching the stars overhead and the lights of distant container ships. On the last day, we dived the famous Elphinstone, where the current helps you along the kilometre long reef. At the dive’s end we fleetingly saw a small Oceanic Whitetip shark, but they can be found in great numbers if you swim to the reef ’s end. Before arrival at port, we struck gold again by diving with the elusive Dugong. Too soon, we were back on dry land where restaurants, shops and bars were within a stone’s throw of the liveaboards. The next day, we began the journey home..... .....Four months later, I was off again with family, but this time with the handiness of a direct flight and a ten minute taxi transfer to the hotel. Although our hotel had a dive centre, I had arranged to dive with Sinai Blues, who are based at the Four Seasons Hotel. Their professional and efficient service came highly recommended and they guaranteed early morning RIB dives from their jetty to the local Tiran Straits. They are more expensive than some of the other centres, but I chose to pay the extra as their set up suited my needs. My fist RIB dive was at the world famous Jackson Reef and it was just myself and my dive leader John Kean (author and professional diver) on the whole reef ! This was at 8.30am on a flat calm morning in mid-February and well before any of the day boats arrived. Jackson reef was the best dive of the whole trip. On the southern trip, one of our colleagues didn’t see a turtle for the whole trip despite desperately wishing for such an encounter, and at Jackson, we dropped straight down on one, munching its way through the coral. Towards the end of the dive, a nice current had built up and we just went with the flow. The second day we dived Gordon Reef, which has nice soft corals interspersed with barrels from the Loullia wreck, which still remains precariously perched on the reef top. We dived here twice during the week
Red Sea
John Keane in the shallows of Jackson Reef. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
as the sea conditions were a bit rough for the more exposed reefs. A nice coda on my last dive at Gordons was that the Blue Voyager liveaboard was there and I used their mooring line to wait for my RIB. When you are in areas where large dive boats moor you have to be very careful that you can remain neutrally buoyant in the shallows, because you do not want to be surfacing there unannounced. Back at my hotel, we snorkelled at the house reef and spotted all the usual fish including some large Napoleon wrasse. I did one dive at our hotel’s house and I was impressed with it. We saw at least four colonies of anemone fish, gorgonian fans, moray and more lionfish than I could count. One problem with the house reef at this time of year is that the sun goes down early, so afternoon dives are cast in shadow. This is also true for snorkelling, so my advice is to go early in the day, as it will increase reef vibrancy when the sun is shining on it. Despite recent troubles in the region, the Egyptian Red Sea still holds a magical draw for divers and the
reason is simple....world class diving. Not once during either trip did I feel anything but 100% safe. Every company I dealt with, did so with a great deal of professionalism and customer service and more
importantly was that the people I dealt with from the taxi driver to the dive leaders did their work with a smile on their face. All I need now is for miracles to happen in threes........... ◼
Anemone fish. Photo by and © Ivan Donoghue.
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Dive Ireland 20 Words by Damien McGuirk
It is well known that every year the Irish diving community comes together at Dive Ireland, an event which has run for many years now under the auspices of CFT. Such gatherings are very special for Irish divers, whether it is to hook up with buddies old and new, to feast one’s peepers at the myriad of diving goodies on display (and part with the shekels for same), or for Irish diving clubs to keep the finger on the pulse of CFT. Of particular note at these occasions, is the increased presence of the Irish underwater photography community in the form of the CFT Underwater Photography group which was originally incepted in 2010, and now
has currently 700+ members on Facebook. An initial “get together in the flesh” of this group took place at a DCU lecture theatre one grey January Day in 2011. This meeting was hosted by Brian Stone of the Curragh
‘Master’ Brian Stone. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
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SAC, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended. In 2012, things got a little bit more formal. A series of underwater photo talks was conceived and organised by the FB group’s moderator Sir Ivan Donoghue
15 - Thro’ a camera eye Images by Ivan Donoghue
(Wexford SAC), with the aim of hosting same at the Dive Ireland event. These talks would run in parallel to the main speakers hosted by the Dive Ireland organisers, and would feature Irish UW photographers and their images. In addition to this, an exhibition of photographer’s images was also conceived via Brian, which further complimented and enhanced the occasion, thus bringing Irish Underwater photography firmly under the spotlight. For those of you who didn’t make it to the photo talks at this year’s show, here’s a summary of what was on show from the camera eye. First to mention, was this year’s exhibition of underwater images.
Thanks to the trojan work of Master Brian Stone and his band of helpers, a total of 100 wonderful underwater images from a cross section of Irish UW photography talent, were on display for everyone to enjoy and it was the first thing that hit you when you walked into the lobby of the Great National Abbey Court Hotel. The images displayed at Dive Ireland 2015 marked the diversity of pictures that Irish divers make when they are ‘Fo Thiunn’ so to speak, and were of a quality that all contributors can justifiably be proud of. It was great to see so many visitors to Dive Ireland 2015, both young and old, taking their time to view the images, giving each one the scrutiny and appreciation they deserved.
There were many lovely images of flora and fauna which are to be found in our waters. Indeed, it never ceases to delight when you here the dulcet tones of an admirer say ‘Jaysus, I never knew we had dat on our doorsteps!’ The exhibit was further enhanced with photos taken on diving holidays abroad. These images took the form of nemo fish, turtles, sharks, and a host of other eye candies including Russian ice diving images captured by Sarah Tallon, which caused more than one raised eyebrow in terms of beauty and composition. As a result of Ms. Tallon’s work, I think we might see more Irish divers trying ice diving in the near future! As for the speakers, we had an eclectic line up this year.
‘Macro Man’ Martin Kiely. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
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Thro’ a camera eye
CFT President & Go Pro Guru, Mr. Mike Orth. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
On Saturday morning, Joe Hyland hit the ground running with his opening presentation on compact cameras. This talk is probably one of the most important in that nearly all ‘would be’ underwater photographers start off using compact cameras. Joe’s talk certainly set the bar for other speakers to come and his level of professionalism in presentation skills was there for all to see. Next up was Kinsale’s finest, Mr. John Collins, a well known underwater photographer. John treated us to some of his favourite images and anecdotes that highlighted his photographic journey from the old Nikonos cameras to the relatively new ‘mirrorless’ camera system he uses today. If at this stage, you haven’t got yourself a copy of his book ‘Cool Waters, Temperate Seas’, then I would strongly urge you to get one. It is a marvellous UW photo tome from ‘one of our own’, and worthy of a purchase. After lunch, we had another great clutch of images and thought processes from the ‘grand daddy’ (as Ivan put it), and popular guest speaker on the Irish
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diving scene, Mr. Nigel Motyer. Now there may be a few grey hairs present on the head of Mr. Motyer, but he is far from hanging up his fins or camera just yet. Nigel showed us images from his adventures in the Maldives and South Africa in 2014, and shared some thoughts on what makes him tick when he creates the same. It is always of huge benefit to budding underwater photographers to get insights from seasoned pros like Nigel and John. Indeed, we will be waiting in great anticipation for the best seller ‘Travels with a camera: Words and Images’ by N. Motyer in the not-too-distant future I’m sure! Nick Pfeiffer finished off the day, with a wonderful talk on his forays into the world of the mighty blue shark. His detailed talk covered how, after many years of trial and error, he finally managed to get these magnificent creatures to appear under the keel of his boat and pose for the camera. The audience was quite taken with the story of his encounters. He also gave the audience valuable information on what is involved, both logistically and
photographically, in getting Irish blue shark images. It should be noted that some of Nick’s Blue shark images featured in an article in the Irish Times last year. Finally, a ‘question and answers’ session hosted by Ivan, wrapped up the day’s proceedings nicely, with Nigel, John, Nick, and a guest speaker from the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP)by the name of Paul Colley. It gave audience members a chance to ask more detailed questions of all the speakers, in a nice relaxed atmosphere. A lovely end to a perfect Saturday! All and sundry duly retreated for dinner, and then to the bar, where women swooned, gods were created, and tall tales told. The same tales got gradually taller and taller… until the rivers of fire water and porter ran dry in the wee hours. Despite some hangovers next morn (and a forthcoming rugby match between the boys in green and the Anglo-Saxon hordes), this did not in any way deter the next round of talks, which were also very well attended.
Thro’ a camera eye
Nigel Motyer. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
Paul Colley, award winning author of the book ‘Winning images with any underwater camera’. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
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Thro’ a camera eye
Sarah Tallon on her ice diving adventures in Russia. Photo by Ivan Donoghue.
We had contributions from Martin ‘Macro Man’ Kiely, who gave a particularly lovely talk on the Salt lake dive site in Connemara, and the beautiful little critters he finds and photographs there. Martin is a very passionate photographer, and this was evident for all to see and hear in his talk. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more beautiful images of his work in the future. The next talk by Sarah Tallon on her ice diving adventures in Russia was particularly interesting, and at the end of the talk, all attendees were literally frozen in awe. It was so novel to see ice structures taking the place of surface water in her images. A unique experience and a unique set of images for sure. Paul Colley, award winning author of the book ‘Winning images with any underwater camera’ graced the boards with a presentation that summed up the core essence of his book, and also came with the all important promotion of the inaugural British and Irish Underwater Photography Competition -2015 which is to be run on Sept. 5th 2015. This competition is the first of its kind for BSOUP, and
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will allow any UW photographer in the emerald isle to pit himself/herself against their brothers and sisters from England, Scotland, and Wales for some very big prizes. To enter see www.biupc.org for more details.) The afternoon talks started off with Ken Sullivan, director of ‘Farraigi na hEireann’ and ‘Ireland’s Ocean’s’ TV programmes. Ken’s passion for his craft was so palpable you could cut it with a knife, as he enthralled us with his stories and favourite footage from the series, including one particularly beautiful sequence of dolphins breaching the water. That passion certainly comes across in the quality of his programmes and it must be said that Ken’s work just goes to show how much interest that capturing images, be they stills or moving pictures, can bring to the viewer in general and the Irish diver in particular. The Sunday sessions came to a close with a talk by CFT president and Go Pro guru, Mr. Mike Orth esq. Mike talked and walked us through the ‘getting started’, and the basic do’s and don’ts when using a Go Pro camera underwater. He also treated us to some great video clips from his
own personal archives that showed us what a Go Pro can do in the right hands. All in all, it was a happy ending to the day’s proceedings. So that was UW Photo Dive Ireland 2015, a weekend that was truly wonderful for all. Great credit and gratitude is due to Brian and Ivan, for their cumulative efforts over many years, in making the underwater photo aspect of Dive Ireland the super occasion that it is. It is also hoped that the exhibition will go on the road this year, so keep an eye on the CFT FB underwater photo group for updates. Well deserved credit is also due to the host club this year Lough Derg Sub Aqua club who performed a sterling job in making sure that this wonderful gathering went smoothly and happily for all that attended Dive Ireland 2015. The CFT UW photography group will most certainly be there in 2016. So go forth, buy that camera housing, and start taking pictures on your next dive! We look forward to seeing your images on the CFT Underwater Photography FB group very soon!! ◼
Report on Dungannon Scout Group By Martine McCarthy
First Tyrone Scout Group, Dungannon. Photo by Gearoid McCarthy.
In January of 2015, Dungannon First Tyrone Scout Group contacted Dungannon SAC to ask their assistance with one of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards a number of the scouts were looking to achieve. As part of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards the scouts could achieve a ‘sports badge’ and this is where Dungannon SAC came in. A number of the scouts were interested in learning to Snorkel and learn about the marine life around our Coast. This approach was positively received by Dungannon SAC, as just prior to this, a number of members of Dungannon SAC had expressed an interest in doing the Snorkel Instructor Course. Dungannon SAC is a very family orientated club and hold a pool session every Wednesday night in Dungannon Leisure Centre. At these pool sessions the Club members practice their SCUBA and Snorkelling skills as well as maintaining their water fitness. Along with the older members, you will also find the next generation of snorkelers and divers. Members bring their kids to join them in the pool. In January 2015, members of Dungannon SAC took part in a Snorkel Guide course, this being the first step in achieving the Snorkel Instructor qualification. Following the approach
from Dungannon First Tyrone Scout Group, Dungannon SAC approached the NSO, Martine McCarthy for assistance. Martine, being a member of Pisces Snorkelling Club based in Monaghan offered to help out, so plans were put in place to for a Snorkel Training Course. As part of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, the scouts had to get a recognised qualification and have 12 hours tuition. The decision was taken to deliver the Snorkel Splash Course along with the lectures from the Snorkel Fundamentals which include a series on Marine Life. So at the end of February, the course commenced with a series of lectures on marine life and the basics of snorkelling, delivered by Martine and assisted by the RDO.
Following this, the pool sessions commenced. There were sixteen children to be supervised in the pool, so Martine called on the assistance of members from her own Club, Bronagh McCarthy and Lorraine Casey. Also included were the new Snorkel Guides form Dungannon, Mickey Mullen, Damien O’Donnell and Noel Abernethy. Over the next ten weeks, the children, both boys and girls aged seven to fourteen, learned about the importance of working in buddy pairs and looking out for each other. Each week you could see the enthusiasm of the children and young teenagers to learn more. The pool sessions began with the instructors dividing the group into smaller more manageable groups and briefing them on the new skill they SubSea Summer 2015 49
Dungannon Scouts
National Snorkelling Officer, Martine McCarthy with CFT mascot. Photo by Gearoid McCarthy.
were going to learn that night. This was then followed by the group leaders demonstrating the skill and asking the students to practice the skill. The snorkelling skills included, • Entries • Finning Technique • Mask and Snorkel Clearing • Duck Diving • Forward and Backward rolls • Towing a casualty. • Ditch and Recovery of Gear By repeating the skill a number of times the students gained confidence and proficiency. Over the weeks, the students began to string together the individual tasks to be able to snorkel a number of lengths of the pool, duck dive down to the floor and retrieve a toy or swim through a hoop for fun. By including ‘games’ in the training, it made it fun for both the student and the instructor. At the end of the ten weeks in the pool with pool sessions every Wednesday evening, the students had gained significant water confidence and were duck diving down to the deep end of the pool (which in Dungannon Leisure Centre is 3.5m deep) with ease. The students were then assessed by our NSO and awarded the Snorkel
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Practicing snorkel skills. Photo by Gearoid McCarthy.
Splash Certificate. A Presentation Night was held where all the students, including the Scout Leader, were presented with Certificates by the NSO. Present on the night were the Chairperson and members of Dungannon SAC, the Regional Diving Officer and Dungannon Leisure Centre management. The local newspapers were invited and the two local papers had photographers there on the night. It was agreed that when the weather improves and when the sea temperature warms up, the members
of Dungannon First Tyrone Scout Group will do their ‘Open Water’ snorkels and be awarded the Snorkel Fundamentals Certificate. I would like to thank Dungannon SAC, Pisces Snorkelling Club, Dungannon Leisure Centre management, and Dungannon First Tyrone Scout Group for coming together as a group and making such a collaboration work to allow Dungannon First Tyrone Scout Group achieve their Duke of Edinburgh awards. ◼
Presentation of certificates by National Snorkelling Officer Martine McCarthy. Photo by Gearoid McCarthy.
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