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Moves to protect 111-year-old shipwreck washed up by storm on Kerry beach

The ‘Sunbeam’ schooner had lain partially buried in the sand just offshore ever since she ran aground while on a voyage from Kinvara in Cork in 1903.

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The Sunbeam pictured after the storm [Image: Seán Mac an tSíthigh]

THE NATIONAL MONUMENTS Service is taking steps to protect the wreck of a 150-year-old schooner dislodged from its century-old resting place off the coast of Kerry and washed up on a beach as a result of last weekend’s storms.

The ‘Sunbeam’ — built in England in 1860 — was driven ashore amid high winds while on a voyage from Co Cork in 1903 with no loss of life.

Over the intervening decades, the wreck has become something of an attraction on Rossbeigh Beach, with photographers regularly making trips to the site to capture images of the ship’s skeletal remains poking from beneath the sand in the shallows.

Local photographer Matthew Murphy, who lives nearby, believes he may have captured the last image of the ship before it was dislodged:

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[Image: Matthew Murphy Photography]

He gave an account of the scene on Saturday evening via Facebook:

I took this last Saturday evening just as the tide was coming in. I literally had a minute to get a shot. No time for composition or anything like that and between the wind and splashes I was lucky to get anything. It was crazy weather and the tide was coming in faster than I had ever seen it. I literally had to run out of there.

I’m just glad that I had captured something that evening, because who would have know that just a short while later and after 111 years The Sunbeam would move again.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Murphy said that concerns had been raised locally after several planks and fittings from the wreck went missing.

Officials from the Monuments Service have been carrying out an inspection of the site this morning, and will then decide on the next steps to be taken. One of the options being considered is reburying it once again at a site close to its original resting spot.

Gardaí are warning people not to interfere with the wreck while it’s on the beach, as the ship is protected under the National Monuments Act. The penalty for a breach of the act includes a fine of up to €50,000 and/or a term of up to 12 months in prison.

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Another view of the post-storm Sunbeam [Image: Martin Ficken]

Related: Stunning photos capture wreck of Tall Ship Astrid at dawn

Read: 30 saved as Tall Ship Astrid runs aground off Kinsale

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    Mute Mick McGuinness
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    Feb 28th 2023, 8:35 AM

    They only key issue is that the DUP messed up when they were deal breakers under Theresa May. The DUP blundered big time, hopefully Sunak will sign the deal and leave you as the minority party you are.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Feb 28th 2023, 10:22 AM

    @Mick McGuinness: The dinosaurs in the DUP, Paisley, Dodds and Sammy Wilson in Westminster will say NO and there is nothing the DUP Party who are living and working in NI can do about it.
    Dinosaurs are pulling the strings.

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    Mute Sean Salmon
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    Feb 28th 2023, 1:18 PM

    @Mick McGuinness: the DUP thrives on poverty driven hate division sectarianism and protestant supremecy. There is nothing in the deal for them politically and they will find reasons not to support it.

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Feb 28th 2023, 11:22 PM

    @Mick McGuinness: I agree with what you say, BUT , the Big Deal her is ,— They are going to have to go into Government under a FENIAN ,– that they will try to avoid at All costs . So my guess is that they will find a flimsy excuse to delay and up scuttle the Applecart . .

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    Mute Stanley Marsh
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    Feb 28th 2023, 9:54 AM

    You get the impression that the DUP would literally ‘burn the house down around themselves’ rather than entertain anything that risks NI’s position in relation to the Crown.

    That is far more important to them than healthcare, education and the general wellbeing of the people of NI.

    The irony of course is that the Crown, the UK goverment and the UK in general would prefer if NI would float off somewhere else and stop bothering them.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Feb 28th 2023, 2:18 PM

    @Stanley Marsh: it’s a pity it wouldn’t just float off….full stop.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Feb 28th 2023, 4:55 PM

    @Paul Shepherd: That’s what successive Irish and British governments thought since the foundation of this state. When it came back to bite them the same governments wondered how this could have happened. Suppose the fact of having a Republican first minister elected by the majority is the real sticking point to the DUP.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Feb 28th 2023, 8:49 AM

    Donaldson won’t like this because he and and won’t be able to apply the so called ’Stormont Brake’ by themselves- they will need consensus from other parties. Jeffrey won’t be able to just throw all the toys out of the pram every time he gets a little wobbler

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    Mute Ian O'Donovan
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    Feb 28th 2023, 12:11 PM

    @Dave Harris: delicious irony in that, lol

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    Mute Kevin Fitz
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    Feb 28th 2023, 8:45 AM

    There hasn’t been this much buzz and frenzy around the DUP since the witch burnings of the 1600s.

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    Mute James Lough
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    Mar 1st 2023, 7:58 AM

    @Kevin Fitz: Sunak asked to give DUP more time, another 800 years should do

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    Mute John Harkin
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    Feb 28th 2023, 11:29 AM

    Go to DUP Facebook page and check out the comments under their posts about this. You will get the basic understanding of how a DUP person thinks. Ejit of the highest order.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Feb 28th 2023, 3:57 PM

    Northern Ireland will be an ‘economic powerhouse’ with access to both markets? Ummmm like being in the EU then?
    Rishi Sunak ought to listen to himself

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    Mute Séan Ó Nuanáin
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    Feb 28th 2023, 8:27 AM

    Anymore more and itll be a case of just give the DUP what they want

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    Mute Richard Starling
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    Feb 28th 2023, 9:53 AM

    Good old Jeffrey, head up rear end again

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    Mute zephyrum
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    Feb 28th 2023, 10:12 PM

    @Richard Starling:

    In fairness, Jeffrey would take a seat in the Lords tomorrow if offered and dump the turd that is NI politics.

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    Mute Steve
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    Feb 28th 2023, 4:34 PM

    So NI pretty much has the same access to both markets that the UK had prior to Brexit.

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    Mute Ronan Lawler
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    Feb 28th 2023, 8:39 AM

    Duck Donaldson

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    Mute Patrick Monaghan
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    Feb 28th 2023, 9:44 AM

    Good luck with that. No cash for ash deal there

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Feb 28th 2023, 11:37 AM

    Would it be possible to shrink Northern Ireland into one county and to give it to the dup forever and let’s get nexrit done

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    Mute Roger Bond
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    Feb 28th 2023, 12:57 PM

    @FlopFlipU: Yes, it could end up like Gibraltar.

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    Mute Daniel Roche
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    Feb 28th 2023, 5:58 PM

    @FlopFlipU: No.

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Mar 1st 2023, 10:08 AM

    @FlopFlipU: so another sectarian head count gerrymandered entity. Yeah that really worked over past 100 years of 6 county gerrymandered state.

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    Mute Damien Mac Aodha
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    Feb 28th 2023, 2:11 PM

    Lady Bird version in block capitals and mostly pictures for DUP please.

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    Mute Bri Lyons
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    Feb 28th 2023, 4:22 PM

    NI had access to UK and EU markets before Brexit .. it now has access but with some extra paperwork

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    Mute Seamus Quaide
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    Feb 28th 2023, 2:40 PM

    It would be a lot more ‘exciting’ if the U.K didn’t inflict Brexshit on the world in the first place

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    Mute Tom Kelly
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    Feb 28th 2023, 5:30 PM

    And yet the Dup have put the Union before the people.

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    Mute Martin O Connell
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    Feb 28th 2023, 11:53 PM

    I really hope the DUP stay true to form and vote no to this deal. It would force Westminsters hand and put them at complete odds with the DUP. Calling it “the Windsor” agreement was genius!!!

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    Mute alan
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    Feb 28th 2023, 4:17 PM

    Blunder of the highest order. You’d have to wonder what genius thought this was a good way to phrase it this way.

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    Mute A Well Known Comical Stereotype
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    Feb 28th 2023, 7:28 PM

    Britain being able to make their own environmental laws hasn’t worked out well for them, not sure I would be mentioning that, either.

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Feb 28th 2023, 1:22 PM

    The ‘Stormont Brake’ will be the rock upon which this punt will founder!

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