Medieval boat wreck to be lifted out of Boyne in days

Medieval boat wreck to be lifted out of Boyne in days
16 July 2007
Irish Independent

A MEDIEVAL long boat discovered lying on the bed of the River Boyne in Drogheda is to be taken from the water within days.

The 12-metre vessel, found by chance last November during dredging near Drogheda Port, has been fully excavated and the removal operation is almost complete.

The wreck is described as clinker built, a shipbuilding style which dates back to the Viking era, but used for centuries afterwards.

Environment Minister John Gormley noted the significance of the find. "This is considered to be a discovery of national and international significance," he said.

"No similar wreck has been discovered so intact in Irish waters and seldom even in Europe."

Excavation work was led by the National Monuments Service from the Environment Department. Interest

The accidental find last autumn was the first discovery of its kind in Ireland, generating huge interest.

Much of the wreck is intact and lying in the middle of the fast-flowing Boyne, meaning it was not possible to preserve the vessel in the water.

The department is seeking to recover as much of the wreck as possible on a timber-by-timber basis. It is hoped that the vessel will eventually be put on public display.