The Spanish galleon cannon at Portencross Castle
"The UK Hydrographical Office describes the Portencross wreck
as a Spanish galleon.
A description from divers recovering the cannon in August 1740 pointed
out how the ‘country folk’ gave the divers the location of the wreck.
The divers made their way down ropes with lead weights holding
the rope on the seabed. The wreck was described as being about
400 metres from the shore in around 20 metres of water. It was
covered in sand. The divers lowered large gripping tongs and,
with a great deal of effort, raised 10 iron and 10 brass cannon.
The brass cannon were shipped to Dublin. The brass cannon were
made in England, but had been sold to Spain via France as part of
a thriving arms trade.
It may be that the wreck was initially kept secret to give the survivors
a better chance to return to Spain. Alexander Boyd of Portencross,
a supporter of Mary Queen of Scots, may very well have been
sympathetic to the Spanish plight.
The Portencross vessel is possibly one of the following: the Santiago
(but possibly sunk off Co Mayo); the San Pedro; the San Juan;
the San Bartolome; the San Maria del Junca; the Barca de Danzig;
or even the Santa Barbara.
In August 2007, the sea bed at Portencross was surveyed and
researchers found some magnetic anomalies. No doubt in the future,
we may be able to mount a further, more detailed search for the galleon and its secrets."
Friends of Portencross Castle
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