Passenger liner · 1901–1928 · Cork, Ireland

RMS Celtic

No ship afloat was bigger than the RMS Celtic when she took to the water in 1901. Harland and Wolff built her in Belfast for the White Star Line, the first of the quartet that became known as the Big Four, and at 20,904 GRT and more than 700 feet long she was the first vessel ever to pass 20,000 gross tons, outstripping even the SS Great Eastern.

She met an undignified end on 10 December 1928: waiting off Cobh for a harbour pilot, she was blown onto the rocks at Roches Point. Caught on Cow-and-Calf Rock, she was pounded by the sea until her structure gave way, and within a week she had been written off as a total loss. The Danish firm Petersen and Albeck bought her and broke her up where she lay, finishing by 1933.

In November 1929 hydrogen sulphide given off by her rotting cargo killed four of the men working on her. Pieces of her ended up in homes around Cork, and only sparse wreckage is left, in 10-20 metres.

Type
Passenger linerBritish
Year built
1901Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Lost
December 10th, 1928Grounding
Casualties
0
Tonnage
20,904 GRTsteam
Length
213.4 m
Depth
10–20 m
Location
Cork, IrelandCeltic Sea

7 of 8 facts above are cited in Sources below.

Deeper than 50 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.

History and LossLost December 10th, 1928 · Grounding · Cork, Ireland.

Captain Gilbert Berry was in command when the Celtic, homeward bound from New York, put in at Queenstown (Cobh) on 10 December 1928. Heavy south-westerly weather drove her aground at Roches Point; she was got off, only to stick fast again on Cow-and-Calf Rock, 400 yards west of Roche's Point Lighthouse.

Repeated efforts to haul her clear came to nothing, and inside a week inspections had found structural failures right through the hull, the work of the pounding waves, so she was declared a total loss. Everyone aboard, passengers and crew alike, was brought off safely by the Ballycotton Lifeboat, the tender Morsecock, local life-saving crews, a destroyer and tugs.

Built 1901 by Harland and Wolff, Belfast; 27 years in service. Lost December 10th, 1928, grounding.

0lives lost on December 10th, 1928.

Condition of the WreckScattered, in 10–20 m.

Intactness

Broken up in situ during salvage operations 1928-1933. The ship was stripped of interiors and fittings by the Danish salvage firm Petersen and Albeck. Remaining wreckage on the seabed is sparse. Hull fragments have been recovered and sold as artifacts.

Local knowledge is required to locate what remains. In November 1929, hydrogen sulphide gas from rotting cargo killed four salvage workers on the wreck.

Notable Features

  • First ship in history to exceed 20,000 GRT
  • Largest ship in the world at launch in 1901
  • First of White Star Line Big Four quartet
  • First to surpass SS Great Eastern by gross tonnage
  • Broken up in situ 1928-1933
  • Artifacts from wreck in Cork homes and establishments
  • Four salvage workers killed by H2S gas November 1929
  • Local knowledge required to locate remains

Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.

Nationality
British
Flag
United Kingdom
Builder
Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Propulsion
Steam
Loss date
December 10th, 1928
Latitude
51.79° N
Longitude
8.25° W
Water body
Celtic Sea
War grave
No
Protected
No
Permit required
No
Condition
Scattered

Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.

Background reading is listed for context and is not counted as a citation for the facts above.

  • © Government of Ireland. National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  • © Marine Institute. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

A further 4 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.

Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RMS Celtic?

RMS Celtic is the wreck of a passenger liner, off Cork, Ireland, at 20 metres. RMS Celtic ran aground and was wrecked in 1928.

How deep is the RMS Celtic?

RMS Celtic lies at 10 to 20 metres, Cow-and-Calf Rock, 400 yards west of Roches Point Lighthouse, Cork Harbour.

How did the RMS Celtic sink?

RMS Celtic ran aground and was wrecked on December 10th, 1928, off Cork, Ireland. No lives were lost.