Crane barge · lost 1987 · Waterford, Ireland

Samson

The Samson is a 55-metre Maltese crane barge that washed ashore at Ram Head, Ardmore, during a south-easterly gale on 12 December 1987 while being towed from Liverpool to Malta. The towline parted off the Welsh coast and could not be reconnected. The crew of two were rescued by RAF helicopter from Brawdy. Despite questions in Dail Eireann about removing the wreck, it was never salvaged.

In April 2016 the entire crane jib collapsed into the sea, adding to the underwater wreckage.

Type: Crane bargeMaltese
Lost: December 12th, 1987Driven ashore in gale
Casualties: 0
Length: 55 m
Depth: 5–16 m
Location: Waterford, IrelandCeltic Sea

3 of 6 facts above are cited in Sources below.

Deeper than 40 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.

History and LossLost December 12th, 1987 · Driven ashore in gale · Waterford, Ireland.

On 11 December 1987, the Maltese-owned 180ft crane barge Samson was being towed from Liverpool to Malta when the towline parted in near gale-force conditions off the Welsh coast. Attempts to reconnect the tow failed. The unmanned barge drifted eastward and on 12 December was driven ashore at Ram Head, Ardmore, County Waterford, during a south-easterly gale.

The crew of two were rescued by RAF helicopter from Brawdy, South Wales. Despite questions raised in Dail Eireann, the wreck was never salvaged.

Lost December 12th, 1987, Driven ashore in gale.

0lives lost on December 12th, 1987.

Condition of the WreckBroken, in 5–16 m.

Intactness

Broken and deteriorating at the base of the cliffs at Ram Head. The entire crane jib collapsed into the sea in April 2016, adding significant underwater wreckage. The barge structure remains visible above and below the waterline.

Notable Features

Visible wreck at base of Ram Head cliffs
Crane jib collapsed into sea April 2016
Distinctive landmark from Ardmore cliff walk
Crew rescued by RAF helicopter from Wales
Questions raised in Dail Eireann about removal

Additional Details10 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.

Nationality: Maltese
Flag: Malta
Loss date: December 12th, 1987
Latitude: 51.94° N
Longitude: 7.72° W
Water body: Celtic Sea
War grave: No
Protected: No
Permit required: No
Condition: Broken

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

National Monuments Service — Wreck Inventory of Irelandservices-eu1.arcgis.com · Official record6 facts
Marine Institutedata.marine.ie · Official record2 facts
boatinternational.comboatinternational.com · Secondary source5 facts
arkeliet.noarkeliet.no · Secondary source2 facts
journals.openedition.orgjournals.openedition.org · Secondary source2 facts
scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nlscholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl · Secondary source2 facts
trips.ietrips.ie · Secondary source2 facts
Dungarvan Bay Charter Boatsdungarvanbaycharterboats.com · Secondary source1 fact
Lone Swimmerloneswimmer.com · Secondary source1 fact
Shane McDonaldshanemcdonald.me · Secondary source1 fact
Waterford County Museumimages.waterfordmuseum.ie · Secondary source1 fact
Divernetdivernet.com · Club or operator1 fact
Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · Background reading2 facts

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.

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 Samson?

Samson is the wreck of a crane barge, off Waterford, Ireland, at 16 metres. Samson ran aground and was wrecked in 1987.

How deep is the Samson?

Samson lies at 5 to 16 metres, Base of cliffs at Ram Head, Ardmore, Co. Waterford.

How did the Samson sink?

Samson ran aground and was wrecked on December 12th, 1987, off Waterford, Ireland. No lives were lost.