HMS Drake
HMS Drake is one of the most historically significant and accessible shipwrecks in the waters around the island of Ireland, lying on the seabed off the coast of County Antrim in the waters of Rathlin Sound, close to Church Bay on Rathlin Island. Despite the coordinates placing it administratively near the northern Irish coast, the wreck sits in waters associated with this rugged and remote area. HMS Drake was an armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy, launched in 1901, and she met her end on 2 October 1917 when she was struck by a torpedo fired from the German submarine UC-79 while attempting to assist a torpedoed merchant vessel. She sank with the loss of 19 of her crew and now rests at a depth of approximately 20 to 24 metres, making her one of the most dived wrecks in the north of Ireland.
The ship herself was a formidable vessel in her day, displacing over 14,000 tons and measuring nearly 160 metres in length. She was the lead ship of the Drake-class armoured cruisers, a class that represented the Royal Navy's thinking on fast, powerful ocean-going cruisers in the Edwardian era. By the time of World War One she had been somewhat overtaken by newer designs, but she was still in active service as part of the convoy protection effort when fate caught up with her. The circumstances of her sinking were particularly poignant — she had gone to aid a stricken merchant ship only to become a victim herself, a reminder of the brutal arithmetic of submarine warfare in those waters.
For divers, HMS Drake is a truly exceptional site. The wreck is largely intact and lies on her starboard side, which creates an almost surreal underwater landscape of decks, hull plates, gun turrets, and superstructure elements. The sheer scale of the wreck is imposing even underwater — divers can spend multiple dives exploring different sections without ever feeling they have exhausted what she has to offer. The steel hull is heavily encrusted with marine life, including soft corals, anemones, and kelp, and the wreck attracts large populations of wrasse, pollock, and conger eel. Visibility in these waters can vary considerably with the tides and season but on a good day can extend to 10 metres or more, revealing the rusted grandeur of the old cruiser.
The setting above the water is equally compelling. Rathlin Island, which lies just to the north, is the only permanently inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland and is famous for its seabird colonies, particularly puffins, at the RSPB West Light Seabird Centre. The surrounding coastline is dramatic, with basalt cliffs, caves, and the kind of wild Atlantic scenery that draws visitors from across the world. The waters of Rathlin Sound are tidal and can be challenging, which means diving HMS Drake requires careful planning around slack water, but the effort is richly rewarded.
Access to the wreck is almost exclusively by boat, and dive charter operators based in Ballycastle on the County Antrim coast — just a short ferry ride from Rathlin Island — regularly run trips to the site. Ballycastle is a pleasant coastal town with good facilities, hotels, and restaurants, and it serves as the main jumping-off point for exploration of this part of the coast. The ferry to Rathlin Island also departs from Ballycastle and makes for a worthwhile day trip in its own right. The best time to dive HMS Drake is generally between late spring and early autumn when sea conditions are calmer, water temperatures are more tolerable in a drysuit, and daylight hours are longest.
One of the more remarkable aspects of HMS Drake's story is that she was, at the time of her sinking, carrying a significant number of depth charges on board, a reminder of the strange ironies of wartime. The wreck is a designated war grave, which means that while diving is permitted and actively encouraged as a form of commemoration and heritage tourism, the removal of artefacts is strictly prohibited under law. Her bell and some other items were recovered in earlier decades before protective legislation was fully in force, and these serve as important historical artefacts. The wreck is listed under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, which designates her as a protected place, though sport diving is allowed at the site.
The combination of history, marine life, dramatic scenery, and relatively accessible depths makes HMS Drake one of the premier diving destinations on the island of Ireland. For non-divers, the story of the ship and her final moments can be explored through local maritime heritage centres and through the literature on World War One naval history. She stands as a tangible, salt-encrusted monument to the men who served in her and to the broader tragedy of the conflict that took her down.