A diver has brought topside a telegraph found inside the Lusitania wreckage.
The Cunard ocean liner was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-20 on May 7, 1915. The vessel sank in 18 minutes, taking 1,198 souls to a watery grave below.
Now, one of the telegraphs from onboard the ship has been recovered and brought ashore.
Minister for Arts Heather Humphries said: “It is great news that the telegraph was safely on shore and will now be conserved by Mr Bemis, who hopes to place the artifacts recovered from the Lusitania on display locally, which of course would be of great benefit to the people of Kinsale.”
The wreckage of the Lusitania lies just over 300ft below, roughly 11 mile out from the Old Head of Kinsale.
Controversy raged in the aftermath of the sinking on whether or not the cruise liner was a legitimate target of war, a debate that continues to the present day.