Explosives considered for oil removal from Kowloon Bridge shipwreck

The Government considered using explosions to remove oil from the Kowloon Bridge, a cargo vessel shipwrecked off the West Cork coast in November 1986.

Files released under the 30-year rule show that the Government was still extremely concerned about the threat a further oil slick from the vessel posed to the local tourism and fishing industries several months later.

Department of Environment officials believed salvage experts might decide it would not be feasible to remove the remaining oil “by conventional means”.