Nuclear submarine surfaces off Irish coast

Submarine spotted 20 miles northwest of Malin Head. Photo: Damien McCallig

The huge submarine spotted off the coast of Co. Donegal today may have been carrying nuclear warheads - but probably wasn't.

The sighting of the submarine was made by personnel on board the Marine Institute vessel the RV Celtic Explorer early on Thursday morning. 

When the ship's chief engineer, Damien McCallig, tweeted a series of photographs showing the submarine on the surface of the sea, it sparked plenty of comment, from jokes about potential invasion to whether or not the vessel should have been flying a flag.

Damien McCallig told the Irish Examiner: "The sub passed us this morning at 6am 20 miles northwest of Malin Head. She was heading east."

In an observation that might surprise those of us who spend most of our lives on land, he said it was "regular enough to see them up here from time to time".

Large #submarine passing this morning 20 miles northwest of Malin Head #Donegal pic.twitter.com/on3XMjsMgG

— Damien McCallig (@DamienMcCallig) April 29, 2021

A naval source confirmed as much, with sightings of submarines reported on average around once a month.

However, not all submarines are the same. The length of this particular vessel was believed to be 150m or more, making it most likely that it is a vanguard class belonging to the United Kingdom.

However, the naval source said it could potentially have been a Russian or American vessel, although with Nato exercises recently taking place off the northern coast of Scotland, it is most likely that it was British.

Such a vessel is equipped to carry nuclear warheads, but it's thought this particular submarine wasn't doing so.

"If they were packing nuclear warheads they would be deep in UK waters," the naval source said. "They won't be surfacing and visible from Malin."

All reported sightings of submarines are notified to Irish authorities but since this vessel was well outside the 12-mile range, it means it was outside Irish territorial waters.

A spokesperson for the Defence Forces said: "Óglaigh na hÉireann is not in a position to comment on the operation of foreign military assets. This submarine is operating on the surface outside Irish Territorial Waters and is in line with UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) rules for transit through International Waters.

"Territorial Waters are twelve nautical miles from the coast of Ireland. Under the UN Convention on the Law Of the Sea, there is no restriction on warships operating on the High Seas."