Fire highlights danger of Cork ghost ship, says TD

The shipwrecked MV Alta near Ballycotton, Co  Cork. The fire has now been extinguished.

The fire on a ghost ship off the coast of Cork has been brought under control, but the incident has highlighted the serious danger posed by the abandoned vessel, a local TD has said. 

Cork County Fire Service was called to the scene of the MV Alta ship near Ballycotton, East Cork, on Thursday afternoon after reports of a blaze aboard. 

Two units of Cork County Council's Fire Service tackled the blaze, with An Garda Síochána and the Irish Coastguard also in attendance.

The circumstances under which the fire started are not known at this time, however, it is understood garda technical experts are due to carry out a forensic examination in a bid to establish the cause of the blaze.

The MV Alta ran aground near Ballyandreen, just west of Ballycotton, during Storm Dennis in February 2020, and was first spotted by a jogger.

Cork County Council and An Garda Síochána have urged members of the public to avoid the area and not approach the wreck, which is in an unstable condition, "under any circumstances."

 Sinn Féin TD for East Cork Pat Buckley said some of the “over 30” members of the various emergency services had to board the ship.

“They have families as well,” he said.

Sinn Féin TD Pat Buckley said the ship has become "a major health and safety concern"

“It’s really turning into a bad situation.” 

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Buckley said the ship has become "a major health and safety concern"

“The time and effort to go out there is eating into valuable services and resources that could be put somewhere else."

Cork Couty Council told the Irish Examiner it is continuing to “liaise with the relevant state agencies and has engaged with government departments to seek their view on the future of the wreck.” 

The Council has also sought funding assistance in the event of a significant intervention being required.

The MV Alta ran aground near Ballyandreen, just west of Ballycotton, during Storm Dennis in February 2020, and was first spotted by a jogger.

A screenshot from a viral TikTok of a person climbing the wreck. Picture: DylanWalsh1, TikTok

Since the ship ran aground, it has been popular with tourists, many of whom have shared photos and videos of them boarding the ship online.

One viral video on TikTok, taken aboard the wreck, has been viewed over 831,000 times.