OPW was warned Skellig Michael crane could be washed away

A temporary crane erected to facilitate the delivery of materials for works being carried out on Skellig Michael is believed to have been swept out to sea.

The OPW was warned multiple times that a crane installed at the Skellig Islands might be washed away in the event of severe weather.

The Skellig Boatman’s Association had raised concerns throughout the summer before the crane broke loose from the pier in early December.

In emails to the OPW, the association said: “Unfortunately, our fears have now been realised. This is a very concerning situation for us and one which needs to be addressed urgently.” 

They said the exact location of the destroyed crane needed to be determined and a plan for its removal put in place to ensure safe navigation for boats.

An inspection of the island found “no sign” of any of the crane or its components.

An internal email said: “There is no damage to the pier; the crane structure broke off at the anchoring points and, overall, it was a fairly clean break.

“A diver is going to go underwater in the coming days to see if there is any debris in the vicinity of the island but at present that seems unlikely.” 

Timeline

In discussions, the OPW said the plan had been to dismantle and remove the crane from the island by the end of September.

However, the weather “turned very bad at that time” and all staff, guides, and contractors had to leave the Skelligs at short notice.

The OPW made fresh plans to return to the island in a “good weather window”, ideally during a frosty period when seas were calm.

“That was scheduled for this week but unfortunately there was a storm last week, which destroyed the crane on the landing pier,” said an email on December 7.

A couple of days later, the OPW got in touch with the Coast Guard to ask if they would issue warnings to vessels operating in the area.

An email said: “The location of the crane is not known but is being investigated. Boats in the vicinity should exercise caution and avoid sailing in close proximity to the island.” 

OPW report

A report explained how OPW personnel had to transfer to a small rib boat so that they could gain access to the island. It said only the base plates remained, with the crane having “sheared” away without having caused any obvious damage to the pier itself. At low waters, there were no signs of the crane having struck the cliffs of the island or any other signs of its collapse.

A report said: “It was [engineer’s] assumption that there is no sign of the crane near the pier and that the possibility of the sea swell may have dragged the crane out of the cove into the sea.” 

An experienced diver had also travelled out, but visibility was only one metre, and it was considered too “dangerous to dive” at the time.

It concluded: “As it is still unclear/uncertain where the crane lies, it is too dangerous for any vessel to dock on the island.”

Asked about the records, an OPW spokeswoman said: “Local boat operators had expressed concerns to OPW regarding the impact that severe weather and sea conditions could have on the crane and the pier.

“Weather conditions deteriorated rapidly in late September, and it was necessary to remove staff at short notice from the island for their own safety, leaving no opportunity to dismantle and remove the crane.

“Although it is regrettable that the crane has succumbed to the effect of storm sea swell, OPW stands by its decision to put the safety and welfare of its staff before all else. It should also be noted that there was no damage caused to the pier.”