Owner of fishing trawler which sank off West Cork coast disputes finding of official investigation

Firm blamed sinking of vessel in March 2021 on collision with naval patrol ship and denied it was due to a series of failures relating to faulty equipment, crew training, safety management and poor regulatory compliance

The Ellie Adhamh sank off Bull Rock on March 28, 2021.

The owner of a fishing trawler which sank off the West Cork coast has disputed the findings of an official investigation into the incident which concluded the sinking was due to a series of failures relating to faulty equipment, crew training, safety management and poor regulatory compliance.

Instead, Wexford-based firm, R&E Fish Limited, blamed the sinking of its 24-metre vessel, Ellie Adhamh, off Bull Rock on March 28, 2021, on a collision with a naval patrol ship which was attempting to attach a towline to it on the previous evening.