Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish arrive like an armada in Irish waters

Every few years or so, Portuguese men-of-war invade Irish waters, Richard Collins. 

Reports over the last few weeks suggest that 2016 will be another one for the records. Southwest winds, blowing over seas warmed in a changing climate, drive these armadas towards our shores. Like the unfortunate Spanish sailors of 1588, men-of-war come to grief along the coast from Cork to Donegal.

Ships are feminine but warships are an exception. The Tirpitz Scharnhorst and Bismarck were famous battleships, while American aircraft-carriers are called after Presidents. Will a USS Hillary Clinton break the gender mould? According to Reddall’s Fact Fancy and Fable (1892), a ‘man-of-war’ was originally a sailing vessel full of armed men. The term came to refer to heavily-armed manoeuvrable frigates developed during the 16th Century. Fully-rigged Portuguese ones had a characteristic shape; the inflated purple-blue bladders, being found among the flotsam and jetsam on our tide-lines today, resemble them. These semi-transparent balloons belong to one of the most intriguing creatures to visit Irish waters.