The National Monuments Service has stepped up its efforts in order to protect a shipwreck of a 19th century schooner from being dismantled by history enthusiasts and souvenir hunters. The ship, called The Sunbeam originally ran aground on Rossbeigh beach in county Kerry in 1903 and has been one of the most photographed structures in the area ever since.

The recent storms have displaced the ship from its original position and in recent days people have begun removing pieces of the wood from the ship that was on its way to Kinvara in Cork when it became ship wreaked more than a century ago. Ever since that day it has remained embedded in the beach partially covered by the sand. The top of the ship had always been visible until the entire structure was relocated by the crashing waves over the past week.

Michael Cahill who is an Independent councillor in the region has welcomed the move to make sure that the structure the wreck is preserved and buried once again under the sand on the beach because this will preserve the timber of the wreak age.Shipwrecks 100 years old or more are safe guarded by the National Monuments Act. Officials from the organisation have been inspecting the damage that was caused and have since erected public notices warning members of the public not to interfere with the 84-tonne 1860 schooner.