A hi-tech new mapping out of Dublin Bay's hidden history has been launched in a bid to create what has been described as a "remarkable heritage tapestry" of the location.
The new heritage map has been drawn up by the Dublin Port Company as part of the Dublin Port Heritage Conservation Strategy to showcase the area's national, industrial and cultural heritage.
It includes findings on the floor of Dublin Bay, discoveries underground from archaeological digs and the industrial history of buildings which are still standing on the 300-year-old Dublin Port site.
Among the most eye-catching findings of the mapping exercise is the confirmation that while 300 shipwrecks are known to have occurred at Dublin Port over the centuries, only 18 have been fully located.
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Those still lost at sea include what experts believe are Viking shipwrecks, with previous evidence of timber from Viking-era ships washing up along Dublin Bay.
An 18th-century shipwreck, known as the Millstone Wreck, has also been uncovered, showcasing the degree of trade taking place at the location over the centuries.
Other elements of the conservation strategy map include a living and developing timeline of Dublin Port's history over the past 300 years, and the ongoing preservation of statutorily-protected buildings such as the former Odlums Flour Mills on the site.
Speaking at the launch of the conservation strategy, Dublin Port Company's Heritage Director Lar Joye said a key part of the strategy is to make the history of Dublin Port more accessible and known to the wider public.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland earlier, he encouraged members of the public to come down and see the Port.
"We also have a diving bell on Sir Rogersons Quay. It's Ireland's smallest museum and details the building of the North Walls and East Quays," he said.
Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan said the strategy has given Dublin a chance to preserve the "remarkable heritage tapestry" at the site.
