The Girona

In 1588 the Girona, one of the largest ships of the Spanish Armada, was wrecked on a jagged reef near Dunluce Castle. After their defeat in the English Channel the Spanish fleet was forced to flee the long route home, around Scotland and Ireland.

23 ships were driven onto the Irish coast by terrible storms. On board the Girona were many Spanish noblemen, who would have ruled Britain, had they successfully invaded England. Much of the fabulous wealth they were carrying lay on the sea floor for nearly 400 years until it was discovered by an international team of divers in 1967.

The personal belongings and jewellery they recovered, now held in the Ulster Museum, make up almost 98% of all Spanish Armada artefacts that exist today.