The propeller is from the SS IRADA which went down 22.12.08. She was 8124 tons 501’ built by JH Welsford & Co 1900. Southwest gale and fog. Caught between island and mainland at north side of Mizen Head. Irish Lights workers building the fog station helped survivors. Capt. Arthur Wellesley Roberts and five crew died and were buried in Kilmoe. Cargo: 21,000 cotton bales and other goods such as copper ingots valued at £250,000. The Lloyds agent at Bere where much of the cargo washed up, contacted Capt. Hugh Williams, the owners representative and a boat, the PERSEVERANCE, was hired from Cork to carry the cargo to a larger steamer for transport to Liverpool.

The propeller was salvaged, for display at Mizen Vision, by West Cork divers in 1990.  It was tied to the side of a boat. As the salvage boat was going around Mizen Head she started to list badly.  The propeller was cut away and sank back into the ocean 500m off the point.  In 1994 local divers marked the location of the propeller with a buoy. The seabed where it lay was slate tilted at an angle, so it was difficult to lift the propeller.   It had to be lifted out at the right angle. Two attempts were made to lift it, but the propeller could not be dislodged.

Capt. McGinley stopped by the second year to try to lift the propeller with ILV Granuaile buoy lifting gear.  This time the attempt was successful and it was lifted onto the deck of Granuaile and taken to the Wimpey deep-water quay at Adrigole, Sheeps Head.  It was brought to the Mizen by Hurley’s low loader in June 1995.  There were only two blades as some

other divers had loosened the screws on the third blade and it fell off during the lift.  Several years later local divers went out and salvaged the third blade, bringing it into Galley Cove.  It was brought out to the Mizen and local engineer, Henning Voss, RIP, made new screws and put the blade back on the propeller in 2001, just before his premature death.   Now the propeller weighs about 10 tons and has a diameter of 4’9’’.  It has a solid iron hub and manganese bronze blades.