Limerick teen rugby star takes part in deep-sea dive to an Egyptian shipwreck
FLYING the Munster Rugby colours off the coast of Egypt, Limerick student Marcus Moloney accomplished the incredible task of diving and exploring the shipwreck of the SS Thistlegorm.
Marcus completed the deep dive with his father John, who is an instructor at Limerick Sub Aqua Club.
The pair travelled to Egypt in early May to explore the shipwreck. Lying off the coast of Egypt, the SS Thistlegorm is a sunken British Navy armed merchant ship, which was bombed by the German Luftwaffe in 1941 during the Second World War.
“It’s a very interesting dive because you can actually go inside the ship. It’s like an underwater museum. There’s not many shipwrecks that are that divable,” outlined Marcus.
On its final voyage, the SS Thistlegorm was travelling from Glasgow to Alexandria in Egypt, carrying a consignment of ammunition and other supplies for the Allied Forces in the North African war effort, and for the infrastructure of Egypt.
It sank with a large section left blown open by the bombing, which makes it an incredible wreck for divers to explore with ease.
The ship now lies at a depth of around 100 feet, and features a range of well-preserved objects from the 20th century.
Preparing to dive into the shipwreck is no easy feat both physically and mentally. Divers who explore the shipwreck generally are quite experienced and the dive is reserved for holders of the Level 2 CMAS diving certification due to it being lower than 65 feet in depth.
“It gets quite intense. You do around four dives a day. They have you up at 6 o’clock and in the water, before you even eat,” Marcus explained.
Various other factors can affect the dive, such as the underwater currents, which, if they are too strong, can prevent the divers from embarking down to the shipwreck. The hold in which divers swim into can also be quite restrictive.
“The challenging thing about the Thistlegorm is that you’re in a shipwreck, so in terms of overhead environments, you can’t freely come up. You have to get through and back out,” said John, Marcus’ father.
The pair and their diving team submerged to explore the SS Thistlegorm in the hours of the night. “It was a night dive, and that's when you really see all the life,” said John.
The area inside and surrounding the shipwreck not only contains objects from a time long passed, but it is also home to a variety of spectacular fish and sea life. “There are barracudas, lionfish, stonefish and crocodile fish. There’s all sorts,” explained Marcus.
The SS Thistlegorm has been submerged for over 80 years, and, as such, has begun to deteriorate due to rusting and the large number of ships mooring directly to it. Marcus was glad to have visited the spectacle while it remains explorable.
What made Marcus’ expedition different was his dedication to represent Limerick and Munster. Carrying a Munster Rugby flag down to the shipwreck and marking the diving team’s mooring line with it, Marcus brought the love of his city and sport to the depths of the Red Sea.
Not only an avid diver, Marcus, from Ashroe, is a promising rugby player who is a member of the Munster Under 18s development team.
Currently a 5th year student at Villiers secondary school in Limerick city, he began playing rugby in his first year and ultimately landed himself a place on the Munster development team while playing with his club, Shannon RFC.
Marcus’ father has been a proud member of Limerick Sub Aqua Club for a number of years, and Marcus found himself inspired by his father to take up the sport.
“We dive out of Kilkee. It’s very different to the Red Sea now, but it’s still full of life,” said Marcus. Limerick Sub Aqua Club is also one of the country’s oldest diving clubs.
When asked about his plans for the future, Marcus said he plans to continue studying, diving and training hard with the Munster Rugby development team.
Marcus was delighted with having the opportunity to explore SS Thistlegorm. Speaking on the overall experience, he said “it’s a great experience to have and to have someone to bring you into it as well. Not many 17 year olds get to experience that kind of stuff, so I’m very grateful for it.”