The wreck of the Leukos, an Irish trawler sunk during World War II, has been discovered off the coast of County Donegal.
The Leukos was sunk by a German U-boat on March 9, 1940, resulting in the loss of all 11 crew members.
The discovery was made near Tory Island by John Kearney, a diver and submariner, who described it as a chance find while searching for another vessel.
Kearney told RTÉ News that the Leukos had not been seen for 85 years until this discovery, calling it “incredible.”
Many of the fishermen who perished were young, some still teenagers, and Kearney hopes to connect with any surviving relatives.
“A lot of these young sailors came from Ringsend in Dublin. The oldest was only 28. We would love to reach out to any family members,” he stated, mentioning the availability of footage and images of the Leukos to share.
“They were children but they were brave. They went out in those conditions and it wasn’t easy back then to be on a fishing boat.”
He encourages anyone who believes they might be related to one of the lost fishermen to contact the Inishowen Maritime Museum in Greencastle or the National Maritime Museum in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin.
The reason for the attack on the trawler remains uncertain. Kearney noted that the Leukos would have displayed an Irish flag, indicating its neutrality.
He added that several British vessels in the vicinity at the time were able to escape.
Wreckage of Irish trawler sunk during WWII found off Donegal coast was last modified: June 2nd, 2025 by
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