MV Ranga
The MV Ranga, Shipwrecked at Coumeenoole Beach, Dunmore Head near Slea Head, The Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry. 11th of March 1982
MV Ranga, shipwrecked at Coumeenoole Beach, Kerry, Ireland, 1984. The photographer noted, “This was not the first Spanish shipwreck in these waters. At least one ship from the Spanish Armada went down off the rocks in the middle distance. I just checked the place on Google maps, this shipwreck is long gone.
The motor ship Ranga was a 1,586 tonne container ship owned by the Spanish shipping company, Naviera Ason SA, but on charter to the Icelandic shipping company, Hafskip. She was formerly named Berta de Perez, but her name was changed at sea to Ranga, due to the Icelandic charter. The Ranga was on her maiden voyage from Santander to Reykjavík. The ship lost power on this voyage during a storm, and was wrecked at 52°6′33″N 10°28′6″WCoordinates: 52°6′33″N 10°28′6″W at Dunmore Head, close to Coumeenole Beach, near Slea Head on the Dingle peninsula, Co. Kerry, Ireland on 11 March 1982.
he ship was a total loss and created oil pollution as she broke up. The ship broke into two parts quickly, the stern of the ship, with the superstructure on, and the bows. In 1989, the company, Eurosalve tried to scrap her, but this failed due to the inaccessibility of the wreck. The stern section of the wreck was removed in 1991, due to filming of Far and Away, which included a scene shot at Dunmore Head. Today, the bow and some other scattered pieces of wreckage are visible.
