Nearly 1200 people died when the RMS Lusitania, a passenger ship, was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Cork coast in May 1915. (NLI: The Sphere 15 May 1915)
Lough Swilly's sheltered waters accommodated the British Grand Fleet in Autumn 1914, then provided safe anchorage, throughout the war, for North Atlantic convoys and British submarines. (NLI: NPA L_ROY_09299)
German submarines constantly patrolled Irish waters to prevent food and supplies reaching Britain. This threat was so great that the Irish Sea became known as "U-Boat Alley".
(NLI: ILB 300 p6)
