Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The immersive experiences have been created as part of the EU funded TIDE project, and include ‘The Storm, The Sea – The Saldanha’ at Fanad Lighthouse, the ‘Wrath of the Atlantic, Wrecks of the Armada’ at Inishowen Maritime Museum & Planetarium in Greencastle and the ‘Beware! Convoy Below World War 1’ at Fort Dunree.

The VR experience at Inishowen Maritime Museum takes the viewer back in time to the Spanish Armada era dating back to the 16th Century. It focuses on two ships that entered Donegal’s waters: La Girona at Killybegs and La Trinidad Valencera at Kinnego Bay, and finishes with footage from a BBC documentary where items were salvaged from the shipwreck of the latter ship by the Derry Sub Aqua Club in 1975.

The Fort Dunree experience goes right back to the First World War era in the early 1900s and takes the ‘Lieutenant’ into a Kite Balloon which is part of a convoy of merchant ships coming from North America and heading for Lough Foyle.

Launching ‘Beware! Convoy Below!” VR Experience (World War 1 era).TIDE Partners at the launch of the TIDE Project in Fort Dunree on Wednesday; Pictured is Don McGlinchey, Stakeholder from Derry

The experience in Fanad takes the viewer back in time as the Captain Packenham’s ‘parrot’ on the Saldanha’s final journey.

Speaking at the launch in Inishowen Maritime Museum and Planetarium on Wednesday, Cathaoirleach of Inishowen, Councillor Paul Canning, said the initiative was a ‘marvellous new addition’ to what is already a key visitor attraction in the peninsula.

He outlined how the experience recalls the events of the times ‘with great accuracy’ and ‘shares one of the most important maritime stories of this era and a story that shaped the lives of people living locally for centuries.’

The VR experience was officially launched by Donegal Cathaoirleach Colr Liam Blaney. He said that by ‘using this type of technology we can take people on a journey back in time to really understand and appreciate key events in our history and these will not only be of interest to visitors to the county but also to local people, and most importantly to our children and young people”.

Launching ‘Wrath of the Atlantic – Wrecks of the Armada’ VR Experience (Spanish Armada era). TIDE Partners at the launch of the TIDE Project in Greencastle on Wednesday; Mr Ronan McConnell, Derry City & Strabane CoCo Partner, Margaret Storey TIDE Project Officer, Donegal CoCo,

Cathaoirleach Donegal MD, Cllr Liam Blaney, Cathaoirleach of Letterkenny/Milford MD, Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly

Ms Anne Marie McLaughlin, Project Manager & Lead Partner, Ernact & Mr Conor Lafferty, TIDE Clerical Officer, Donegal CoCo — Launching ‘Wrath of the Atlantic – Wrecks of the Armada’ VR Experience (Spanish Armada era). TIDE Partners at the launch of the TIDE Project in Greencastle on Wednesday; Mr Ronan McConnell, Derry City & Strabane CoCo Partner, Margaret Storey TIDE Project Officer, Donegal CoCo, Cathaoirleach Donegal MD, Cllr Liam Blaney, Cathaoirleach of Letterkenny/Milford MD, Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly Ms Anne Marie McLaughlin, Project Manager & Lead Partner, Ernact & Mr Conor Lafferty, TIDE Clerical Officer, Donegal CoCo

The VR experience in Greencastle was dedicated to the memory of Seamus McGinley, Killybegs.

The public are invited to visit Fanad Lighthouse, Fort Dunree and the Inishowen Maritime Museum to enjoy these virtual reality experiences for themselves and take a step back in time to revisit maritime heritage.

New maritime historical VR experiences are officially launched