Derry City and Strabane District Council buys Laurentic bell for £12,000

A bell salvaged from the wreck of the Laurentic has been bought at auction for £12,000 by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
It’s expected the bell will be one of the prime exhibits when the planned new Maritime Museum opens at Ebrington.
The Laurentic sank off the coast of Donegal 100 years ago, after making an unscheduled stop in Buncrana.

There were 479 people on board, only 125 survived.
The Laurentic was built in Belfast, and used to transport gold during World War 1.
It sank on January 25th 1917 with the loss of 354 lives, after striking two German mines just north of the mouth of Lough Swilly.
The ship was carrying more than 3,000 gold bars when it went down, most of which has since been recovered.
However, it’s believed that 22 gold bars which are unaccounted for remain on the bed of the Swilly.
The ship’s bell has now been bought by Derry City and Strabane District Council, which has described it as a “unique artefact.”
The bell was salvaged from Lough Swilly in 1979, and was previously owned by Bembridge Maritime Museum in the Isle of Wight.