On October 28, 1588, the Spanish Armada galleass La Girona sank off the coast of Antrim, Northern Ireland. Having previously been damaged and repaired in Killybegs, County Donegal, the ship was overloaded with approximately 1,300 men, including many nobles, from other wrecked Armada vessels. While attempting to sail to Scotland, a severe northerly gale caused the Girona to lose its rudder and strike a reef near Lacada Point. The ship broke apart, resulting in the loss of all but nine lives. The disaster was one of the worst maritime tragedies of the Spanish Armada campaign. In 1968, archaeologist Robert Sténuit discovered the wreck, recovering over 12,000 artifacts, now displayed at the Ulster Museum.
