The ship has been identified as MV Alta and has been drifting for over a year at sea without a single soul on board.

The vessel’s 10 crew members were rescued by the US Coast Guard back in September 2018 after their vessel got disabled.

A person claiming to represent the Alta’s owner has contacted Ireland’s revenue commissioners, who act as “receiver of wreck”, a statutory function. “An individual purporting to represent the owner has made contact,” a spokesman said in a brief statement. 

Cork County Council said last night it had convened its oil spill assessment team as part of contingency plans in response to the grounding of the ship.

It is monitoring the ship in relation to any possible oil spillage or risk arising from its cargo.