Rory Golden, Diver, Presenter, Explorer

Picture credit - Copy Right Rory Golden

Rory Golden became the first Irish diver to visit the site of RMS TITANIC, in August 2000, as

part of an official expedition that recovered 800 artefacts from nearly 4,000 metres. His dive took

place in a MIR submersible, of theRussianAcademyof Sciences. This included a memorial plaque

presented by Michael Martin, creator of the Titanic Trail,Cobh, being  left on the wreck on behalf

of the people ofIreland. He also spotted the main ship’s wheel which was recovered.

He returned in August 2005, leaving two more memorial plaques fromBelfastalongside this one.

This expedition to the deep was broadcast as a documentary, “A Journey to Remember”, on BBC,

Northern Ireland. The trip to the seabed takes two and a half hours, with a total journey time of up

to 12 hours. The submarines have a life support pressure hull of only 2 metres diameter for three

persons, and operating depth of 6,000 metres. The external pressure at 4,000 metres is 400 Bar,

or 6,000 lbs. per square inch. More people have been to outer space than to these ocean depths.

He has presented at Titanic -Belfast, the National Museum of Ireland, the National Concert Hall

Dublin,BelfastCity Council, Irish Titanic Historical Society,BelfastTitanic Society, Irish

Underwater Council Dive Shows, National Maritime Museum,LondonandBirminghamDive

Shows, Outdoor Adventure Show,DublinBoat Show,CobhTownCouncil, Irish Maritime Medical

Conference, Civil Defence Officers Conference, primary, secondary schools, colleges, and

networking seminars.

A 15 dateUKtour extending fromSouthamptontoGlasgowwas completed in September 2012.

His presentations includes images taken by his friend, the late Ralph White, from the expedition

that located the wreck in 1985,the first artifact recovery trip in 1987,as well as his own two dives.

MD of Virgin Records Ireland for 15 years, he founded his own company, Flagship Scubadiving

Ltd, when he left the music industry after 25 years.

He has been involved in diving since 1976, as instructor, commercial diver, as well as P.R.O. for

The Irish Underwater Council. His company combines diving and specialised marine equipment,

service and supplying to state agencies, such as the Irish Coast Guard, Navy Divers, Civil

Defence, Army Ranger Wing, Garda Water Unit, Special Police Unit, and Inland Fisheries.

He was an ambassador for Titanic 100 Cobh 2012 commemoration events, and also spoke at

BelfastCity Hallon the 100^th anniversary of the sinking on April 15th. He is a regular contributor

to BBC and RTE broadcasting authorities, on TV and radio.

He has climbedMont Blancand Kilimanjaro, did a tandem freefall parachute jump from 13,500

Feet for the ISPCC children’s charity  and set upIreland’s first inland dive centre in a flooded slate

quarry in Portroe,Tipperary. He is a regular hiker in Wicklow andConnemara.

In March 2013 he was part of the Bezos Expeditions F-1 Engine Recovery Project which

recovered Apollo rocket engines from over 4000 metres in theNorth Atlantic. The team was

awarded theCitation of Merit by the Explorers Club ofnew York, of which he is a member.

His motto is: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!”