THE HIGH COURT has ruled in favour of Virgin Media Wholesale Limited, allowing the company to recover over €345,000 in damages from the owners of a Wexford-based fishing trawler, the Lida Suzanna, for damaging a vital subsea fibre-optic cable that links Ireland and Britain.
The cable, laid in 1998 by Virgin’s predecessor NTL, is one of two critical connections, the Sirius South and Sirius North, which form part of the backbone for internet and telecommunications between the two countries.
The damage occurred in January 2015 when the fishing vessel allegedly dredged over the cable while operating in the Irish Sea.
In a 181-page judgement, Justice Denis McDonald found the vessel’s operators negligent, stating they had failed in their duty of care by not taking steps to avoid the subsea infrastructure.
The defence argued that the fishing activities were lawful and that the cable should have been better protected, considering the area had been used for fishing for centuries.
However, the court found no contributory negligence on Virgin’s part and concluded that the damage was most likely caused while the vessel towed its scallop dredges across the cable’s path.
While the ruling has settled a long-running legal dispute, it also brings to light a far greater issue: the growing vulnerability of undersea communication infrastructure in Ireland and beyond.
With around 75% of all transatlantic internet cables passing through or near Irish waters, the country holds a disproportionate strategic role in the connectivity between Europe and North America.
The recent rise in suspected acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea, where cables between Finland, Estonia and Lithuania have been damaged, has stoked fears that similar incidents could occur in Irish waters, either by accident or as part of hostile action.
Ireland’s longstanding military neutrality and limited defence capabilities further compound the risk.
Lacking submarines and with one of the smallest defence budgets in Europe, Ireland is seen by some as an ‘open flank’ in the continent’s security framework.
Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell, a vocal critic of Ireland’s defence posture, said to The Guardian, “If a rogue actor takes out the cables, it could have a catastrophic effect not just on our economy but the UK’s and Europe’s. We’re living in denial about the risks modern hybrid warfare presents.”
Irish officials have begun to acknowledge the scale of the threat.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin recently stated that “the potential risk implications are stark”, referencing Ireland’s growing role as a digital gateway.
Efforts are underway to develop a maritime security strategy, including collaboration with nations like Iceland that face similar challenges.
However, experts like Dr Robert McCabe of Coventry University caution that current Irish maritime resources are grossly inadequate, capable of sustaining only one or two vessels at sea during a crisis.
“Undersea cables are essential not just for TikTok and email but for global finance, emergency services, and even military operations,” McCabe said.
“The best way to defend neutrality is to have a defence force.”
With daily financial transactions worth up to $10 trillion flowing through these cables globally, the stakes are higher than ever.