Shark incident at Near Ram Head, Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland, Ireland — 2026-08-12

What happened

A man was bitten on the calf while handling a blue shark aboard a vessel near Ardmore, County Waterford. The shark was reported as a blue shark and the man was airlifted to hospital.

What is known

• The crew was fishing and tagging sharks near Ram Head, Ardmore.
• A blue shark was brought aboard the vessel.
• The man was bitten on the calf while handling the shark.
• The Irish Coast Guard airlifted him to Cork University Hospital.

What remains uncertain

• The exact handling sequence remains uncertain.
• The shark’s size and behavior details were not fully established.
• The current recovery status was not established by the available reports.

Fact panel

Date

2026-08-12

Location

Near Ram Head, Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland

Country

Ireland

Activity

shark handling/angling

Incident classification

provoked

Outcome

non_fatal

Species

Blue shark

Species confidence

confirmed

Coordinate precision

locality

Location context

The incident occurred aboard a vessel near Ram Head, Ardmore, on the County Waterford coast. The coordinate represents the general coastal area rather than the boat’s precise position.