Government accused of 'passing the buck' on Cork's 'ghost ship' State is likely to bear the cost of the removal because the owner of the ship has never been identified The MV Alta was washed onto rocks near Ballycotton, Co Cork, on February 15, 2020. The ship has become an attraction for sightseers and people posting images on social media. Picture: Oisín Keniry Sun, 09 May, 2021 - 19:00 Paul Hosford, Political Correspondent The Government has been accused of "passing the buck" on the status of a shipwreck off the coast of Cork. The MV Alta was washed onto rocks by the force of Storm Dennis about three miles west of Ballycotton on February 15, 2020. A report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board found the ship had drifted over 2,300 nautical miles for 496 days before being shipwrecked.