Rory Golden.

Rory Golden is a world renowned diver, explorer and keynote speaker whose remarkable career has taken him from the top of the music industry to the deepest parts of the ocean.

Chair of the Great Britain and Ireland Chapter of The Explorers Club in New York and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London, Rory has become internationally recognised for his pioneering deep ocean exploration work and his compelling storytelling ability.

Rory has participated in seven deep ocean expeditions, including six expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic. In August 2000, he became the first Irish person to dive to the wreck site, making history during a submersible dive where he discovered and recovered the ship’s main helm stand. He later returned to the Titanic as part of major documentary and research expeditions, including work with the BBC and OceanGate Expeditions.

In 2022, Rory completed his third dive to the Titanic in the five person submersible TITAN and later narrated a virtual tour of the wreck’s bow section which has since attracted millions of viewers worldwide. He also participated in the 2023 OceanGate expedition and returned again in 2024 as content expert, lecturer and official Chief Morale Officer for the Titanic Survey Expedition.

Beyond Titanic, Rory was part of the Bezos Expeditions F-1 Engine Recovery Project in 2013, helping recover Apollo rocket engines from 4,200 metres below the North Atlantic, including engines from Apollo 11. For this achievement, the team received a Citation of Merit from The Explorers Club of New York.

Before dedicating his life fully to diving and exploration, Rory spent 15 years as Head of Virgin Records Ireland. Following a successful career in the entertainment industry, he founded Flagship Scubadiving Ltd in 1999. His company supplies specialist equipment and services to state agencies including Navy Divers, Special Forces, Garda Water Units and National Monuments diving teams.

An accomplished communicator, Rory has delivered keynote talks and presentations for organisations, conferences and educational institutions around the world. His talks blend adventure, humour, leadership and emotional storytelling, taking audiences on unforgettable journeys from the music business to the ocean floor. He has spoken at Titanic Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, The Explorers Club London, international dive expos, corporate events and educational outreach programmes.

In 2024, Rory was awarded the Ralph White Memorial Award for Ocean Exploration and Conservation of the Seas by the Californian West Coast Chapters of The Explorers Club.

Whether speaking about exploration, resilience, teamwork, risk, innovation or adapting to uncertainty, Rory leaves audiences inspired, entertained and deeply engaged.

• Exploration and Adventure
• Leadership Under Pressure
• Titanic: Discovery, Exploration and Preservation
• Deep Ocean Exploration
• Risk, Resilience and Decision Making
• From Virgin Records to Titanic
• Teamwork in Extreme Environments
• Innovation and Human Curiosity
• Perseverance and Adaptability
• Storytelling Through Exploration
• The Future of Ocean Exploration
• Lessons from Expeditions and Discovery

“Rory is wonderful to listen to. His passion, enthusiasm and ability to respond dynamically to the unique characteristics of each audience make the delivery of his subject matter a pleasure to listen to. Charismatic, entertaining and engaging are the understatements of the day.”

Ocean Exploration Manager, Titanic Belfast

“Rory joined us at our annual conference held at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. He presented “Documenting the Disintegration” looking at the Titanic, illuminating how shipwreck sites even in the deepest parts of the ocean are disintegrating and need to be documented while we are still able. Rory’s personal experience of visiting the wreck on a number of occassions and his emotional journey was inspiring. Rory’s paper was well received and invoked a wpnderful Q&A session after  his presentation where he was able to engage with the audience. We very much hope to be able to see Rory speak again at a future event and can recommend him as a speaker for any occasion.”

NAS Chief Executive

“Rory delivered an unbelievable presentation on the evening and as required customised this perfectly to make it relevant to his audience. He spoke about his life events, including his times in the music industry and how these coincided with his adventures to the bottom of the ocean to visit the Titanic & Apollo engines, amongst other things. We found his presentation fascinating, moving and in some places emotional. It was immediately obvious the incredible attention to detail which was put into this event by Rory, not to mention the decades beforehand that come together to allow for such a passionate speech for his audience.”

IPAV

“Rory was a guest speaker at Dive Ireland International Expo 2019, the organisation of which I was involved in as PRO. His talk at Dive Ireland was spellbinding. Rory kept his audience enthralled with his descriptive recounting of how he dived on the resting place of the RMS Titanic. Likewise was the case with his account of recovering Apollo spacecraft engine rockets from 4,200m down in the Bermuda Triangle. Easily disseminating often highly-technical material in a manner that was as accessible as it was entertaining for all present, Rory spiced his narrative with humour and fired everyone’s imagination. He is a man who has led a truly fascinating life. Sometimes, the experiences of such adventurers are lost because they cannot be expressed. Not so with Rory! He is natural storyteller with some remarkable tales to tell. I could not recommend him highly enough”

Nenagh Guardian, PRO Dive Ireland 2019