Cobh Heritage Center - The Irish Emigration Story: Heritage Center has many emigration stories to tell. Between 1850 - 1950 over 2.5 million Irish emigrated from Cobh port to Australia, USA, Argentina, Brazil in search of better lives. Under British rule, many convicts were transported as forced labor to the West Indies and many other colonies in sailboats. Cobh Heritage Center depicts the dire conditions under which Irish traveled and hardships endured by them to reach faraway places in search of a better life. The sinking of Titanic and Lusitania was the major wreckage Cobh had seen. Cobh was the Titanic's last port of call where 123 passengers boarded the ship. A section of exhibits is dedicated to Titanic and the passengers that boarded Titanic in Cobh.
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| "Forgotten Irish" @ The Heritage Center |
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| Servia Model |
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| Annie Moore With Her Two Brothers |
The Statue of Annie Moore and her two brothers is at the cruise ship dock on the quay. Annie Moore and her two brothers sailed on SSNevada from Cobh to New York on Dec 20th, 1891. They reached New York on Jan 1st, 1892 and Annie Moore was the first immigrant to be processed on the newly opened immigration center in Ellis Island, USA.
St. Coleman's Cathedral:
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| Alter - St. Coleman Cathedral, Cobh |
St. Coleman's Cathedral stands tall overlooking Cobh's town center. It is hard to miss this beautifully detailed gothic structure. Walking uphill from the town center to the cathedral is a bit challenging. The Gothic exterior and interior architecture of the cathedral are beautiful. Entry is free and there are few free tours of the cathedral as well. Starting in 1868, this cathedral took 47 years to be built. Choirs from around the world perform their Recitals at this cathedral. The cathedral's organ has 2468 pipes is under renovation at present. The light filtered through the beautiful stain glass windows around the cathedral is a feast for the eyes.
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| Organ @ The St. Coleman's Cathedral |
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| Stack of Deck |
A short walk from St. Coleman's Cathedral in West View, a beautiful row of century-old houses. The houses are stacked upon an impossibly steep hill. Apparently, each house is supported by the lower house and hence the name Stack of Deck.
Stroll Through The Town Center:
Cobh's beautiful town center has a good collection of restaurants, pubs, ice cream shops, and gift stores. Several walking tours start from the city center. However, the best views of Cobh city center are from the sea. Sailing, kayaking, and boat tours are available from the pier. Sonia O' Sullivan's bronze statue and Lusitania memorial are two quick stops on our stroll. During the time of the first world war, Lusitania was transporting passengers between Liverpool and New York. On its voyage back from New York, on May 7th, 1915, the liner was 16km away from Old Head of Kinsale when it was struck by a torpedo from the German U boat. Within 18 min, the ship sank killing 1198 people. Only 761 people were rescued. Cobh (then Queenstown) had to deal with the aftermath of the disaster.
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| Colorful Cobh Town Center |
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| John F Kennedy Memorial Park |
However, my favorite thing to do is grab an ice cream from Scoops and head over to John F Kennedy memorial park. Relax and watch the boats passing by as kids let loose in the park's play area.
Titanic Memorial Garden:
The Memorial is a short walk away from the town center. A small yet colorful garden with beautiful views of Cobh harbor. It is the best place to enjoy some quiet time in the town. As a last Europian port town, Cobh has witnessed many traumatic shipwrecks in the past. Titanic was one of the shipwrecks with major casualties. 123 people boarded the Titanic in Cobh port on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Only 44 survived the Wreckage and reached New York. This is a perfect place to pay homage to all the lives lost and reflect be thankful for the modern means of transport. We skipped Titanic Cobh Experience on purpose as we are heading to Belfast and I am excited to visit Titanic Belfast.
