Cobh is a picturesque port city in County Cork in the Great Island, ( Great Island is the fourth largest island in Ireland,Great Island is an island in the south of Ireland. It is located in County Cork near Cork City at the mouth of the River Lee in the Atlantic. ) south of the Republic of Ireland.
The town was renamed Queenstown in 1849 after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom visited, but took the old name again in 1922 when Ireland gained independence.
Cobh is located on the southern shore of the “Great Island” at one of the world’s largest natural harbors, Cork Harbor, and is connected to the mainland by ferries (Passage West) and a bridge.
Cobh is now a getaway for visitors from Cork City and for the passengers of many cruise ships that moor in port. The picturesque port city is characterized by its hillside location – combined with some very steep streets – and numerous brightly painted houses.
Access : Coordinates: 51.851, -8.2967 /
Highlights :
- The town is dominated by the neo-Gothic St. Colman’s Cathedral, located high on the slope, seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Cloyne. The church has one of the largest chimes in the British Isles, with 49 bells, and the only carillon in Ireland. The foundation stone was laid on September 30, 1868 by Bishop William Keane. The roof was completed in 1879 and the first Mass took place in the same year.
- The Titanic Trail leads the visitor to all the places and buildings that millions of emigrants traversed before they embarked.
- The Cobh Museum is a small city history museum in the Presbyterian Church./ the grave of the famous Irish boxer Jack Doyle and that of Napoleon’s personal physician on St. Helena, James Roche Verling.
- The Cobh Heritage Center is a museum dedicated to the history of the Irish diaspora and its influence on the development of modern Ireland.
- On April 11, 1912, the then city of Queenstown became famous as the last port of call for the RMS Titanic ocean liner. At 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 11, the Titanic reached Cobh. Here 113 third-class and 7 second-class passengers boarded the ship
- In 1915 Queenstown was the protagonist of another maritime disaster. On May 7 of that year, off the Irish coast, a German submarine torpedoed the liner RMS Lusitania, 1,198 people died, and 761 were rescued, who were transferred to the port of Cobh. This disaster is considered to ultimately lead the United States into World War I.
- Cobh Harbor and Promenade : Cobh Harbor has an interesting maritime history, and is famous for its views of the multi-colored houses and rooftops of the city. The original small wooden pier of the Titanic is preserved, as well as the offices of the White Star Line shipping company, whose building today houses a museum about the ill-fated ship. The Promenade is a pedestrian plaza located in front of the sea, and is officially called Jonh Fitzgerald Kennedy Park. Recently built, it has a curious monument to the navigator, ancient cannons, elegant benches and a beautiful gazebo.
- Casement Square and the Lusitania Memorial : Casement Square is a square that houses the library and the Courts. The square is dedicated to the Irish patriot Roger Casement. In the roundabout of the square is located the Lusitania Memorial, built in memory of the victims of the RMS Lusitania.
- Annie Moore Statue : It is located on the Promenade. Annie Moore and her two younger brothers set sail from Cobh on December 20, 1891, on the ship SS Nevada, bound for a new life and fortune in the United States and was the first person in history, on January 1, 1892, to get to the new reception center on Ellis Island that had just officially opened. The statue was inaugurated by the then President of Ireland, Mary Robinson on February 9, 1993. A similar statue is also found on Ellis Island in New York, USA.
- Old Street and West View : Old Street and West View are two streets in Cobh famous for their views, they are two parallel streets, with a very steep slope, with rows of perfectly aligned multi-colored houses and sloping roofs, which give a unique perspective.
- The colorful Town Hall is located on the city’s waterfront. It was green a few years ago, but now its walls are painted yellow. Now it houses an art gallery. This building is often called the Clock Tower.
- The first steamship to sail from Ireland to England was also moored in Cobh, as was the Sirius, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Go next : Spike Island. A boat goes to Spike Island at the weekend. Worth seeing: Fort Mitchel / Kinsale 50 km west is a charming historic small port in County Cork, Southwest Ireland. / Blarney with its famous castle ,a village in County Cork , is only 6 km northwest of Cork city./ From Cove Station, it takes 15 minutes to reach Cork, the second largest city in Ireland.
