This is the first port on this leg where we had previously visited on a driving tour of Ireland. It is the last port from which the Titanic sailed and as such much of what there is to see and do around the town is related to the Titanic.
Many of the passengers were venturing further afield as Blarney Castle is not far and so there were many tours leaving to venture into the beautiful Irish countryside.
Sadly, the day was wet and blustery. Undaunted, however, we rugged up and headed out to find our guide for the day. We had booked a tour online "Titanic Walking Trail". As we gathered in the warmth of the hotel which was the starting point for the tour it became apparent that we were not going to walk around the Titanic sights. The walk was abandoned. However, it was with luck the creator of the tour, Michael Martin, had anticipated the weather and put together a very comprehensive presentation which in fact was of longer duration than if we had walked from one place to another. He is an historian and has written many books and lectured all over the world. He is also a very good story-teller.
One of the mis-reported aspects of the Titanic story is that the ship never docked in Cobh. It was moored just inside the harbour (which is claimed to be second in size to Sydney Harbour, as a natural harbour) and obscured from view by the passengers. The passengers were taken out to the ship on tenders from the dock, now in disrepair, outside the Titanic Museum which is in the actual building from where the passengers left. First and Second Class passengers were located on the balcony and Third Class passengers in the courtyard below.
Friends and family who wanted to farewell their loved ones had to walk to the other end of the town to actually see the ship leave the harbour. It is a little known fact that there were a number of passengers who actually disembarked in Cobh. One of these was a doctor who took photographs of the ship on his journey from Southampton. These form part of a collection of the only record of what the ship looked like. They were used by Peter Jackson when recreating the ship for his film.
It was a very absorbing morning.
Afterwards we visited the Titanic Museum which is very interesting and then headed across to a welcoming Irish pub - Kelly's - for some beer and scones. Well a local had recommended the scones as his wife makes them for the pub every day! As in all traditional Irish pubs there was a musician playing all manner of folk songs.
We left the pub and with renewed energy, and the rain having stopped, we walked around the town before returning to the ship.
Returning to the ship we found evidence of damage the ship had sustained overnight when we were in a storm. We felt the bang as a rogue wave hit the ship and many passengers had items thrown on the floor and furniture move. Never did check to see if this window had been replaced somewhere along the line. I doubt it.
Many of the passengers were venturing further afield as Blarney Castle is not far and so there were many tours leaving to venture into the beautiful Irish countryside.
Sadly, the day was wet and blustery. Undaunted, however, we rugged up and headed out to find our guide for the day. We had booked a tour online "Titanic Walking Trail". As we gathered in the warmth of the hotel which was the starting point for the tour it became apparent that we were not going to walk around the Titanic sights. The walk was abandoned. However, it was with luck the creator of the tour, Michael Martin, had anticipated the weather and put together a very comprehensive presentation which in fact was of longer duration than if we had walked from one place to another. He is an historian and has written many books and lectured all over the world. He is also a very good story-teller.
One of the mis-reported aspects of the Titanic story is that the ship never docked in Cobh. It was moored just inside the harbour (which is claimed to be second in size to Sydney Harbour, as a natural harbour) and obscured from view by the passengers. The passengers were taken out to the ship on tenders from the dock, now in disrepair, outside the Titanic Museum which is in the actual building from where the passengers left. First and Second Class passengers were located on the balcony and Third Class passengers in the courtyard below.
Friends and family who wanted to farewell their loved ones had to walk to the other end of the town to actually see the ship leave the harbour. It is a little known fact that there were a number of passengers who actually disembarked in Cobh. One of these was a doctor who took photographs of the ship on his journey from Southampton. These form part of a collection of the only record of what the ship looked like. They were used by Peter Jackson when recreating the ship for his film.
It was a very absorbing morning.
Afterwards we visited the Titanic Museum which is very interesting and then headed across to a welcoming Irish pub - Kelly's - for some beer and scones. Well a local had recommended the scones as his wife makes them for the pub every day! As in all traditional Irish pubs there was a musician playing all manner of folk songs.
We left the pub and with renewed energy, and the rain having stopped, we walked around the town before returning to the ship.
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| This used to be a full sized polystyrene cup. It was taken down in the submersible to the site of the Titanic in a plastic onion bag. This is the only evidence taken from the site. Michael Martin had a plaque left at the site too. |
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| This is a memorial to The Navigator who, according to historians, took a voyage to North America before Christopher Columbus discovered it |
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| Entrance to the Titanic Museum, formerly the offices of the White Star Line |
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| The verandah where 1st and 2nd class passengers assembled |
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| The courtyard where the 3rd class passengers assembled and the derelict dock |
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| Streets of Cobh |
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| The place where family and friends stood to watch Titanic sail out of the harbour |
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| Memorial to Irish migrants to the United States |
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| The locals put on a wonderful show in the Heritage Centre |
Returning to the ship we found evidence of damage the ship had sustained overnight when we were in a storm. We felt the bang as a rogue wave hit the ship and many passengers had items thrown on the floor and furniture move. Never did check to see if this window had been replaced somewhere along the line. I doubt it.
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| The beautiful shoreline homes of Cobh |
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| Leaving the Harbour |
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| The Harbour Light |
