Cork; Friday, 16 August, 2002

Friday and It's Cobh (pronounced Cove).

This is now the main port on this side of the Island of Ireland. During the 19th and early 20th century over 2,000,000 people left Cobh and Ireland seeking a better life in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Nearly 1/2 of all the people who emigrated for Ireland left through Cobh.

Cobh has also played a key part in two of the biggest maritime disasters of the 20th century. Cobh was the last point at which the Titanic put anchor before setting off to its destiny in the North Atlantic. The last passengers to join the ill fated voyage did so at Cobh and the pilot man who guided the ship out of the harbour was the last person to leave the ship whilst it was still seaworthy.

Cobh was also heavily involved with the rescue and brining ashore of bodies from the sinking of the Lucitania less than 20 miles off the coast. The large ship was sunk by a German torpedo during the First World War.

The Titanic trail walking tour takes you round the town and shows you the main locations that are connected with both the incidents. This well presented and interesting tour is well worth it, not only for the content but also for the views of the town and harbour that you get. There is a complementary 1/2 of Guinness at the top of the hill and the tour ends in the Titanic bar with a complementary Tea/Coffee. The bar in one of it's many incarnations was the offices of the White Star Line and it was from that building that over 100 people left to travel on the Titanic.

After that I visited the Queenstown story (one of the other names that the town has had) which details the emigration from the port and also looks at the Titanic and Lucitania disasters.

After that I went on a boat tour of the harbour which gives you excellent views of the town.