Visiting Cobh: Remembering the Titanic

For millions of Irish, Cobh (pronounced Cove) or Queenstown as it was then known, was the exit point for a better life in America, Australia, the UK, Argentina, New Zealand…or Canada. The unpretentious potato was both the cause of the largest population explosion as well as the cause for the largest drop in population in Ireland. More than a million Irish perished from starvation and disease but the famine also resulted in a huge exodus of more than a million who fled to greener pastures in search of a better life. What I hadn’t known till we got here was that Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic. It was also the place where 3 years after the Titanic disaster, survivors from the Lusitania were brought ashore when she was torpedoed in 1915 by a German U-boat, killing over a thousand people during the First World War.

So — we find Cobh to be a town steeped in history with plenty to discover. It is also an attractive town, situated on the edge of the water with colourful houses and buildings that add an extra vibrancy in the bright sunshine of a summer’s day. A giant cathedral looks down on it all from atop the hill where it is perched but we begin our discovery by lunching at a pub which is home to the U2 fan club (I love their music) and where ‘American Wakes’ were held regularly for those who emigrated.