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Cobh

Cobh (/ˈkv/ KOHV, Irish: An Cóbh), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's only dedicated cruise terminal. Tourism in the area draws on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town.

Cobh
An Cóbh
Town
Clockwise from top: Cobh and St Colman's Cathedral as seen from Cobh Harbour; a row of Victorian houses known locally as the "deck of cards"; the neoclassical former Methodist Church
Motto: 
Statio Fidissima Classi ("The Fleet's Safest Post")  (Latin)
Cobh
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 51°51′04″N 8°17′48″W / 51.851°N 8.2967°W / 51.851; -8.2967Coordinates: 51°51′04″N 8°17′48″W / 51.851°N 8.2967°W / 51.851; -8.2967
CountryIreland
ProvinceMunster
CountyCounty Cork
Dáil ÉireannCork East
Area
 • Urban5.1 km2 (2.0 sq mi)
Elevation
47 m (154 ft)
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Town12,800
 • Density2,521.9/km2 (6,532/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC±0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (IST)
Eircode routing key
P24
Telephone area code+353(0)21
Irish Grid ReferenceW793666
Websitevisitcobh.com
Map of Cobh

Facing the town are Spike and Haulbowline islands. On a high point in the town stands St Colman's, the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne. It is one of the tallest buildings in Ireland, standing at 91.4 metres (300 ft).

Name

The village, on the island, was known as "Ballyvoloon", a transliteration of the Irish "Baile Ui-Mhaoileoin" (en: "O'Malone's place"),[2] while the Royal Navy port, established in the 1750's, became known as "The Cove of Cork" or "Cove". The combined conurbation was renamed to "Queenstown", in 1849, during a visit by Queen Victoria. The name was changed to Cobh, during the Irish War of Independence, following the passing of a motion by the local administrative council on 2 July 1920.[3][4] Cobh is a Gaelicisation of the English name Cove, and it shares the same pronunciation.[5] It has no meaning in the Irish language.[6]

In ancient times the area was known as Cuan an Neimheadh (the Harbour of Neimheidh), a figure in medieval Irish legend. Great Island was called Oileán Ard Neimheidh (the high or important island of Neimheidh).[7]

History

 
Statue on the waterfront of Annie Moore and her brothers. Annie Moore was the first person to be admitted to the United States of America through the new immigration centre at Ellis Island, New York on 1 January 1892.

Early history

According to legend, one of the first colonists of Ireland was Neimheidh, who landed in Cork Harbour over 1,000 years BC.[citation needed] He and his followers were said to have been wiped out in a plague, but the Great Island was known in Irish as Oilean Ard Neimheadh because of its association with him. Later it became known as Crich Liathain because of the powerful Uí Liatháin kingdom, who ruled in the area from Late Antiquity into the early 13th century. The island subsequently became known as Oilean Mor An Barra (the Great Island of Barry & Barrymore), after the Barry family who inherited it.

 
St Colman's Cathedral

The village on the island was known in English as Ballyvoloon, overlooking "The Cove". In 1743 the British built a fort, later to become known as Cove Fort, to the east of the village.[8] The settlement was first referred to as Cove village in 1750 by Smith the historian who said: "it was inhabited by seamen and revenue officials". The Cork directory of 1787 shows about thirty businesses in the town, including one butcher and one draper.

The Water Club established at Haulbowline in 1720 was the progenitor of the present Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC, now based in Crosshaven) and is the oldest yacht club in the world. The RCYC was based for many years in Cobh and the present Sirius Arts Centre used to be a clubhouse of the RCYC organisation. In 1966, the RCYC merged with the Royal Munster Yacht Club, retaining the name of the RCYC but moving its headquarters to those of the RMYC at Crosshaven at the other side of the harbour.

 
The tower of St. Colman's Cathedral from the streets below

19th century

International upheaval led to Cobh undergoing rapid development in the early 19th century. Due to the natural protection of its harbour setting, the town became important as a tactical centre for naval military base purposes, never more so than at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Today, the Irish Naval Service headquarters is on Haulbowline Island facing Cobh.

The wars against the French led to the town, then usually known as Ballyvoloon or The Cove of Cork, being developed as a British naval port assigned an admiral. Many of the present-day buildings date from this time of build-up. George Brodrick, 5th Viscount Midleton engaged the English architect Decimus Burton to improve the streetscape and buildings during the 1840s.[9][10] The eventual cessation of hostilities dented Cobh's prosperity for a while, but it soon became known as a health resort; many patients stayed here for their health because of the temperate climate. Amongst their number was Charles Wolfe, who wrote "The Burial of Sir John Moore After Corunna". Wolfe's body is buried in the Old Church Cemetery outside the town.

RMS Titanic

 
Titanic Memorial, Westbourne Place, Cobh

One of the major transatlantic Irish ports, the town was the departure point for 2.5 million of the six million Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950. On 11 April 1912, as Queenstown, it was the final port of call for the RMS Titanic before she set out across the Atlantic on the last leg of her maiden voyage. She was assisted by the P.S. America and the P.S. Ireland, two ageing White Star Line tenders, along with several other smaller boats delivering first-class passengers' luggage. Some sources and local lore suggest that a Titanic crew member, John Coffey, a native of Queenstown, left the ship at this time, thereby saving his life.[11] 123 passengers boarded at Queenstown, with only 44 surviving the sinking.

Penal transportation

Cobh was earlier a major embarkation port for men, women and children who were deported to penal colonies such as Australia. The Scots Church has since 1973 housed the Cobh Museum which holds records of such deportations in ships' log books. The Scots Church (a Presbyterian church until its 1969 closure) overlooks the harbour from where so many departed.

Shipbuilding

A significant shipbuilding industry was developed in the town. The remnants of the Verolme Shipyard today maintain many of the original cranes and hoists now forming part of industrial and maritime heritage.

 
The original pier (as it appeared in 2007) where passengers boarded tenders to the Titanic at its anchorage near the mouth of the harbour. The corner of the office building of the White Star Line can be seen on the right. The building today houses a Titanic museum.

The age of steam brought Cobh association with several milestones, including the first steam ship to sail from Ireland to England (1821) and the first steamship to cross the Atlantic (Sirius 1838), which sailed from Passage West.

RMS Lusitania and the First World War

Another ship to be associated with the town, the Cunard passenger liner RMS Lusitania, was sunk by a German U-boat off the Old Head of Kinsale while en route from the US to Liverpool on 7 May 1915. 1,198 passengers died, while 700 were rescued. The survivors and the dead alike were brought to Queenstown, and the bodies of over 100 who perished in the disaster lie buried in the Old Church Cemetery just north of the town. The Lusitania Peace Memorial is located in Casement Square, opposite the arched building housing the Cobh Library and Courthouse.

 
Cobh, then Queenstown, c. 1890s

During the First World War, Queenstown was a naval base for British and American destroyers operating against the U-boats that preyed upon Allied merchant shipping. Q-ships (heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks) were called Q-ships precisely because many were, in fact, fitted out in Queenstown.[12] The first division of American destroyers arrived in May 1917, and the sailors who served on those vessels were the first American servicemen to see combat duty in the war. When that first convoy arrived in port after enduring a rough passage in what were little more than open boats, its members were met by a crowd of sailors and townspeople, thankful for their anticipated help towards stopping the U-boats that were blockading western Europe. Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, commander of the Coast of Ireland station, met the senior American officer, Commander Joseph Taussig, at the dock and inquired as to how soon the weatherbeaten American ships could be put to use. "We're ready now, sir!" was the widely quoted answer from the American.

The United States Navy established U.S. Naval Air Station Queenstown in February 1918. It operated flying boats during the last months of WW1, and closed in April 1919.[13]

Due to its tactical military importance, under the terms of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, the port remained a UK sovereign base within the Irish Free State after 1922. Along with the other Treaty Ports, it was handed over to the government of the Irish Free State in 1938.

Economy and tourism

 
The waterfront at Cobh
 
The waterfront at Cobh, probably c. 1900

Tourism is a large employer in Cobh. Large cruise liners visit Cobh each year, mainly during the summer months, although many of the tourists are transported out of Cobh by bus to other tourist destinations. In all, almost 100,000 cruise liner passengers and crew arrive in the town each year when their ships berth right in the centre of the town at the Republic of Ireland's only dedicated cruise terminal.[14][15][16] Tourist attractions are focused on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town and include the Queenstown Story at the Cobh Heritage Centre, Titanic Experience, Titanic Trail walking tour, Cobh Museum, Cobh Road Train, Spike Island tours and St Colman's Cathedral. The town has remained largely unchanged since RMS Titanic departed from Cork Harbour in 1912, with the streetscape and piers still much the same. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island. The latter is the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service, formerly a British naval base.

Cobh was home to Ireland's only steelworks, the former state-owned Irish Steel works which was closed by its buyer, Ispat International, in 2001. There is a controversy over the slag heap on the steelworks, where there are concerns that it may be leaching into the harbour.[17] Another important employer in Cobh was the Dutch-owned Verolme Cork Dockyard, in Rushbrooke. It opened in 1960 but ceased operations in the mid-1980s. In 1981 the MV Leinster was built at Verolme for service on the Dublin – Holyhead route.[18] The last ship built at Verolme was the Irish Naval Service's Eithne (P31).[19] Ship repair work is still carried at Rushbrooke using the drydock and slip way carriages. The drydock pumps date from 1912.[citation needed]

In the 21st century, a number of new developments were completed, such as a new retail park at Ticknock in 2008, and a leisure centre (with 25m swimming pool) in August 2007. In 2010, tours of Spike Island commenced, with tours leaving from Kennedy Pier, near the town centre.

Transport

Rail

Outside of the Dublin metropolitan area, Cobh is one of the few towns in Ireland served by a commuter train service. The town is one of two termini for Cork Commuter Services. The other is Midleton. Regular commuter services run between Cork city and Cobh, calling at, among others, Fota railway station, Carrigaloe railway station, and Rushbrooke railway station, along the way. Trains run every day and the journey time to Cork is under 25 minutes.

Cobh railway station opened on 10 March 1862 and was closed for goods traffic on 3 November 1975.[20]

Air

The nearest airport is Cork Airport, which can be reached in 20–30 minutes from Cobh via the R624 road and the N25 road.

Port

The Port Operations Centre for Cork Harbour is located in the town. The port's harbour pilot launches are based at the Camber - a pier and dock area at the eastern end of the town.

Roads

Currently there is only a single road (the R624) and road bridge that leads onto Great Island. This road bridge, Belvelly Bridge, was built at Belvelly in 1803 at one of the narrowest points in the channels around Great Island.[21][22]

Cross River Ferry

In 1993 a Cross River Ferry was established which allowed cars and passengers to travel from Glenbrook near Monkstown to Carrigaloe on the Great Island. The crossing from Glenbrook to Carrigaloe takes four minutes and runs daily. Reservations are not required.[23]

Local government and politics

While local administration was overseen by Cobh Town Council for some years, this local government body was abolished in 2014.[24] Since then, the town has fallen within the area of responsibility of Cork County Council.[25] Cobh Municipal District, one of eight municipal districts overseen by the council, is represented by six elected councillors. As of 2019, these include 1 Labour Party, 2 Fine Gael, 1 Fianna Fáil, 1 Green Party and 1 independent councillor.[26] The town is also part of the Dáil constituency of Cork East.

Arts and culture

 
The Navigator sculpture by Mary Gregoriy, located in Cobh

The Sirius Arts Centre is a hub for the arts in Cobh and is located on the waterfront. It hosts cultural events and music concerts both in-house and around Cobh.[27]

The Cobh Peoples Regatta is held every year around August,[28] and includes onstage performances from local musicians and performers as well as a pageant to decide the 'Regatta Queen'. The festival typically ends with a fireworks display over the harbour.[29]

Cobh was the setting for the 2009 Connor McPherson film The Eclipse,[30] and also used as a filming location for the 1999 movie Angela's Ashes.[31]

Education

Cobh has several primary and secondary schools, including Colaiste Muire secondary school and Cobh Community College. Scoil Iosaef Naofa is a boys' primary school in the town, and has reached the Sciath na Scoil finals (in hurling and gaelic football) on several occasions.[32]

Sport

Cobh GAA is the local GAA club, and has a centre for gaelic games at Carrignafoy.[33]

Cobh Pirates RFC are the town's rugby union club, and compete at underage and other levels.[34] The club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015.[35] They play their home games at 'The Paddocks' in Newtown, where facilities include a gym, two playing pitches, a training pitch and a rubber training surface. The Cobh Pirates Ladies team was formed circa 2010.[34]

The most noted football team in the area is Cobh Ramblers, where Roy Keane started-out before transferring to English side Nottingham Forest, and Stephen Ireland started his career with the club's underage, Springfield Ramblers. Cobh Ramblers play in the League of Ireland First Division,[36] with home games at St Colman's Park.[37] Another local football team, Springfield AFC, based at Pat O'Brien Park, Ballyleary, has both junior and senior football teams.[citation needed]

Cobh Golf Club has an 18-hole championship course at Marino on the main R624 road into the town. Cobh is also home to one of the oldest existing tennis clubs in Ireland, Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, founded in 1870.[38]

There are two coastal rowing clubs in the area, Cobh Fishermen and Rushbrooke Rowing Club, with the latter established in 1989.[39] Other events on the water include the "Escape from Spike Island" triathlon, which was first held in 2012 and organised by Cobh Triathlon Club. It takes place annually in late summer, with both Olympic distance and sprint distance courses.[citation needed] The first "Great Island 10" (a 10-mile road race) took place on 18 April 2010, to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.[citation needed]

People

Twin towns

See also

References

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  2. ^ Joyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston) (1898). The origin and history of Irish names of places. PIMS - University of Toronto. London, New York, Longmans, Green and co.; [etc., etc.] p. 122.
  3. ^ Murphy, Elaine (25 June 2020). "100 years ago Queenstown was renamed to Cobh (Town was the last port of call of the Titanic)". TheCork.ie. from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Sean O'Riordan: Name reversal helped to put Cobh on the map". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 29 June 2020. from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Cobh Town". cobhmuseum.com. Cobh Museum. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Collections - Reels - BMH.WS1737" (PDF). militaryarchives.ie. Bureau of Military History. April 1921. [Before being renamed] Queenstown in 1847, the town had been simply known as "The Cove of Cork". It could not be given this name now and "Cobh" really had no meaning
  7. ^ Samuel Lewis (1837). Lewis: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland – Volume 1. London: Lewis. from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2019 – via Libraryireland.com.
  8. ^ "Buildings of Ireland - Cove Fort". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  9. ^ Midleton Papers, Guildford Muniments Room, ref. 1248. Cork Examiner, 26 Mar 1845. B 3, 12 Apr 1845, 170.
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  12. ^ Beyer, Kenneth M.: Q-Ships versus U-Boats. America's Secret Project. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland, USA. 1999. ISBN 1-55750-044-4
  13. ^ "World War 1 Era Naval Air Stations". Bluejacket.com. from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
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  17. ^ "Steel plant to close despite cost reduction deal". Eurofound.europa.eu. 28 July 2001. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
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  38. ^ "Exhibition match at Rushbrooke". croquetireland.com. Croquet Association of Ireland. 23 October 2011. from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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  51. ^ "Mike Quill: The Irishman Martin Luther King described as 'a man the ages will remember'". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 26 January 2016. from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019. Quill and Thomas H O’Shea, a native of Queenstown (now Cobh), were the two main founders of the Transport Workers Union (TWU)
  52. ^ "The life of Fiona Shaw". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 11 May 2014. from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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External links

  •   Cobh travel guide from Wikivoyage
  • Cobh Tourism
  • Cobh Heritage Centre
  • "Cobh (Queenstown) Passenger Lists – 1895-1953". GG Archives. – Passenger Lists are Organized by Date, Steamship Line, Steamship Class of Passengers and the route of the voyage.

cobh, kohv, irish, cóbh, known, from, 1849, until, 1920, queenstown, seaport, town, south, coast, county, cork, ireland, with, population, around, inhabitants, south, side, great, island, cork, harbour, home, ireland, only, dedicated, cruise, terminal, tourism. Cobh ˈ k oʊ v KOHV Irish An Cobh known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork Ireland With a population of around 13 000 inhabitants Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland s only dedicated cruise terminal Tourism in the area draws on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town Cobh An CobhTownClockwise from top Cobh and St Colman s Cathedral as seen from Cobh Harbour a row of Victorian houses known locally as the deck of cards the neoclassical former Methodist ChurchCoat of armsMotto Statio Fidissima Classi The Fleet s Safest Post Latin CobhLocation in IrelandCoordinates 51 51 04 N 8 17 48 W 51 851 N 8 2967 W 51 851 8 2967 Coordinates 51 51 04 N 8 17 48 W 51 851 N 8 2967 W 51 851 8 2967CountryIrelandProvinceMunsterCountyCounty CorkDail EireannCork EastArea Urban 1 5 1 km2 2 0 sq mi Elevation47 m 154 ft Population 2016 1 Town12 800 Density2 521 9 km2 6 532 sq mi Time zoneUTC 0 WET Summer DST UTC 1 IST Eircode routing keyP24Telephone area code 353 0 21Irish Grid ReferenceW793666Websitevisitcobh wbr comMap of Cobh Facing the town are Spike and Haulbowline islands On a high point in the town stands St Colman s the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne It is one of the tallest buildings in Ireland standing at 91 4 metres 300 ft Contents 1 Name 2 History 2 1 Early history 2 2 19th century 2 3 RMS Titanic 2 4 Penal transportation 2 5 Shipbuilding 2 6 RMS Lusitania and the First World War 3 Economy and tourism 4 Transport 4 1 Rail 4 2 Air 4 3 Port 4 4 Roads 4 5 Cross River Ferry 5 Local government and politics 6 Arts and culture 7 Education 8 Sport 9 People 10 Twin towns 11 See also 12 References 13 External linksName EditThe village on the island was known as Ballyvoloon a transliteration of the Irish Baile Ui Mhaoileoin en O Malone s place 2 while the Royal Navy port established in the 1750 s became known as The Cove of Cork or Cove The combined conurbation was renamed to Queenstown in 1849 during a visit by Queen Victoria The name was changed to Cobh during the Irish War of Independence following the passing of a motion by the local administrative council on 2 July 1920 3 4 Cobh is a Gaelicisation of the English name Cove and it shares the same pronunciation 5 It has no meaning in the Irish language 6 In ancient times the area was known as Cuan an Neimheadh the Harbour of Neimheidh a figure in medieval Irish legend Great Island was called Oilean Ard Neimheidh the high or important island of Neimheidh 7 History Edit Statue on the waterfront of Annie Moore and her brothers Annie Moore was the first person to be admitted to the United States of America through the new immigration centre at Ellis Island New York on 1 January 1892 Early history Edit According to legend one of the first colonists of Ireland was Neimheidh who landed in Cork Harbour over 1 000 years BC citation needed He and his followers were said to have been wiped out in a plague but the Great Island was known in Irish as Oilean Ard Neimheadh because of its association with him Later it became known as Crich Liathain because of the powerful Ui Liathain kingdom who ruled in the area from Late Antiquity into the early 13th century The island subsequently became known as Oilean Mor An Barra the Great Island of Barry amp Barrymore after the Barry family who inherited it St Colman s Cathedral The village on the island was known in English as Ballyvoloon overlooking The Cove In 1743 the British built a fort later to become known as Cove Fort to the east of the village 8 The settlement was first referred to as Cove village in 1750 by Smith the historian who said it was inhabited by seamen and revenue officials The Cork directory of 1787 shows about thirty businesses in the town including one butcher and one draper The Water Club established at Haulbowline in 1720 was the progenitor of the present Royal Cork Yacht Club RCYC now based in Crosshaven and is the oldest yacht club in the world The RCYC was based for many years in Cobh and the present Sirius Arts Centre used to be a clubhouse of the RCYC organisation In 1966 the RCYC merged with the Royal Munster Yacht Club retaining the name of the RCYC but moving its headquarters to those of the RMYC at Crosshaven at the other side of the harbour The tower of St Colman s Cathedral from the streets below 19th century Edit International upheaval led to Cobh undergoing rapid development in the early 19th century Due to the natural protection of its harbour setting the town became important as a tactical centre for naval military base purposes never more so than at the time of the Napoleonic Wars Today the Irish Naval Service headquarters is on Haulbowline Island facing Cobh The wars against the French led to the town then usually known as Ballyvoloon or The Cove of Cork being developed as a British naval port assigned an admiral Many of the present day buildings date from this time of build up George Brodrick 5th Viscount Midleton engaged the English architect Decimus Burton to improve the streetscape and buildings during the 1840s 9 10 The eventual cessation of hostilities dented Cobh s prosperity for a while but it soon became known as a health resort many patients stayed here for their health because of the temperate climate Amongst their number was Charles Wolfe who wrote The Burial of Sir John Moore After Corunna Wolfe s body is buried in the Old Church Cemetery outside the town RMS Titanic Edit Titanic Memorial Westbourne Place Cobh One of the major transatlantic Irish ports the town was the departure point for 2 5 million of the six million Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950 On 11 April 1912 as Queenstown it was the final port of call for the RMS Titanic before she set out across the Atlantic on the last leg of her maiden voyage She was assisted by the P S America and the P S Ireland two ageing White Star Line tenders along with several other smaller boats delivering first class passengers luggage Some sources and local lore suggest that a Titanic crew member John Coffey a native of Queenstown left the ship at this time thereby saving his life 11 123 passengers boarded at Queenstown with only 44 surviving the sinking Penal transportation Edit Cobh was earlier a major embarkation port for men women and children who were deported to penal colonies such as Australia The Scots Church has since 1973 housed the Cobh Museum which holds records of such deportations in ships log books The Scots Church a Presbyterian church until its 1969 closure overlooks the harbour from where so many departed Shipbuilding Edit A significant shipbuilding industry was developed in the town The remnants of the Verolme Shipyard today maintain many of the original cranes and hoists now forming part of industrial and maritime heritage The original pier as it appeared in 2007 where passengers boarded tenders to the Titanic at its anchorage near the mouth of the harbour The corner of the office building of the White Star Line can be seen on the right The building today houses a Titanic museum The age of steam brought Cobh association with several milestones including the first steam ship to sail from Ireland to England 1821 and the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Sirius 1838 which sailed from Passage West RMS Lusitania and the First World War Edit Another ship to be associated with the town the Cunard passenger liner RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U boat off the Old Head of Kinsale while en route from the US to Liverpool on 7 May 1915 1 198 passengers died while 700 were rescued The survivors and the dead alike were brought to Queenstown and the bodies of over 100 who perished in the disaster lie buried in the Old Church Cemetery just north of the town The Lusitania Peace Memorial is located in Casement Square opposite the arched building housing the Cobh Library and Courthouse Cobh then Queenstown c 1890s During the First World War Queenstown was a naval base for British and American destroyers operating against the U boats that preyed upon Allied merchant shipping Q ships heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks were called Q ships precisely because many were in fact fitted out in Queenstown 12 The first division of American destroyers arrived in May 1917 and the sailors who served on those vessels were the first American servicemen to see combat duty in the war When that first convoy arrived in port after enduring a rough passage in what were little more than open boats its members were met by a crowd of sailors and townspeople thankful for their anticipated help towards stopping the U boats that were blockading western Europe Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly commander of the Coast of Ireland station met the senior American officer Commander Joseph Taussig at the dock and inquired as to how soon the weatherbeaten American ships could be put to use We re ready now sir was the widely quoted answer from the American The United States Navy established U S Naval Air Station Queenstown in February 1918 It operated flying boats during the last months of WW1 and closed in April 1919 13 Due to its tactical military importance under the terms of the 1921 Anglo Irish Treaty the port remained a UK sovereign base within the Irish Free State after 1922 Along with the other Treaty Ports it was handed over to the government of the Irish Free State in 1938 Economy and tourism Edit The waterfront at Cobh The waterfront at Cobh probably c 1900 Tourism is a large employer in Cobh Large cruise liners visit Cobh each year mainly during the summer months although many of the tourists are transported out of Cobh by bus to other tourist destinations In all almost 100 000 cruise liner passengers and crew arrive in the town each year when their ships berth right in the centre of the town at the Republic of Ireland s only dedicated cruise terminal 14 15 16 Tourist attractions are focused on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town and include the Queenstown Story at the Cobh Heritage Centre Titanic Experience Titanic Trail walking tour Cobh Museum Cobh Road Train Spike Island tours and St Colman s Cathedral The town has remained largely unchanged since RMS Titanic departed from Cork Harbour in 1912 with the streetscape and piers still much the same Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island The latter is the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service formerly a British naval base Cobh was home to Ireland s only steelworks the former state owned Irish Steel works which was closed by its buyer Ispat International in 2001 There is a controversy over the slag heap on the steelworks where there are concerns that it may be leaching into the harbour 17 Another important employer in Cobh was the Dutch owned Verolme Cork Dockyard in Rushbrooke It opened in 1960 but ceased operations in the mid 1980s In 1981 the MV Leinster was built at Verolme for service on the Dublin Holyhead route 18 The last ship built at Verolme was the Irish Naval Service s LE Eithne P31 19 Ship repair work is still carried at Rushbrooke using the drydock and slip way carriages The drydock pumps date from 1912 citation needed In the 21st century a number of new developments were completed such as a new retail park at Ticknock in 2008 and a leisure centre with 25m swimming pool in August 2007 In 2010 tours of Spike Island commenced with tours leaving from Kennedy Pier near the town centre Transport EditRail Edit Outside of the Dublin metropolitan area Cobh is one of the few towns in Ireland served by a commuter train service The town is one of two termini for Cork Commuter Services The other is Midleton Regular commuter services run between Cork city and Cobh calling at among others Fota railway station Carrigaloe railway station and Rushbrooke railway station along the way Trains run every day and the journey time to Cork is under 25 minutes Cobh railway station opened on 10 March 1862 and was closed for goods traffic on 3 November 1975 20 Air Edit The nearest airport is Cork Airport which can be reached in 20 30 minutes from Cobh via the R624 road and the N25 road Port Edit The Port Operations Centre for Cork Harbour is located in the town The port s harbour pilot launches are based at the Camber a pier and dock area at the eastern end of the town Roads Edit Currently there is only a single road the R624 and road bridge that leads onto Great Island This road bridge Belvelly Bridge was built at Belvelly in 1803 at one of the narrowest points in the channels around Great Island 21 22 Cross River Ferry Edit In 1993 a Cross River Ferry was established which allowed cars and passengers to travel from Glenbrook near Monkstown to Carrigaloe on the Great Island The crossing from Glenbrook to Carrigaloe takes four minutes and runs daily Reservations are not required 23 Local government and politics EditWhile local administration was overseen by Cobh Town Council for some years this local government body was abolished in 2014 24 Since then the town has fallen within the area of responsibility of Cork County Council 25 Cobh Municipal District one of eight municipal districts overseen by the council is represented by six elected councillors As of 2019 these include 1 Labour Party 2 Fine Gael 1 Fianna Fail 1 Green Party and 1 independent councillor 26 The town is also part of the Dail constituency of Cork East Arts and culture Edit The Navigator sculpture by Mary Gregoriy located in Cobh The Sirius Arts Centre is a hub for the arts in Cobh and is located on the waterfront It hosts cultural events and music concerts both in house and around Cobh 27 The Cobh Peoples Regatta is held every year around August 28 and includes onstage performances from local musicians and performers as well as a pageant to decide the Regatta Queen The festival typically ends with a fireworks display over the harbour 29 Cobh was the setting for the 2009 Connor McPherson film The Eclipse 30 and also used as a filming location for the 1999 movie Angela s Ashes 31 Education EditCobh has several primary and secondary schools including Colaiste Muire secondary school and Cobh Community College Scoil Iosaef Naofa is a boys primary school in the town and has reached the Sciath na Scoil finals in hurling and gaelic football on several occasions 32 Sport EditCobh GAA is the local GAA club and has a centre for gaelic games at Carrignafoy 33 Cobh Pirates RFC are the town s rugby union club and compete at underage and other levels 34 The club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015 35 They play their home games at The Paddocks in Newtown where facilities include a gym two playing pitches a training pitch and a rubber training surface The Cobh Pirates Ladies team was formed circa 2010 34 The most noted football team in the area is Cobh Ramblers where Roy Keane started out before transferring to English side Nottingham Forest and Stephen Ireland started his career with the club s underage Springfield Ramblers Cobh Ramblers play in the League of Ireland First Division 36 with home games at St Colman s Park 37 Another local football team Springfield AFC based at Pat O Brien Park Ballyleary has both junior and senior football teams citation needed Cobh Golf Club has an 18 hole championship course at Marino on the main R624 road into the town Cobh is also home to one of the oldest existing tennis clubs in Ireland Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis amp Croquet Club founded in 1870 38 There are two coastal rowing clubs in the area Cobh Fishermen and Rushbrooke Rowing Club with the latter established in 1989 39 Other events on the water include the Escape from Spike Island triathlon which was first held in 2012 and organised by Cobh Triathlon Club It takes place annually in late summer with both Olympic distance and sprint distance courses citation needed The first Great Island 10 a 10 mile road race took place on 18 April 2010 to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society citation needed People EditAnne Elizabeth Ball 1808 1872 and Mary Ball 1812 1898 sisters and scientists in the history of phycology 40 Robert Ball 1802 1857 brother of Anne and Mary Ball zoologist 41 Decimus Burton 1800 1881 English architect and designer of much of Cobh s streetscape 42 Nellie Cashman 1845 1925 gold prospector and philanthropist who was born near Cobh or at Midleton 43 Patsy Donovan 1865 1953 major league baseball player in the US 44 Charles Guilfoyle Doran 1835 1909 Fenian and clerk of works for the building of Cobh Cathedral lived in the town most of his life citation needed Jack Doyle 1913 1978 boxer actor and singer 44 Frederick Edwards 1894 1964 recipient of the Victoria Cross 45 Joe English round the world sailor and international yachtsman 46 Robert Forde 1875 1959 Antarctic explorer 44 Maeve Higgins comedian 44 Stephen Ireland former Stoke City and Republic of Ireland international footballer 44 Roy Keane former Manchester United footballer started his professional career with Cobh Ramblers 47 Sean McLoughlin Hull City footballer 48 Elizabeth Louisa Moresby 1862 1931 fantasy writer 49 John O Flynn footballer 50 Fergus O Rourke 1923 2010 zoologist resident in Cobh while Professor at University College Cork 44 Thomas H O Shea 1898 1962 Irish Volunteer and labour leader 51 Sonia O Sullivan silver medalist in the 5000 m race at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games 44 Fiona Shaw actress born here in 1958 52 Sinead Sheppard local councillor and former member of pop band Six 53 Sir Geoffrey Vavasour 5th Baronet 1914 1997 first class cricketer and Royal Navy officer citation needed James Roche Verling 1787 1858 personal physician to Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile in St Helena citation needed Patrick Walsh emeritus bishop of Down and Connor originally from Cobh citation needed Joseph Wheeler 19th century founder of the Rushbrooke ship yard citation needed Twin towns EditKolbuszowa Poland 54 Ploermel France 55 Lake Charles Louisiana US 56 Pontarddulais Wales 57 See also Edit Ireland portalList of towns and villages in Ireland Cork Suburban Rail Metropolitan CorkReferences Edit a b Population Density and Area Size 2016 Central Statistics Office Ireland Archived from the original on 24 March 2019 Retrieved 26 December 2017 Joyce P W Patrick Weston 1898 The origin and history of Irish names of places PIMS University of Toronto London New York Longmans Green and co etc etc p 122 Murphy Elaine 25 June 2020 100 years ago Queenstown was renamed to Cobh Town was the last port of call of the Titanic TheCork ie Archived from the original on 10 July 2020 Retrieved 8 July 2020 Sean O Riordan Name reversal helped to put Cobh on the map irishexaminer com Irish Examiner 29 June 2020 Archived from the original on 2 July 2020 Retrieved 8 July 2020 Cobh Town cobhmuseum com Cobh Museum Retrieved 1 December 2021 Collections Reels BMH WS1737 PDF militaryarchives ie Bureau of Military History April 1921 Before being renamed Queenstown in 1847 the town had been simply known as The Cove of Cork It could not be given this name now and Cobh really had no meaning Samuel Lewis 1837 Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland Volume 1 London Lewis Archived from the original on 28 July 2020 Retrieved 4 January 2019 via Libraryireland com Buildings of Ireland Cove Fort National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Archived from the original on 24 May 2015 Retrieved 9 May 2015 Midleton Papers Guildford Muniments Room ref 1248 Cork Examiner 26 Mar 1845 B 3 12 Apr 1845 170 Decimus Burton Dictionary of Irish Architects Archived from the original on 12 August 2019 Retrieved 5 December 2018 John Coffey Titanic Crew Encyclopedia titanica org Archived from the original on 27 March 2016 Retrieved 31 March 2016 Beyer Kenneth M Q Ships versus U Boats America s Secret Project Naval Institute Press Annapolis Maryland USA 1999 ISBN 1 55750 044 4 World War 1 Era Naval Air Stations Bluejacket com Archived from the original on 17 April 2018 Retrieved 22 April 2018 Cork set for 15 million tourism boost this summer as cruise liner grows irishtimes com Irish Times 24 March 2018 Retrieved 2 August 2018 Future of this town has to be in tourism irishexaminer com Irish Examiner 7 December 2011 Retrieved 2 August 2018 Port of Cork cruising towards 15m terminal irishexaminer com Irish Examiner 27 July 2017 Retrieved 4 August 2018 The Port of Cork currently boasts the only dedicated cruise ship berth in Ireland in Cobh Steel plant to close despite cost reduction deal Eurofound europa eu 28 July 2001 Archived from the original on 29 July 2012 Retrieved 26 March 2013 Irish Ferries Past Vessels irish ferries enthusiasts com Archived from the original on 27 August 2007 Eithne P31 Iol ie Archived from the original on 5 October 2012 Retrieved 26 March 2013 Cobh station PDF Railscot Irish Railways Archived PDF from the original on 26 September 2007 Retrieved 31 August 2007 Belvelly Bridge County Cork buildingsofireland ie National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Archived from the original on 2 August 2018 Retrieved 2 August 2018 Calls for island designation campaign for Cobh after Ophelia irishexaminer com Irish Examiner 18 October 2017 Archived from the original on 2 August 2018 Retrieved 2 August 2018 the only bridge leading into Great Island at Belvelly Bridge is 200 years old Passage West and Monkstown Cross River Ferry Archived from the original on 28 March 2014 Hogan says local government reform will save 420m RTE News RTE ie 16 October 2012 Archived from the original on 19 October 2013 Retrieved 7 November 2013 How your Council Works Cork County Council Archived from the original on 19 December 2019 Retrieved 19 December 2019 Elected Members Cork County Council Archived from the original on 28 July 2020 Retrieved 19 December 2019 Sirius Art Centre Siriusartscentre ie Archived from the original on 5 November 2013 Retrieved 7 November 2013 Cobh People s Regatta cobhpeoplesregatta com Archived from the original on 24 March 2018 Cobh People s Regatta 2018 visitcobh com Cobh Tourism 1 August 2018 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Cannes Is No Longer The Only Premier Film Festival By The Sea cobhedition com Cobh Edition 5 October 2012 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Reconstructing the pain of the past to film a literary legend independent ie Independent News amp Media 9 January 2000 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Scoil Iosaef Naofa Sciath na Scol Finalists cobhedition com Cobh Edition 20 May 2011 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Cobh GAA Contacts cobhgaa com Cobh GAA Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 a b Club Focus Cobh Pirates munsterrugby ie Munster Rugby 7 February 2014 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Cobh Pirates RFC celebrates 125 years in 2015 cobhedition com Cobh Edition 10 March 2015 Archived from the original on 25 December 2015 Retrieved 9 November 2019 Stephen Christopher departs Cobh Ramblers ahead of First Division run in extratime ie 25 July 2019 Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 Retrieved 7 December 2019 Cobh Ramblers land massive Dundalk home tie in cup semi final echolive ie The Echo 14 May 2018 Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 Retrieved 7 December 2019 We have a 4 000 capacity in St Colman s Park hopefully we could fill the place up Exhibition match at Rushbrooke croquetireland com Croquet Association of Ireland 23 October 2011 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Rushbrooke Rowing Club History rushbrookerc com Archived from the original on 18 October 2015 A look back on Cobh s horticultural heroine Anne Elizabeth Ball irishexaminer com Irish Examiner 27 February 2016 Archived from the original on 4 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Ball Robert 1802 1857 naturalist president of the Geological Society of Ireland Nahste ac uk Archived from the original on 14 July 2012 Retrieved 26 March 2013 Burton Decimus Biography Dictionary of Irish Architects Irish Architectural Archive Archived from the original on 12 August 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 A miner with a heart of gold the extraordinary Nellie Cashman irishtimes com Irish Times 28 April 2017 Archived from the original on 30 January 2018 Retrieved 4 January 2019 a b c d e f g Famous People of Cobh visitcobh com Cobh Tourism Archived from the original on 4 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Collection Corporal Frederick Jeremiah Edwards VC nam ac uk National Army Museum Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Branigan David 4 November 2014 Sailor Joe English 58 passes away The Irish Times Archived from the original on 5 December 2020 Retrieved 24 February 2020 Roy Keane is returning to Cobh Ramblers for one night only though sportsjoe ie Sports Joe 12 February 2015 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Cobh s Sean McLoughlin in Irish U21 side to face Israel amp Germany cobhedition com Cobh Edition 5 October 2018 Retrieved 6 September 2019 Beck Elizabeth Louisa Moresby SFU Digitized Collections Simon Fraser University Archived from the original on 6 September 2019 Retrieved 6 September 2019 Player Profile John O Flynn extratime ie Extratime Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Mike Quill The Irishman Martin Luther King described as a man the ages will remember irishexaminer com Irish Examiner 26 January 2016 Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Quill and Thomas H O Shea a native of Queenstown now Cobh were the two main founders of the Transport Workers Union TWU The life of Fiona Shaw independent ie Independent News amp Media 11 May 2014 Archived from the original on 4 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Our People Cllr Sinead Sheppard Cork County Council finegael ie Fine Gael Archived from the original on 24 May 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Gmina Miasta partnerskie Cobh Irlandia kolbuszowa pl in Polish UM Kolbuszowa Archived from the original on 5 January 2019 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Cobh Ploermel twinning in French Directory of City Councils and Cities of France Archived from the original on 17 May 2015 Retrieved 22 March 2015 FlavinRealtyInc 13 October 2011 Lake Charles pairs up with Cobh Ireland archived from the original on 13 November 2019 retrieved 31 January 2018 Cobh County Cork Republic of Ireland Pontarddulais Town Council 13 October 2010 Archived from the original on 19 December 2012 Retrieved 26 March 2013 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cobh Wikisource has original text related to this article A Run Ashore at Queenstown Cobh travel guide from Wikivoyage Cobh Tourism Cobh Heritage Centre Cobh Queenstown Passenger Lists 1895 1953 GG Archives Passenger Lists are Organized by Date Steamship Line Steamship Class of Passengers and the route of the voyage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cobh amp oldid 1129934337, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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