Cobh

Where the River Lee flows out of Cork and into the Atlantic Sea, Cobh sits wrapped in the protective arms of its Cork Harbor surroundings. This picturesque port town was known as Queenstown until the late 1920s, and of the 6 million Irish citizens who immigrated to North America, it’s believed nearly half of them waved goodbye to their homeland here on the shores of Cobh. Even more infamous is the tale of the Titanic, which departed on its doomed North Atlantic crossing from right here in Cobh. Tours today still detail the time the Titanic spent in Cobh—including the original wooden dock that the Titanic’s passengers walked on.
The Titanic, however, paled in comparison to the lives lost at sea during the sinking of the Lusitania, which was struck by a German submarine in the waters off of Cobh. Over 100 victims from the Lusitania blast are buried in a cemetery onshore, although despite Cobh’s history of maritime disaster, the colorful town remains an enjoyable and bustling cruise port today. Enjoy a walk to the Cobh Cathedral and go sailing out on the bay, or on a visit to the fascinating Cobh Heritage Center, learn about life on a convict ship as it sailed to the Australian unknown.

Practical Info

Cobh is 12 miles from the Cork city center and is best accessed by train. The journey takes about 25 minutes and travels along the water, or if visiting Cobh as part of a cruise tour, trains run hourly from Cobh into Cork and the rail station is by the Cobh Heritage Center.