The village of Cobh (pronounced Cove) located southeast of Cork City, is a pretty Georgian seaside resort popular today with windsurfers and sailors. It has a long and rich history as a bustling port and emigration centre. The town’s original name, Cobh, was changed to Queenstown in 1849 in honor of Queen Victoria’s visit. The name reverted back to Cobh in 1920.
The Queenstown Story at Cobh Heritage Center is located in the old railway station and presents the experiences of over two million emigrants who departed from Ireland to America between 1750 and the 20th century. They sailed on coffin ships, steamers and ocean liners. During the period from the 1800′s to 1950, Cobh was considered Ireland’s main harbour for transatlantic travel.
The heritage centre offers a special presentation on the Titanic, which made its last stop her before heading across the ocean on its tragic voyage – at 11:30 Am on April 11, 1912. The ship took on 123 passengers, the last to board. Titanic Trail walking tours point out the connections of the famous ship to the town.
The Centre also memorializes the Lusitania, which was sunk by a German submarine on May 7, 1915. Around 100 victims of that attack are buried in a cemetery just north of Cobh and there is a memorial dedicated to them on the quay.
Another interesting statue related to Cobh’s notoriety as an emigration point was created by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart. It depicts three children who left Ireland on the SS Nevada. One of them, a girl called Annie Moore, was the first person to pass through the immigration center at Ellis Island in New York Harbor on January 1, 1892.