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Cork
Harbour
Cork Harbour is one of the world's great natural sheltered harbours, capable of
receiving the largest ships afloat in perfect safety. In the great days of the
Atlantic liners, the great ships used the port regularly. Cork Harbour is home
of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, which received its Charter in 1720. The Harbour is
occupied by a series of large & small islands, the largest of which is Great
Island on which the town of Cobh together with Fota Estate and East Ferry are
situated. Haulbowline Island has the
Irish Naval Base. Spike Island, a former military station, continues in use as
an island prison for adolescent offenders.
Haulbowline (or Haulbowling) Island:
It is found only a ½ mile from the centre of Cobh, It has been used by the
military for many years and was opened in 1602. A permanent prison was found
there in the 1690 but in 1806, when it was decided to move the army to Spike
Island. On the eastern half of the
island the Admiralty established the only naval arsenal in Ireland (large enough
to supply the entire navy for one year). The west of the island was used as an
ordnance depot. It was connected with
Rocky Island. In 1869 Haulbowline was upgraded to a naval dockyard (a major
industrial facility for the repair and maintenance of ships). At its peak in
1918 it employed over 1000 shipyard workers. The dockyard was handed to the
Irish Government in 1923.
Rocky Island:
A small island near Haulbowline, with tunnels and used as a massive
gunpowder magazine (25,000 barrels), it was designed to supply the whole of
Ireland. An army of one officer and 30 men was assigned to operate it.
Cobh
Cobh (pronounced cove) during the time of the emigration in Ireland Cobh was
renamed Queenstown after Queen Victoria. Cobh is located 15 miles southwest of
cork city the route is regularly served by trains it is the shortest way to
reach Cobh but also if you can find your way to passage west you can get the
little car ferry a five minute crossing to Carrigaloe just beside Cobh. Cobh is
the great harbour of Cork it handles huge ships. In the 18th century
it was a great navel base for the British.
Later on nearly all the transatlantic ships and liners stopped here.
Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic and the destination of the
Lusitania. Titanic doesn't mention a stop in Queenstown. In fact, Queenstown
was the last port of call for this ocean liner. This is the point where hundreds
of Irish emigrants boarded Titanic for its ill-fated trip to America.
There
is a memorial to the people that lost there lives on the ship it is situated on
the quayside of Cobh, the Lusitania Memorial is named after a ocean liner
torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915. The German Army claimed that the
Lusitania was carrying arms as well as civilian passengers. This was denied.
Many of the survivors landed in Cobh, and many of the bodies were washed up
along the south coast. The incident was instrumental in bringing America into
the 1st World War. The memorial is the work of sculptor Jerome Connor
(1876-1943).
The Queenstown Story
Between 1848 and
1950 almost six million people emigrated from Ireland to America. Two and a half
million of these people left from Cobh. Between
1791 and 1853 over 40,000 convicts were sent to Australian penal colonies in
what came to be known as "coffin ships"; more often than not,
prisoners on these ships would die in transit. As well prisoners were kept in
Cork Harbour on floating prisons.
The old Victorian train station houses The Queenstown Story, a multi-dimensional
historical telling of the emigration, detailing the typical passenger, how much
it cost to travel, life on aboard the ships, and life in America. For those
emigrants that travelled from Cobh/Queenstown, St Coleman’s Cathedral was the
last thing they saw as they left the harbour. St Coleman’s dominates the Cobh
hillside with its huge bell tower, now topped by a spire. Bells would ring until
the ship exited the harbour. Today the tradition continues. Each passenger ship
and ferry that passes through Cork Harbour will hear a bell ringing from the
cathedral. In turn the ship will sound its horns. This is a continuing symbol of
good luck wishes for the passage. Knowing this, it's quite a moving experience
to witness a ship or ferry sailing passed the cathedral and hearing the bells.
Titanic Trail
The Titanic Trail is a guided tour around the streets of Cobh, revealing
locations and incidents directly connected to the Titanic and many other aspects
of the port's history. The actual building in which the White Star Line Office
is visited. The very pier where Titanic passengers departed is seen. St. Colmans
Cathedral, the Holy Ground, and the site of the landing of Lusitania victims are
all pointed out to the visitor as well as much more about the emigrant, military
and maritime history of Cobh. The trail brings the whole era of Sailing Ships,
departing emigrants (almost 4 million left from Cobh) and great military fleets
to life in a way that leaves a lasting impression on the visitor. Guided walking
tours of the Titanic Trail take place every day at 11am leaving from the
Commodore Hotel in Cobh. During the
walk a free sample of Guinness is served. In the Clifton Bar the walk finishes
up with a freshly roasted coffee in the replica Titanic Queenstown Grill &
Bar.
Ghost Walk: The latest creation of the author and creator of the Titanic Trail
is Cobhs Original Ghost Walk. The visitor is brought to the town’s most
haunted sites with the associated ghost stories revealed in gory detail. After
the walk a ghastly cocktail is served in Pillars Bar, the most haunted building
in Cobh!
Full Day Package: A full day package includes the Cultural tour followed by a
boat trip of magnificent Cork Harbour. Views of the Harbour town are identical
to those experienced by the passengers on Titanic at her last Anchorage.
Passage West
Passage West is situated on the west shore of the estuary of the river Lee,
six miles from the City of Cork, and is a seaport town of some importance. It is
generally called West Passage, to distinguish it from the other town of Passage,
near the mouth of the river Suir in the county of Waterford. Of late years West
Passage has attained prominence as an agreeable watering place, and is much
visited by invalids in search of quiet sea bathing. Many foreign tourists also
visit it in the summer months.
It is now recognized as an indispensable marine station and shipping point for
Cork city. Shipbuilding is one of the local industries. No boats of over 500
tons burden can pass up the river beyond Passage, and heavier vessels are
supposed to off load their cargoes there for reshipment. Therefore, this is a
lively place, which adds to the prosperity of the place.
The Sirius
The Sirius was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. Under the command
of Captain Richard Roberts who was from passage west in Cork, she crossed from
Cork Harbour to New York in nineteen days. There is a plaque to commemorate the
first crossing of a steam ship the Sirius. Cork harbour commissioners to
commemorate the 1507 anniversary of the crossing from passage west Cork to New
York erected this plaque. The plaque was placed in the Sirius Park in passage
west. The park was opened in 1998 and features the actual drive shaft from the
ship that was dismantled when it was taken out of service.
Spike Island
Spike Island was purchased by the Government from Nicholas Fitton in 1779
and they put a small 21 gun battery but it was the war against revolutionary
France that saw the beginning of the major construction which, in 1790, was
named Fort Westmoreland, after the then Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of
Westmoreland. Opposition to the practice of 'transporting' convicts, most
notably from the convict colonies themselves, saw a decline in transportation
and the establishment of 'home convict depots'. In 1847 Spike Island were
selected as male convict depots.
By 1853 there were 3,764 male convicts in Ireland of which were placed on Spike
Island. By 1860 this had dropped to 1,076 male on Spike Island. Prisoners were
employed quarrying stone, building the Haulbowline Island docks, and
construction work at Fort Westmoreland. The two Islands were connected by a
causeway and wooden bridge for the duration of this work. The last prisoners
were removed from Spike Island in 1885.
Throughout the later half of the nineteenth century all the forts were manned by
elements of the Royal Garrison Artillery and were updated with new guns. They
survived the Great War without incident.
The
Irish Navy
1922-1938
Following the Treaty in 1922 the United Kingdom regained control over
Irish waters. The Irish Government had responsibility to take care of fisheries
and customs. The Coastal and Marine Service was set up in 1923. Although the
Service was ended in 1924 an unarmed ship continued fishery protection duties
for the Department of Fisheries patrolling the three miles of Irish territorial
waters. In 1936 the ship was armed once again to make her more effective on
patrols. In 1938 the waters and ports (Bere Haven, Lough Swilly and Cork
Harbour) were handed over to the Irish Government. The British Royal Navy
withdrew from Cork Harbour on 11 July 1938. The waters of Ireland were now the
full responsibility of the Irish Government
1946 - 1971
In Sept 1946 the Marine Service became a part of the Defence Forces. Thus
was born the modern day Irish Naval Service. From numbers, which had slipped
from about 1,300 to 160 all ranks, strength increased rapidly.
1972
- 1999
In 1971 a contract was signed with Cork Dockyard to build an offshore
patrol vessel for the Naval Service. This ship, L.É. DEIRDRE, was commissioned
in 1972. This ship being the first ship purpose-built in Ireland to patrol in
Irish waters. Three new patrol vessels were built (L.É. EMER, L.É. AOIFE &
L.É. AISLING) between 1978 and 1980 - all improved on L.É. Deirdre, which was
the prototype of the class.
1996 - 2001
In 1996 the Naval Service celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The high point of the year long celebration was a Fleet Review in Cork Harbour conducted by H.E. the President, Mary Robinson. In 1999 a new ship was delivered to the Naval Service. Named L.É. Róisin, she was the first of a class of new larger and faster offshore patrol vessels. L.É. Niamh was commissioned into the Naval Service in mid-September 2001.
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