Cobh

This seaside town, developed in the 19th century, was once the main emigration point for people sailing to North America. The story of that relentless emigration is told in the fine Queenstown Story centre. Using audio-visual techniques, artefacts and models, the centre recreates emigration history and recalls the appalling conditions on the aptly-named coffin ships that crossed the Atlantic. Conditions aboard the convict ships that went to Australia are also detailed while, most genteelly, the centre tells the story of the great ocean liners that once called at Cobh. Among them were the Titanic, which sank in 1912, and the Lusitania, torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915. In the Old Church cemetery, 2km (1mile) N of the town, many victims of the Lusitania sinking are buried.

Also in Cobh, the former Presbyterian church, known as the Scots Church, was opened as a museum in 1973. It too has many interesting artefacts from former industries, including the Belvelly Brickworks Models of Cork harbour coasters, marine paintings and maritime photographs are also in the collection.
24km (15 miles) SE of Cork City
Queenstown Story: Admission charge.
Scots Church Museum: Admission charge.

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