Ireland's
second largest city, Cork (Corcaigh in Irish) is a
'county borough' in Ireland and the capital of County
Cork. It is located
at the mouth of the River Lee at the head of Cork harbour.
The word Corcaigh actually means marshland and the city
was built in a marshy valley area where the Lee splits
into two channels to form an island that is the heart
of the city. Tradition holds that the
city was founded in the late 6th or early 7th century
by St. Finbarr, who went there to kill the last dragon
in Ireland and who built a monastery on the current
south side of the city. Cork was taken by Henry II
in 1172
and by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. The city is often called "Rebel Cork" because it was a centre of the 19th-century Fenian movement and played an active
part in the Irish struggle for independence. In 1920
the centre of Cork was completely destroyed by the
notorious Black and Tans during the War of Independence
. The Mayor
of Cork, Thomas MacCurtain, was killed by them in the
same year. His successor, Terence MacSweeney, died
in London's Brixton Prison after 75 days on hunger
strike.
Visiting Clonakilty why not stay at The Clonakilty Townhouse Hotel , Guest House
at Bed and Breakfast Rates.
Visiting Miami or Florida why not Take a Riverfront Cruise Tour with Fort lauderdales
premium tour company Anticipation Yachts. Or Florida Dinner Cruises
Spirit
of the Isles is a steel hull passenger vessel fully
licenced by the Irish Dept of Marine ,she is fully
Insured and operated
by a professional friendly crew , there is an onboard
Bathroom and enclosed area for inclement weather . A
snack Bar serves
light snacks and Beverages. Penrose Quay Cork City
to Kennedy Pier Cobh you can board at either location.
Each Trip takes approx one hour and fifteen minuites the
tours are fully narrated by our crew with local points
of interest
and historical facts along with wildlife observations
and Irish Humour there are a wide selection of snacks
and beverages served on board
A characterful town with a unique place in Ireland's heritage, Cobh has a rich
maritime history as the embarkation port for the many people
that emigrated from Ireland. The distinctive town of Cobh (pronounced
cove) is built onto the slope of Great
Island in Cork Harbour just 15 miles from Cork City.
The towering St Colman's Cathedral, French Gothic in
style, stands at the top of the hill overlooking the
tall brightly coloured buildings of Cobh and the dockside
of the most important port of emigration in the country.
The port was called Queenstown, renamed following a visit
from Queen Victoria in 1849, until it reverted back to
its Irish name in 1922. Cobh's long maritime history
includes the world's first yacht club, the Royal Cork
Yacht Club established in 1720, the first steamship to
sail across the Atlantic, the Sirius, sailed from Cobh
in 1838, Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic
on her tragic maiden voyage and Cobh was where survivors
of the Lusitania were brought after the ship was torpedoed
by German U-Boats off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915.
150 victims of the Lusitania are buried in graves in
the Old Church just north of Cobh. Yet what Cobh is most
associated with is the mass exodus from Ireland during
the 19th Century. Once called "the saddest place in all of Ireland", Cobh was the embarkation port of some 2.5 million Irish emigrants fleeing famine
and poverty between the 1848 and 1950. Their tale is
told in the award winning exhibition centre, the Queenstown
Story, housed in the disused Victorian Railway by the
dockside. Though a town with a sorrowful
past, Cobh is a vibrant hub of activity and interest.
A quaint town of narrow streets, winding up steep hills,
Cobh has a number of old-fashioned pubs and good quality
restaurants. Cobh is a popular spot for sailing and there
are harbour cruises around Haulbowline Island and the
former prison of Spike Island.