We’ve explored the city enough on foot that we decided to take a short train ride to Cobh (pronounced “cove”), a commuter town where the River Lee turns into a bona fide harbor.
The train ride itself was pleasant, and had some scenic moments. It follows the river, and then the harbor, so there were water views most of the way. That said, much of the water was low tide muck, and it is very much a working harbor, so while there were some charming streets and houses along the shore, there were also a lot of piles of shipping containers, parking lots, lumber yards, etc.
Cobh felt more touristy than Cork, mostly because we passed two or three tour groups. Cobh was the place where most Irish emigrants shipped off to other countries, so there is a small museum about the various migrations. It was also the last port of call for the Titanic, and the closest port of call when the Lusitania was sunk, so there are sites commemorating both of those disasters. There is also a beautiful cathedral, although beautiful churches and cathedrals seem fairly common here: we can see several from our apartment window.
Alas, my phone, and therefore my camera, ran out of juice halfway through the day, so you’ll have to look at Barry’s next post to see the second half of the day.
After lunch, headed back towards the train station, which is right next to the Cobh Heritage Center, the museum dedicated to the migrations. I’m somewhat indifferent to history museums in general, but since this one has more of a personal connection, I was curious to see it. The center also contains the Genealogy Center, and in speaking to the docent there, I was able to discover details about my grandfather’s emigration (he boarded the Saxonia in April 1906, bound for a friend’s home in Boston, but then moved to Brooklyn).
Cork Spring 