Cobh, Ireland - Definition and Overview

Cobh (Irish An Cóbh from English "Cove") is a seaport in County Cork, Ireland.

Cobh Waterfront

One of the major transatlantic Irish ports, it was the departure point for 2.5 million of the 6 million Irish that emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950. The RMS Titanic made her last stop in Cobh (then known as Queenstown) before heading across the Atlantic on her ill-fated journey to New York City.

Cobh is located on the south shore of the Great Island in Cork Harbour, on slopes overlooking the harbor. Its highest point is crowned by the Cathedral of St. Colman. The town was renamed Queenstown when Queen Victoria visited in 1849, but reverted to Cobh in 1922 after Ireland gained its sovereignty.

Several notable ships are associated with the town:

• The first steam ship to sail from Ireland to England left Cobh in 1821
• The Sirius, the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic, left Cobh in 1838.
• The RMS Titanic set sail from Queenstown on April 11, 1912.
• The RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat while en route to Queenstown in 1915. The survivors were brought to Queenstown, and many of the dead are also buried there.

In 1991, Cobh had a population of 8,219.

The town is effectively the terminus of a railway line through Cork city from Dublin. Regular commuter services run from Cork city to Cobh, stopping at Fota Island along the way.

The port used to be a UK sovereign base from 1922 to 1938.

See also: List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

External links: History of Cobh (http://www.cobhharbourchamber.ie/history.html)