Cobh, Annie Moore and Pugin

Cobh (pronounced Cove) is a coastal town in Co.Cork. Following Queen Victoria's first visit to Ireland in 1849, it's name was changed to Queenstown, but was reverted back to it's old Irish name in 1922, after the War of Independence.It is steeped in maritime history and was for many years the main port of Cork.

Convicts were transported from Cobh to Australia in the 18th century and in 1838 the paddle steamer, 'Sirius,' was the first ever ship to cross the Atlantic from its harbour to New York, without the aid of a sail.

Between 1848 and 1850, over 6 million people emigrated from Ireland to America with 2.5 million people departing from Cobh alone, in hope of a better life. The statue on the quayside outside the Heritage Centre, is of Annie Moore and her two brothers. She was the first ever immigrant to be processed at the new immigration centre at Ellis Island, New York, on the 1st January 1892 (also her 15th birthday).

On 7th May, 1915, the Cunard liner, Luistania, sailing from new York to Liverpool, was about 10 miles from the coastline of nearby Kinsale, when she was hit by a torpedo from a German submarine. As the liner quickly listed to one side, it was extremely difficult to launch the lifeboats and she sank in just 300 feet of water. Of the 1,959 passengers on board, 761 were able to be saved and were ferried to nearby Cobh, where they were accommodated in private homes and nearby hospitals.

There's a memorial in the square dedicated to those who lost their lives in the disaster.

On 11th April, 1912, 123 passengers boarded the Titanic from Cobh (then known as Queenstown), on her last port of call during her maiden voyage. Mail bags were loaded onto the ship from the mail train at the station, which has been authentically restored and now houses the Heritage Centre and museum.

There's gift shops, a café and exhibitions of Irish history.

Further up the town St. Colman's Cathedral stands proud.

I'd read that E.W Pugin, son of the famous architect Augustus Pugin, was one of the architects who designed this lovely French Gothic cathedral, and being a great lover of Gothic architecture, i couldn't wait to get inside.

I wasn't disappointed. There were beautiful stone arches and marble pillars.

Fantastic detail everywhere you look.

Soft mellow lighting brings out the delicate carvings.

The columns bear the heads of Irish saints...

and famous churchmen.

The pulpit carved from Austrian oak.

Two angels with scrolls.

The cathedral took 47 years to build, with work starting in 1868 and finally finishing in 1915, costing a total of  £235,000.

My apologies for not getting the whole of the front of the cathedral in the photo, but it's on a hill so there wasn't the distance to stand right back. 

As you can see there was a bit of a drop.

There's some nice detail outside too.

I'll leave you these little fellas. 

I do like Gargoyles.

Thanks for dropping by.