Liners so far in May....

One liner passing another - MSC Magnifica at dock

Well as we come to the end of May there has been some fabulous liners visiting Cobh so far. In fact
there has been a liner in harbour almost every second day.

As is usual, most of these docked at the Cobh Cruise Liner Terminal only 200 yards from the Commodore Hotel and are in plain view.

Thompson Celebration at Cobh Cruise Terminal

Many of the passengers availed of organised coach trips to various tourist sites in the South West of the country. Some of the favoured destinations include Killarney, Blarney, and Waterford Glass. When the ships arrive early in the morning there is already a flotilla of buses waiting to take passengers away. Depending on the size of the ship and number of passengers on-board there can be anything up to 50 buses waiting on quayside. However, not all passengers avail of the these organised trips. Many alight and make their own way about. Some take the train from the adjacent train station to Cork city but probably many more take the opportunity to wander and explore the town of Cobh. The town centre is only a few minutes walk away.

Celebrity Infinity pictured from the Quays Bar

Its estimated that roughly 1/3rd of passengers stay onboard, 1/3rd avail of the organised excursions, and 1/3rd get off the ship and explore the local environs. With upto 5,000 people on some of the ships that can result in a lot of people wandering about locally and in Cobh there is a lot to explore. Many take a trip to Spike Island. Still more visit the local Titanic Experience Centre and the Queenstown Heritage Centre or join on the Titanic Tour guided walking trip. Most wander around the local streets, soak up the unique heritage and history and visit the local restuarants, cafes, and bars.

Brilliance of the Seas departing Cobh

By 5pm most wander back to the ship to await departure. The local confraternity band usually play on the pier to see them off and they are joined by a lot of locals and visitors alike. In fact, if the weather is kind, it can make for quite a carnival atmosphere.

As the ship departs it passes down the main channel right in front of the hotel. In fact it feels like you could almost reach out and touch them. Any guests of the hotel are treated to a great view and most can watch the ships progress from the comfort of their rooms.

Celebrity Infinity pictured from the steps of the Hotel

One of the more unusual liners was the 'Fram' which was in during the first week of May. This was quite a small liner and unusually shaped. However, it shape was for a purpose as this liner is used mainly for Arctic and Antarctic cruises where the passengers engage in whale watching aswell as enjoying the spectacular polar scenery....icebergs included!

The Fram at Cobh Cruise Terminal

The 'Fram' had a complement of 570 passengers.

This was followed by the Artania which carried 1,780 passengers. The Thompson Celebration was in on the 9th May with 1,918 onboard.

The Artania pictured from the Promenade

The first of a succession of really big liners came in the following day with the Celebrity Infinity. The Celebrity carries 3,449 passengers and was back in less than a week later on the 15th May for a second visit.

Celebrity Infinity at Cobh Cruise Terminal

The Celebrity was followed by the Brilliance of the Seas on the 11th May with 3,354 passengers and the Ruby Princess was in on the 13th May with 4,797 passengers. Wow, now that was a big liner!!!

Brilliance of the Seas at Cobh Cruise Terminal

Ruby Princess at Cobh Cruise Terminal

In the last week we had Mein Schiff with 2,957 passengers on the 18th May and the following day the MSC Magnifica with 4,592 onboard.

Mein Schiff passing in front of Hotel

Over the next week its going to get very busy again with the MSC Magnifica visiting once more, followed by the Amadea, Minerva, Queen Victoria, Ruby Princess, and the Minerva, all visiting over the June weekend.

In fact, if you would like to visit Cobh when one of these magnificent ships are in port the June weekend would be a great weekend to do it. Why not visit our website for some great deals on accommodation!

2nd Liner of the season.....

The second liner of the season, the Emerald Princess, arrived early this morning and with it the good weather returned.

What a big liner! It's so big that it couldn't fit into the lens when this picture was taken from the high road. The nearby Train Station and Heritage Centre are dwarfed by it size!!!



Here's a photograph taken from the steps of the Commodore. The ship is only 200 yards away but towers over the old Yacht Club building in the foreground.

Many of the crew and passengers, almost 5,000 in number, took advantage of the good weather to wander around the town

Liner season starts......

The first of this year's liners arrived today. The Legend of the Seas berthed just after dawn at the Cobh Cruise Liner Terminal at the Deep Water Quay. Although, not quite as big as some of the other liners that will be coming this season it is, nevertheless, quite a sizeable liner with a gross tonnage of 70,000 tonnes and with a length of 867 feet.

View from Watersedge Hotel

Many of its 2,000 passengers and 700 crew were out and about from early morning exploring the streets, shops, and restaurants of Cobh. As normal, many others took advantage of the coach trips to Killarney, Blarney and other destinations but were back in Cobh by mid-afternoon. While others walked the relatively short distance to the nearby train station and took a train to Cork. The Heritage Centre and the Titanic Experience also proved to be popular.

Passengers boarding

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't kind. There had been a storm overnight and it was still quite breezy in the morning with heavy showers. This was in complete contrast to the weather all week as it had been positively summery with beautiful sunny days and warm temperatures. Hopefully, its only a blip and the good weather returns.

Berthed at Cruise Terminal

The next liner is due in on Monday and this one, the Emerald Princess, is bigger again. Onboard will be over 5,000 passengers and crew. This starts a run of visiting liners, where there will be almost a liner every day or almost every second day for over a month solid.

View from 1st Bridge

May is a good month to visit Cobh and see one of these fabulous liners. We've got some great overnight accommodation deals on offer on the Commodore Hotel website. Why not avail of one of these packages and come on down! The Port of Cork Schedule of Liner Visits lists the dates of each liner visit and will give you a good idea of when to visit.

Legend of the Seas with Brittany Ferries

Is this summer going to be a cracker?

That's the question on everyone's lips, but it certainly has got off to a great start as we are now into our second week of glorious weather.

The Irish Independent reports '....Meanwhile, Ireland's most famous amateur weatherman in predicting a good summer ahead. Donegal postman, Michael Gallagher, uses the behaviour of animals and the development of plants to predict weather. He believes the recent cold weather and prolonged rain are behind us and we can look forward to some dry periods and sunshine. "In days gone by the old people would always say that if you have hailstones and extremely cold weather in May, that you're in for a good summer of weather. The old people were never far wrong with theor predictions and I'm hoping they're right and we will enjoy an extended good spell of sunshine," Mr. Gallagher added.'

Cobh certainly looks beautiful in weather like this as these photos attest to.....

The Independence of the Seas arrives in Cobh (Part II).....

Many thanks to Eddie English of Sailcork.com for this video.

The Independence of the Seas arrives in Cobh (Part I)

Many thanks to Eddie English of Sailcork.com for this video.

Liner season well under way.....

In the last two months there have been some magnificent liners in port. Some of them have been truly huge! While docked at the Deep Water Quay they have towered over the many buildings close by. In fact they are so large they dominate the view from any point in the town.

The Vision of the Seas was one of the first to visit and she was carrying 2,416 passengers. Since then there have been the Emerald Princess (3592 pax), the Caribbean Princess (3592 pax), the Costa Deliziosa (2896 pax), the Celebrity Infinity (2450 pax), Mein Schiff (2114 pax), and the MSC Magnifica (with 3605 pax). Many of these are included in the selection of photographs below.

The Caribbean Princess will in fact be calling 9 times this season.

On Monday coming, the June Bank Holiday Monday, the biggest of the lot, the Independence of the Seas will be in. The 'Independence' carries 4375 passengers and at one stage held the mantle of being the World's largest cruise liner.

Over 60 ocean going cruise liners will be visiting Cobh this year. Visit the Port of Cork Cruise Liner Schedule for a full list of those liners that are coming and the dates they will be in port. If you'd like to visit Cobh to coincide with one of these liner visits we are doing special accommodation packages. Have a look at our special offers here! Scroll down the page and look for our Cruise Liner Special.

Lusitania commemoration.....

On the 7th May 1915 the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by U-20 approximately 15 kilometres due south of the Old Head of Kinsale. Of the nearly 2,000 passengers and crew, 1,195 lost their lives making it one of the greatest maritime tragedies of all time. 

The rescue efforts were co-ordinated from the nearby Royal Naval port of Queenstown (now Cobh). Many of the survivors and the recovered bodies of those who were lost were brought to Queenstown by local fisherman and others. On 10th May many of the dead were buried in mass graves in the Old Cemetery at Queenstown. 

Today that tragedy is commemorated in Cobh. This commemoration takes place on an annual basis and is organised by Cobh Tourism. It starts at the Old Church Cemetery where local historian, Jack Gilmartin, outlines the tragic events of that fateful day and in the days immediately afterwards. This is followed by another ceremony at the Lusitania monument in the main town square. 

Today, on the 98th anniversary of the ship's sinking, many hundreds attended. The ceremonies coincided with the visit of the Emerald Princess and as a result there were massive crowds in the town.

Here are a few pics of the ceremonies at the Lusitania monument:-

Liner Season kicks off in Cobh.....

Liner season has kicked off here in Cobh and there have already been three liners in....the first of 64 expected this season. This year there are some really large liners calling again, amongst them the 'Independence of the Seas,' 'Vision of the Seas,' 'Brilliance of the Seas,' 'Emerald Princess,' and the 'Caribbean Princess,' to name but a few. These magnificent ships are huge being anything between 10 and 15 stories high, the length of several football pitches, and carrying in excess of 5,000 passengers and crew. They are towns in their own right!!!

Over the next few days the 'Emerald Princess' and the 'Caribbean Princess' will be calling in. In fact, the 'Caribbean Princess' will be a total of nine times this year. For a full schedule of liner visits have a look at the Port of Cork's Cruise Schedule. Why not call to Cobh to see one of these awesome ships. They dock within metres of the town centre and are viewable from many vantage points. Why not avail of our Cruise Liner Special and stay the night before and watch these leviathans dock early the next morning. There is always a great buzz in town on the day these arrives and its certainly a great reason for visiting Cobh!!!

Lazy, hazy days of summer.....

View from Rooftop

View from Rooftop

What a cracker of a day it was today!

At last, a true summer's day...one of those lazy, hazy days that would remind you of the long hot summers of long ago (were they a myth or did they really happen)! Well today it happened! From early morning it was obvious it was going to be a great day; clear blue skies and the heat already apparent. The temperature dials hit 24C in the afternoon and a gentle sea breeze got up but didn't cool things too much. Indeed, inland temperatures got upto 26C; now, its a long while since we've seen that!

View from Rooftop

In the pic above, taken from the roof garden on the Commodore Hotel, you can see a number of people taking refuge from the heat in the shelter of the shadow created by the bandstand in the Promenade. There's no better place to be on a hot sunny day than in Cobh!

Many of the passengers aboard the liner Silver Cloud must have thought so as they alighted in teeshirts and shorts. They'd have been forgiven for thinking that they had arrived at a port in the Mediterranean. Let's hope we've a few more days like that!

Silver Cloud

Special Summer Offers!!!

Midsummer capers in Cobh.....

Cunard Liner 'Queen Elizabeth'

 

Jack Doyle

The last two weeks, straddling the August Bank Holiday weekend, have been very busy in Cobh. Despite the weather not playing ball the crowds have been out!!!

The Cobh Vintage Fair finished on the Weds prior to the weekend. One of the highlights was the street theatre coordinated by Claire Cullinane and her team. Once again Claire was ably assisted by the ladies of the animation team dressed in their period costumes. These ladies, dressed in Victorian, Georgian, and Edwardian garb, certainly cut a dash! One of the highlights of the street theatre was the performance of local actor Luke Barry as Jack Doyle. Luke gave a great oration as the great man, the Gorgeous Gael, on the steps of the Commodore Hotel. Other actors performed as other iconic figures associated with chapters in Cobh's rich history. These included Queen Victoria, Father Matthew, and James Connolly amongst others. The group certainly created an impression and Claire has now told us that all the actors and the ladies of the animation team have been invited to perform at Maureen O'Hara's 92nd birthday party in Glengariff. Well done!!!

The Animation Team

Thousands flocked to Cobh on the Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend to see the Cunard Liner, Queen Elizabeth. This impressive ocean going liner certainly has magnificent lines. She is typical of some of those monstrous ships that have oft visited Cobh this year with the top of her decks towering over the surrounding town. In fact, she is so big you can see her from almost any angle or any place in the town. The ship stands 12 stories out of the water and weighs a massive 91,000 tonnes. Over 2,000 passengers were onboard, many as part of the ship's 107 day World cruise and for which some paid upto $199,995. Wow!!!

Thousands flock the quayside

For all the crowds that came to Cobh on Sunday there was plenty to do. The Cobh & Harbour Chamber had organised one of their series of 'Summer Swing' concerts in the Promenade. The entertainment was great and there was a real carnival atmosphere with all the stalls selling everything from food, to trinkets and other gifts. As the ship left late in the evening, thousands lined the watersedge along the Promenade and gave her a good send off!!!

The Barrack Hill Ball Run

The weekend was rounded off on Bank Holiday Monday with the Barrack Hill ball run. This has now being running a couple of years and is now a firm date in the local calender. It is proving more and more popular with families of young children. This year was no exception as thousands turned out, despite the weather. It is some sight, though, to see the thousands of coloured balls descend down the steep Barrack Hill and no wonder it's so popular. Each ball can be sponsored/purchased for €2 and if your ball comes in first, second, or third you'll be in line for a cash prize!!! Every year substantial money is raised for cancer research and a few related charities so you can be assured that every ball you buy is making a significant contribution. What a great way for raising funds!!!

....and now that we're into August the capers don't just stop. In fact there are many more, particularly with the Cobh Peoples' Regatta just around the corner. However, we'll leave that for another blog post!!!

Special Summer Offers!!!