Titanic Centenary Ball

Remembrance Day - a tale from the Somme....

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOREVER MORE....

On Remembrance Day it is appropriate to reproduce this story below, which in a small way, linked the Commodore Hotel to the Battle of the Somme in World War 1.....

A CORKMAN DIES ON THE SOMME

'September 1916 and the 36th Ulster Division and the 16th Irish Division are engaged in the bloody advance across the Somme. They advance some 500 yards to take and hold enemy positions beyond the shattered village of Guillemont. Of the 2,400 men engaged in the advance some 1,150 fall. Among the advancing soldiers of the 16th Irish Division are men of the 7th Leinster Regiment.

After their advance, non-combatant labour battalions are sent into the battlefield to clear up the mess left by the fighting soldiers. They clear away abandoned trenching tools and wire cutters, discarded equipment and bits and pieces of dead soldiers. It is gruesome and arduous work. Among their number is an Englishman, Private George Wiles of the Royal Engineers. As he scurries across the blood soaked ground he comes upon a great crater and at the edge of it, "as if resting after a long walk" is the body of a well built soldier from one of the Irish regiments. The Englishman is struck by his noble posture, for the dead soldier was a big man. Even by modern standards he would be taller than average, by the standards of 1914-18 he was big indeed. The Englishman goes to the body. He has seen many such dead, too many, but he is touched by the sight of this particular dead Irishman. He takes his knife and cuts open the breast pockets of the fallen soldier. From the bloody and muddy mess he takes a letter sent to the fallen man from Ireland, from his wife in Queenstown, County Cork. He buries the fallen soldier and takes from the ruins of a nearby church a piece of rubble from the destroyed structure. There are ancient crosses cut into the stones, five such crosses, and he marks the grave of the fallen Irishman with the broken stone of the church.

Later the same ground, cleared by the labour battalions, would again become a blood soaked battlefield, pounded by artillery and fought over by opposing armies. The stone marked temporary grave of the Irishman would be lost. Forever lost and he, thereafter, would only be remembered by a name cut into the Somme memorial at Thiepval in Flanders.

Later still the Englishman, alone in his own trench, by candlelight, would write a powerful and moving letter to the grieving wife of the Irishman. He poured his heart into the letter, using all the paper he had. Ten pages would he write, in pencil, telling her how he found her dear husband and what he had done with his fallen body.

The dead Irishman was Christopher Cole, Private Cole of the 7th Leinster Regiment. He came from what was then Queenstown in County Cork. Before the war he had been the manager of the Commodore Hotel in Queenstown. He had seen the innocent civilian bodies being brought ashore in Queenstown and into the hotel in May 1915, after the sinking of the Lusitania. Perhaps it is that experience that caused him to join the Leinsters to fight in Flanders.

He was such a handsome man and his dear wife had, with considerable talent, drawn his pencil portrait from which, even after all this time, you can still sense his great size and presence.

The Englishman Wiles wrote of him that, "....I came across this fellow in a shell hole (a very large one) & passed him as I passed others that lay about & something struck me to go back and see him, as he lay there as if resting from a long walk. His statue marked me very much indeed he looked so smart & a lovely build,,," " I hope dear madam you will forgive me of taking liberties with your dear husband's body. But you can rest assured (I will give you my word of honour) that he is buried & I buried him the best I could. Not so well as some but better than thousands."

It is by any measure a touching act of an ordinary English soldier for a fallen Irishman, and it must have brought enormous comfort to the grieving widow. Indeed, until she received the letter, Mrs. Coleman from Cobh had no idea what had become of her husband. She had been advised he was missing after the September battles and desperate for news of her dear husband, had travelled to Dover in the hope that he would be amongst the wounded returning from the Somme into the network of military hospitals across the South of England. It was of no avail. She advertised for news of him in the Daily Herald again without response. The letter of course confirmed her very worst fears but it must also have been a source of great relief and it is clear that she was so appreciative of the kind words of Private Wiles that she replied to him asking if he was in need of anything that she could send him to ease the discomfort of life in the trenches.

After the war, or perhaps before it ended, the Coleman's left the Commodore Hotel and left Ireland altogether, emigrating to Canada, no doubt from a ship leaving from the quayside opposite their Cobh home. The ten page pencil written letter is now held by the surviving Coleman family, in Canada. No one has ever traced George Wiles.'

This indeed was a remarkable tale and was given to us a number of years ago along with a copy of the pencil  portrait of Christopher Cole. On the day that's in it today, it is fitting to retell it here once more!

Old World charm and elegance....

The Commodore Hotel exudes Old World charm and elegance. Having being built in the mid-nineteenth century it has a certain ambience that is a throwback to a bygone age. This was captured well by, a guest who stayed with us, posting a, warts and all, review on Google. We've reprinted it here, as we think he has described the hotel to a tee. Have a read.....

“Walking through the corridors of this once majestic hotel conjured visions of Victorian ladies taking afternoon tea and sea Captains with bushy sideburns sipping black rum as they prepared to set sail to exotic destinations within the mighty British Empire. Bell boys would be running up and down the regal staircase with the valises of weary travellers. I could envisage waitresses dressed in the black and white frilly uniform of the day, curtsying to the landed gentry as they gargled Mr Hennesseys finest and barked at their servants to check the horse and carriage outside the main entrance overlooling the harbour view. Filthy rich Americans would be reminiscing about how their ancestors left this battered island without a penny to their magnificent Irish names.

What wonderful times. Well maybe! I'm not sure they were so great for the bell boys servants and waitresses - but staying at this hotel does make you think of what was. Many years have passed through Cobh since then and have been swept out to sea. These years have also taken a little of the splendour of this hotel with them. The expression faded glory comes to mind but that would be a disservice to the diligent and helpful staff working here - friendly and welcoming. But you know - a little splendour still remains and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here. The room was excellent clean and very comfy - I adored the bowed floor - but you know just think of how many people walked over that floor and indeed who - European royalty maybe - I'm not fussy.

I took a walk onto the roof garden and was taken with the enormous chimney stack with at least seventeen pots. Think of all those buckets of coal being carried to those rooms! Great views as well - particularly on a clear blue sky day.

The Commodore is pretty much a museum piece - but in a good way. A lot of the cornicing and original plaster work is still intact - the telephone booth doors date from beyond the Victorian era but are in working order. These are all great conversation pieces whilst relaxing in the well stocked bar with expensive blends of whiskey - which apparently only filthy rich Americans buy - crikey they're still here!! The breakfast was delicious - with a great choice. Unfortunately the coach party that was staying there all decided to come down for breakfast at the same time. It was all hands on deck including the duty manager who began to have tiny beads of sweat trickle down his neck whilst clearing tables as another group of elderly folk made their way through the throng.

Off street parking is cool and free ( a returnable deposit is required ) further down the street - remember this hotel was not built with the car in mind. On street parking has to be paid for during the day - but the first hour is free. There is also a disabled space outside the entrance of the hotel.

Try this hotel as I get the feeling that it may not be here in a few years. It is beginning to creak and crumble but thats part of its charm. I can see some young whipper snapper developer claiming that it will cost a fortune to restore and will have to be replaced with one of those dreadful boring so called trendy structures that are on display nowadays in every town in Ireland. May I suggest that you grab a piece of this old world charm and well worn elegance while you still can.”

A great review and description....the only clarification, though, is that we intend to be here for a long time yet, not just a few more years. Some whipper snapper just won't get the chance! The history, the people, the ambience...its just too sacred!!!

Tales from the past....Milvina Dean and the Commodore Hotel

Milvina Dean, the last survivor of the sinking of the Titanic, visited and stayed at the Commodore Hotel on many occasions. She was invited to Cobh first by local lotto millionaire, Vincent Keaney. Vincent is a keen history buff and quite an expert on matters relating to the Titanic. At the time Vincent had set up the Titanic Bar & Grill, an almost complete replica of the Tea Rooms onboard the Titanic. He was quite anxious for Milvina to see his completed work and arranged for her to stay at the Commodore. She was quite taken by the old world style and ambience of the hotel and stayed several times after until ill health no longer allowed her to travel. Unfortunately  Milvina passed away in early 2009 and with her the last living link to the Titanic tragedy. In a subsequent 'Sunday Times' article, the following fitting obituary was given.....

'Milvina Dean, who has died aged 97, was the last survivor from the sinking of the Titanic on 14 April 1912. After decades of obscurity and shunning the increasing worldwide interest in the disaster that claimed more than 1,500 lives, she changed her mind in her mid-70's and, with a wry bemusement, largely enjoyed the sometimes near-hysterical attention she attracted. As one of a small and steadily shrinking number of survivors, she was, throughout the last 30 years, a regular attender at conventions and exhibitions across the world and was much sought-after by the media. Her freely given autograph was prized and increasingly valuable. "I've lost count of the number of things I have put my name to," she said in 1998.

Dean often had to remind the world that the White Star liner's collision with an iceberg in the north Atlantic was first and foremost a human tragedy. Her father was among the dead. She never watched Titanic, James Cameron's £125m blockbuster movie of 1997, saying that it was too upsetting to think about whether her father had leapt into the sea from the stern of the ship or had been one of the hundreds who had died when the boat had finally sank.

Exploiters of the Titanic legend or salvagers from the wreck could expect short shrift from Dean. She was particularly unhappy when a US toy manufacturer made a novelty inflatable slide based on Titanic, with a bouncy iceberg as an optional extra.

She was born Elizabeth Gladys Dean in London, where her parents, Bertram and Georgette (Ettie), ran a pub. At just nine weeks old Milvina, as her family called her, was the youngest passenger on the Titanic when her family set sail as third-class passengers from Southampton bound for New York. They were heading for Wichita, Kansas, where Bertram planned to open a tobacconist's shop. He had originally booked on another White Star liner, but was transferred because of a coal strike.

When the 46,328-ton ship, on its maiden transatlantic voyage, struck the iceberg, Bertram, unlike many who believed that it was unsinkable, immediately realised the seriousness of the situation and got his family quickly on to deck. Milvina, wrapped in a sack, her 23-month-old brother, also called Bertram, and 32-year-old Ettie all got into lifeboats and were picked up by the rescue ship RMS Carpathia. They never saw her father again.

In a mirror image of her fame in later life, Dean was briefly a media celebrity. While on board the SS Adriatic, the boat that brought them back to England from New York, the Daily Mirror on 12 May 1912 reported: "So keen was the rivalry between women to nurse this lovable mite of humanity that one of the officers decreed that first and second-class passengers might hold her in turn for no more than 10 minutes."

She returned with her mother and brother to the family farm at Bartley on the edge of the New Forest and the tragedy was rarely mentioned. She was eight years old before her mother even told her that she had been on the Titanic and what had happened to her father.

She attended local schools, but, after finding out about her past, felt that she was viewed by many as some kind of oddity or freak. She was never married and worked as a secretary in Southampton before retiring from an engineering firm in 1972 and returning to live on the edge of the New Forest. Bert enjoyed media attention until his death, in 1992, aged 82. But in 1987 Dean was persuaded to attend a memorial service in St. Michael's church in Southampton to mark the 75th anniversary of the sinking and discovered a fascination with the ship that never left her.

It opened up new experiences. She met thousands of people and visited countries she had never seen before. In 1997, she completed the journey that the disaster had interrupted, by crossing the Atlantic on the QE2 and visiting the house in Kansas that the family had intended to live in. But she declined an invitation to take a submarine trip to see the wreckage as well as a cruise to the spot where the Titanic had sunk.

However, a local street was named in her honour and a memorial unveiled at Southampton docks. She gave numerous talks to schools. In 1997 she said: "People look at me as a sort of celebrity. I certainly don't think of myself as one. But I really do enjoy it. I've always liked meeting people."

Recently, after she had had to sell family possessions in order to pay her nursing home fees, a group of friends set up the Milvina fund to assist her. Contributors included Cameron and the stars of his 1997 movie, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.'

(Courtesy of the Sunday Times)

Heaven's Gate - a centennial drama for RMS Titanic

In the centenary year of the sinking of the Titanic its very appropriate that this play is coming to Cobh. The show was written to commemorate the centennial of the RMS Titanic and has been very well received in Southampton, Liverpool and across the Atlantic in New York and Halifax. Its showing in Cobh will complete the circle of Titanic cities. 

Set in the hours following the tragedy, the show focuses on the fate of three people on board. Based on real people, the show tells their story in an emotive and imaginative way. In this forum theatre production, the audience vote to decide how the play will end. 

The show is performed by Quids In Theatre Company who are an innovative new theatre company from Aberdeen, Scotland who are bringing their show 'Heaven's Gate' by Annie James to Ireland on the last part of their tour of Titanic cities. There are four in the cast and the play lasts one hour and fifty minute with a fifteen minute interval.

The play will be held in the Jack Doyle Room of the Commodore Hotel next Saturday 20th October at 7:30pm and admission is free (donations gratefully accepted).

CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHT 2012

Well we're now taking bookings at the Commodore Hotel for this year's Christmas Party night and would you believe it's not that far away at all!!!

This year's Christmas Party Night is on Saturday 15th December. As always, we would only be too delighted to welcome you to the Commodore Hotel to celebrate Christmas 2012 with us. To get you into the Christmas swing, we will have a cocktail reception on arrival in O'Sheas Bar, followed by a sumptuous four course feast in our Jack Doyle Room with Christmas Carols from local talented musician, Ben Hurley. This is followed by one of the country's top live bands "Deuces Wilde." This is the second year that they have played for our Christmas Party Night. They were so good last year and the partygoers had such a great night that we booked them to play again this year. Of course, we've also booked a DJ to carry the party on into the early hours.....

....and for that extra Peace of Mind....let's face it we could be in for another chilly winter with icy roads, closed taxi ranks and freezing stranded customers....we've a special Christmas gift for you to avoid such headaches! When you book your Christmas Party with us, we can offer you an overnight stay FOR ONLY €29.00 PER ROOM - ON A ROOM ONLY BASIS (most rooms consist of a double and single bed)....so you can relax and enjoy your night without a care in the World!!!

For bookings please contact Robert or Eoin on 021 - 4811277 or by email on commodorehotel@eircom.net

Christmas 2012 Party Brochure available online click here

Satan the Raven....

We have all sorts of celebrities staying with us from time to time, but we'd have to admit that this one was a new one on us. Earlier in the month, on a break from filming the new Tv series The Vikings, Satan the Raven and his owner Shay Cullen chose the Commodore Hotel for a two day stopover.

Satan is a beautiful one year old raven and caused quite a stir in the town. People were literally queuing up to have their photographs taken with him....and you wouldn't blame them; Satan is a beautiful bird and up close you can really appreciate the deep blue colouration of his plummage. At a distance you'd mistakenly think he was black in colour, but if you'd dare to get close you soon realise your error.

Hopefully Satan will come visit again as he's certainly built up a fan base in Cobh now!!!

Cobh Blues Festival 2012

Last weekend the Blues Music Festival was held in Cobh. This is the sixth year in succession that this free music festival has taken place and its gaining momentum each year. On Sunday night Catriona Fallon and her Band played O' Sheas Bar and they were brilliant!!! Catriona has a superb voice and belted out plenty of bluesy numbers, including a lot of Imelda May's hits. You can easily see why Catriona was the lead singer for Riverdance for so long.

Catriona also played in Ryans Bar, Kellys Bar and the Titanic over the weekend. They were also other talented musicians on show, including Yossi Vladimer from Israel, Gary Boss from the USA, Dr. Dec and the Side Effects, Cold Shot, The Modern Heirs, Rory Gallagher Tribute, & The Totallers.

On Sunday afternoon a free gig was held in the promenade and despite the autumnal chill in the air many families came along and enjoyed the musical offering.

Many dedicated blues fans made Cobh their destination for the weekend and wandered throughout the town, availing of the free gigs. The entertainment went down well with locals and ordinary music lovers aswell. Let's hope the organisers can build on this year's success and make next year's event better again!!!

Cobh to Blackrock.....

The weekend before last, the start of the Cobh to Blackrock yacht race provided visitors to Cobh with an awesome spectacle. The annual Cobh to Blackrock yacht race is held in mid-September every year. This is looked forward to eagerly and its a chance for yachts from all of the harbour clubs to come together and compete on a fun basis.

This year the race was held as part of the Cork Harbour open weekend and attracted an entry of over eighty.

A great feature of the race is that it attracts boats of all shapes and sizes and this year was no exception. As the competitors get ready for the oft abeam of the Promenade in Cobh and jockey for position there is always great excitement. Indeed, it provides for a great spectacle for many of the onlookers that gather for the start of this most historic race.

Crowds gather in the promenade and other vantage points to see the boats off. Some years this can provide a spectacular sight for if the wind is from the east many can be in full spinnaker at this point. What a sight!!!

This year this wasn't the case as the wind was from the north west quarter and all yachts had to tack their way up channel. However, this number of yachts always provides a spectacle no matter what wind conditions prevail.

Eddie English from SailCork provides a great insight into the origins of the race and its development over the years. Have a look at his blog on the subject as it makes for great reading!

Cobh Tidy Towns scoops silver......

Cobh scooped the silver award in this year's Tidy Towns competition. This is one better than last year when Cobh picked up a bronze in the National competition. Well done to the Cobh Tidy Towns committee and their band of eager volunteers, and in particular, Hendrik Verwey and Jim O' Rourke. The work and dedication that has gone in to achieving this result has been exceptional....and not just this year; this work has been ongoing for many years now. The fruits of this labour are there for all to see. Cobh has been transformed over the last five years. Where once it may have been a litter blackspot Cobh is now a beautiful, colourful, clean and attractive town. This view has been endorsed by many of the regular visitors to the hotel who have witnessed this transformation over the last few years. In fact, many are amazed as to how beautiful the town now looks. This is not to say that it was not attractive in the first place but the changes have been very dramatic and evident. Well done to all!!!

Here are some of the view expressed by the adjudicators:

"Sell it as a prototype to every town in TidyTowns in the country. You have reinvented the wheel."

"The built environment of Cobh glistened in the summer sun. The buildings provided interest and stimulation to the many tourists wandering the streets and enthusing over the many delights. One is firstly impressed by the condition of the presentation of the buildings."

"The stone walls of Cobh are as integral to the built heritage of the town as the water to its maritime history. Your work in uncovering these walls deserves special credit and mention. The conservation of the walled heritage of Cobh justifies your existence."

Cork Harbour Open Weekend

The Cork Harbour Open Weekend is on this Saturday & Sunday and there are numerous free events on right across the harbour in Cobh, Spike, Crosshaven & Fort Meagher. A lot of these events will appeal to families with small kids, so if the small ones at home are looking for something to do bring them down to Cobh on any of the days over the weekend.

Cobh Tourism have organised a special Treasure Hunt for all the family to participate in. This is on from 9:30am till 5pm on Saturday and 11am till 5pm on Sunday. The treasure hunt and puzzle can be collected from the ticket desk at Cobh Heritage Centre.

From 11am there is a vintage car rally in the streets of Cobh. The annual Wolseley Car Club of Ireland will see around 50 cars visit Cobh. Many of the cars will be parked at Westbourne Place outside the Commodore Hotel. This rally attracts vintage cars, pre-war cars and post-war cars of all kinds and should be a great sight!

In the afternoon, spectators will get the chance to watch the annual Cobh to Blackrock sailing race. This is a hugely popular race and nearly ever yacht in the harbour participates. Its a fabulous sight to witness and one of the best vantage points is the Promenade, right in the centre of town. The first gun is at 2:30pm, so make sure you've got your spot before then!

....and while you're in the Promenade you could participate in the annual Crab fishing contest. All you need is a bucket, line, and bait....and all of these are supplied by Cobh Tourism. Fishing starts at 3:30pm and finishes at 5pm. Rumour has it that 'claws' is still at large in front of the Prom. Can you catch him?

Regatta 2012

Well the Regatta is almost upon us, with one day to go to the opening ceremony tomorrow night. Thankfully, the weather looks to be alright. In fact, Met Eireann are giving quite a good forecast for this weekend. Its just in time too.....especially after suffering one of the worst summer storms in many years, just yesterday. What a difference a week makes; we've gone from one of the best days this summer last Friday to, definitely, the worst summer's day in many a year this Wednesday. Well that's behind us now and with fair winds, warm temps, and clear skies forecast, conditions we'll be back to normal for the yachting, rowing and water based activities planned for this weekend. A full programme of events are scheduled to start tomorrow with Saturday and Sunday the busier of the days. Cobh Peoples Regatta website is full of information and detail as to what is going on. Check it out here, Cobh People's Regatta, it's worth a look!!!

Definitely, the highlight of the weekend are the fireworks on Sunday night. This is phenomenally popular with the kids and families of all ages and sizesgather early in the evening to commandeer the best viewing sites. One of the best spots, of course, is the roof garden of the Commodore Hotel. Easy access is available to all residents and luckily enough we still have some accommodation left this Sunday night. If you'd fancy coming to Cobh then give us a ring and ask for Mary in reservations on 021-4811277. Alternatively, you can book online on here. However, best to give Mary a buzz....tell her we sent you!!!

Cobh Peoples' Regatta 2012

Well there's only one week to go to this year's Regatta and the anticipation is building. This three day event marks the pinnacle of summer activities here in Cobh and families from near and far travel to enjoy the festivities....and there's plenty of things going on and plenty of things to do and see.

Each day there is an extensive rowing and sailing programme. Its great to view the yachts, many in full spinnaker, as they tussle for pole position in the various races. The rowing races are also great to watch and there is great excitement as the various teams come close to the finishing line.

It's not just the racing and the competitive side of the regatta that's appealing but there just is plenty of activities going on. On the Sunday there is a carnival atmosphere in the promenade, which is set aside for families and young kids. There is plenty of face-painting, bouncy castles, clowns, and stilt-walkers to keep everyone entertained. In the main square there is plenty of acts on the main stage to entertain the night time revellers. On the Friday night there is the picking of the Queens which is always very popular with all. This is followed normally by entertainment from some of Ireland's top bands, as is the case on Saturday and Sunday night.

The highlight for everyone, though, is the Fireworks display. This takes place on Sunday night at 10pm. Make sure you're in early to secure a good vantage point as the town is normally thronged to see this....and no wonder; its reckoned that this half hour display is the best fireworks display in the country!!!

If you're staying at the Commodore Hotel you have the best vantage point of all. Our roof garden offers spectacular views of the display and is most definitely the best spot to view the fireworks!!!

Have a look at the Regatta's official website http://cobhpeoplesregatta.com/ for more details.

So why not come to Cobh and stay the weekend!!! We have some great accommodation packages on offer, just have a look at our Special Offers and we hope to see you in Cobh next weekend!

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!!!

August Bank Holiday - things happening in Cobh....

Well there's a lot happening in Cobh this weekend. On Sunday the Queen Elizabeth will be docking in port and to coincide with its visit the Cobh & Harbour Chamber have organised one of their series of Summer Swing concerts in the Promenade. This will be the centre piece of yet another Fayre in the Promenade. All day Sunday there will be FREE entertainment for young and old alike. There will be music, face painters, stalls with a variety of goods for sale, a Carousel for the kids and lots more on offer. Its going to be another great day in the 'Prom.' Certainly, the 2,068 passengers that come off the ship will have plenty to do. Let's keep the fingers crossed that the weather plays ball!

Another great event is happening this Saturday. This one is a bit unique and has never been done before. As a fundraiser for this year's Regatta there will be an abseil from the heights of the cathedral by fourteen brave souls. The brainchild of local lass, Kathleen Geary, it sure is an innovative and spectacular way of raising funds. Kathleen roped in fourteen local volunteers who've never done a venture like this before. Hopefully, they've all a head for heights! Mind you they have been doing a bit of training on the cliffs of Ardmore recently so they should manage it. Nevertheless, it should be a great sight. Make sure you're down in Cobh early Saturday morning. Kick off is at 11am!

Last but not least, the Barrack Hill ball run takes place on bank holiday Monday. This is also a fundraising event and is in aid of cancer research charities. Since he started this event a number of years ago, local man, Paddy Histon, has seen support for this event snowball. Last year a massive crowd turned up to witness the thousands of coloured balls roll down the famous steep Barrack Hill. What a sight it is!

The ball run itself will take place at 4pm but from 2.30pm the heats of the hugely entertaining big ball uphill challenge will take place starting from near the bottom of the hill. Teams of three will have to roll a big exercise ball UP THE HILL in a relay. Teams can be of mixed sexes and ages with the aim of having great fun and providing a spectacle for people to enjoy before the main event.

There you go....there's plenty of things happening this weekend in Cobh. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday there is enough to keep visitors of all ages entertained. If you fancy coming to Cobh this weekend we're doing some special accommodation packages - have a look at our Special Offers for more details.