Titanic Commemorations get under way....

Yesterday, Tuesday 11th April 2012, was the first day of the Titanic commemorations. On this day 100 years ago the Titanic arrived at anchorage, off Cork Harbour, at 11:55am. It was met

by local pilot, John Cotter, who boarded Titanic just off the Daunt Rock and guided it to the mouth of the harbour itself. Here it was met by the tenders America and Ireland where the process of transferring mail, provisions, and passengers began. There was also a bit of contraband activity going on which happened with all liners coming to port. Within two hours it was all complete and Titanic was on its way again. At 1:55pm Titanic weighed anchor and shortly after pilot John Cotter left the ship, the last man to do so before the Titanic hit an iceberg mid-Atlantic.

Yesterday, was a chance to commemorate the event and it all began quite early with the live broadcast of Newstalk Fm's Tom Dunne's show from O'Shea's Bar in the hotel.

After that we conducted our own commemoration ceremony on the steps of the hotel. We had to be fast as we couldn't upstage the President's visit and he was due at 13:45pm, and so with 10 minutes to spare we released 123 white balloons to symbolise the 123 passengers who boarded at Queenstown. As the balloons were being released the Commodore Choir sang 'Nearer my God to Thee.' It was very poignant, indeed......

As the President arrived the crowds had built up. Conservative estimates put the crowd at over 20,000.

He inspected a Naval Guard of Honour in Casement Square before

making a dignified speech on the stage of the 'An Irish Connection' concert venue.

And then it was on to the L.E. Eithne where the President was taken down the line of Naval ships to complete the full Fleet review. One of the ships was a visiting ship from the Royal Navy, H.M.S.Mersey. This was in itself a unique moment....it is over 100 years since there has been a full naval Fleet review. Just as this

was complete the heavens opened and there was a very heavy downpour of hailstones. This sent the massed crowds scurrying for cover!

What harm, though, it had been a great day and the 100th anniversary of Titanic's arrival in Cobh had been marked most appropriately indeed. Well done to all involved!!!