Well there's less than a 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. We got some great offers for the weekend and a special package for the Fireworks Display night.

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 Cobh People's Regatta 2013 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!

Plenty to do.....

There is always plenty to do in Cobh during August and this year is no exception. Coming up shortly is the Cobh People's Regatta and for many people this is the highlight of the summer season. Over the
course of this weekend there are plenty of yacht races, rowing races, children's activities, live bands, and other entertainment....its positively a fun packed couple of days. Of course the weekend culminates in the much anticipated fireworks display. This year the Regatta is being held from Friday 16th August to Sunday 24th August.

The following weekend sees the start of the Verolme Cork Dockyard Gathering. The Dockyard closed in 1984 and was the only facility of its kind in Ireland outside of Harland & Wolfe in Belfast. Shipbuilding began in the yard in 1853 and continued right upto its closure. At one stage the yard employed over 1,100 workers. Many of the Irish Navy's ships were built at the yard. Over the course of the gathering weekend many of it former workers will get the chance to visit the yard once more. The yard will be open for public tours and there will be specially hosted seminars in the Commodore Hotel.
Commemorative ceremonies will also be held on the Sunday. The Irish Naval vessel, LE Aisling will dock at the Deep Water Quay and will be open to the public.

On the last weekend in August the Gorgeous Gael gathering will take place. This will be a celebration of the life and times of boxer, movie start, and singer, Jack Doyle who was born in Cobh on 31st
August 1913, 100 years previously. This weekend will feature a boxing tournament, showing of Jack's film, workshops featuring memorabilia of Jack's life, walking tours to Jack's home, commemorative ceremonies and much more....

....of course there is always other things to do and see in Cobh each day. If you are planning a break to Cobh you could always include a visit to Spike Island. Spike, located in the middle of Cork Harbour just one mile directly in front of Cobh, has a fascinating history. Now special guided tours give you a unique insight into this history. Spike, dubbed as Ireland's 'Alcatraz,' has served as a monastery, a fort, a prison, and a penal colony.
Boat trips and Island tours depart from Kennedy Pier daily every hour from 11am till 3pm with the latest return at 5:15pm. For the combined tour prices are €14.50 for Adults; €9.50 per Child; and €40 per family. Reduced prices for Boat trips only are also available. For further information check out Spike Island.

....another must is a visit to Fota Wildlife Park, especially if you have some younger folk in tow. This year Fota Wildlife Park is celebrating its 30th anniversary and is hosting many special celebratory Fota Wildlife Park is only 10 minutes from Cobh by rail or by road. However, to add to your adventure the rail journey is highly recommended. The spectacular views of Cork Harbour offered as the train makes its way from Cobh are not accessible by road!
events on a daily basis. Fota has been regularly voted as one of Ireland's top attractions and its easy to see why this is the case. Where else can you wander around with spectacular wild animals roaming freely and is such close proximity. Fota is widely known for its successful cheetah breeding programme and the cheetah pen is a special treat.

....and what about Cobh Road Train. A great way to spend a leisurely hour meandering around the Cobh Road Train.
town and hills of Cobh, taking in the spectacular views of Cork Harbour. The train has been very popular with visitors to the town since it began in its service in 2012. The train leaves from the centre of Cobh every hour. More information is available at

Other attractions available in Cobh are the Titanic Experience, the Cobh the Queenstown Story Heritage Centre, Cobh Museum, the Titanic Trail guided walking tour, and Cobh Cathedral.

We've plenty of great accommodation packages available....why not check them out here! A couple of days break in Cobh during August might be just the ticket!

.....those lazy, hazy days of summer.

The last few days have turned out to be a mini heat wave of sorts, with temps of 25c on Thurs, 25c yesterday, and the dial hitting 27c today. Let's make the most of it and hope that we get many more days like this during the rest of the summer!!!

The weather has been great for the Traditional Sail Regatta which is on this weekend. Some of the visiting old time schooners are fabulous.

Its great to see so many under sail just in front of the town. If you've time this weekend call down to Cobh and have a look. No better place to be in this hot weather!!!

Cobh Traditional Sail Regatta

This will be a great event this weekend and a chance to see some fantastic traditional yachts and larger sailing vessels sailing on the harbour.

This Regatta is now in its third year and, fair play to the hard working officers of Cove Sailing Club, it is going from strength to strength. This year there will be boats from the Uk and France, as well as Ireland. Amongst these will be three large schooners, the Irene, Soteria, and Ruth. These will be offering free harbour trips over the course of the weekend and will be berthed at the Deep Water Quay, Cobh.

For more details on the this great event check out http://www.cobhtradsail.ie/

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!

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!