Last week a few friends and I took a ferry over to Cobh (pronounced "Cove" and translated from Irish to literally mean just that). Though it is a tiny seaport town, it has a lot of historical significance which makes it a popular tourist spot. So popular, in fact, that many of the shops accept US Dollars. We arrived at the Heritage Center that houses an historical display about the 2.5 million emigrants from the port since 1849. Annie Moore, left from Cobh with her two younger brothers, and was the first ever immigrant to be registered at Ellis Island the day it opened, January 1st, 1892. It's an overwhelming feeling to be in the location where millions of people left their lives in a country that I chose to spend a semester in, in order to start new lives of their own.
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| Statue of Annie Moore and her younger brothers. |
After eating a banana and Nutella crepe from the farmer's market, we walked to the tourist center to catch a "Titanic Tour." The only people on the tour were myself and the four other American's I went to Cobh with and our tour guide was Phil--an old Irish man who had lived in Cobh for his whole life. Though we were under the impression the tour would focus on the impact the Titanic on the small town, but it ended up being an extensive walking tour of the whole city! It was perfect because Phil gave us an incredible insider's view of everything, from the beautiful town hall that was taken over by a Chinese family and is now currently a Chinese restaurant (Phil was not happy) to the traumatic events that the residents of Cobh have been through.
Not only was Cobh the last port of call of the Titanic before it sank (I saw the area where first-class and working class passengers were split up and led onto the ship), but Cobh was also the last port of call for the Lusitania before it was sunk off the coast of Kinsale by a German U-Boat in 1915. 1198 passengers died, and 700 were rescued. Victims of the attack were brought back to Cobh and bodies were lined up in piles along the main street. The small town has been a marker for many important historical events.
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| Overlooking the town. |
Phil also brought us to St. Colman's Cathedral, another beautiful church in the country. It's presence on the top of the hill dominated the town. I loved Phil so much. He was obviously an important man in the town because nearly every person we passed said hello to him. It reminded me of what it would be like if my grandpa gave tours of Windsor Locks. Phil and I also bonded about my Irish heritage. He was excited my name was Mollie ("a good Irish name!) and then when I told him my last name he immediately said "must be from the Kilkenny area." He was spot on.
The tour ended in a pub with a complimentary pint or sparkling lemonade (that's what Phil called Sprite!!) Spending the day in Cobh with a genuine Irish man who was incredibly proud of his small town was truly unforgettable.
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| Deck of Card street named because like a deck of cards, if one house toppled,, all the others would follow! |
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| Phil! |
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