Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of

Great Island Great Island () is an island in Cork Harbour, at the mouth of the River Lee and close to the city of Cork, Ireland. The largest town on the island is Cobh (called Queenstown from 1849 to 1922). The island's economic and social history has histo ...

Cork Harbour Cork Harbour () is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area" (after Port Ja ...

and home to Ireland's only dedicated

cruise terminal A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...

. Tourism in the area draws on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town. Facing the town are

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

and

Haulbowline Haulbowline ( ga, Inis Sionnach; non, Ál-boling) is an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. The world's first yacht club was founded on Haulbowline in 1720. The western side of the island is the main naval base and headquarters f ...

islands. On a high point in the town stands St Colman's, the cathedral church of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne The Diocese of Cloyne ( ga, Deoise Chluana) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel (also known as Munster). Geographic remit Cloyne diocese is located in the north ...

. It is one of the tallest buildings in Ireland, standing at 91.4 metres (300 ft).

Name

The village, on the island, was known as "Ballyvoloon", a transliteration of the Irish "Baile Ui-Mhaoileoin" (en: "O'Malone's place"), while the Royal Navy port, established in the 1750's, became known as "The Cove of Cork" or "Cove". The combined conurbation was renamed to "Queenstown", in 1849, during a visit by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. The name was changed to ''Cobh'', during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

, following the passing of a motion by the local administrative council on 2 July 1920. ''Cobh'' is a

Gaelicisation Gaelicisation, or Gaelicization, is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the ''Gaels'', a sub-branch of celticisation. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Irel ...

of the English name Cove, and it shares the same pronunciation. It has no meaning in the Irish language. In ancient times the area was known as ''Cuan an Neimheadh'' (the Harbour of Neimheidh), a figure in medieval Irish legend.

was called ''Oileán Ard Neimheidh'' (the high or important island of Neimheidh).

History

Annie Moore Statue by by Jeanne Rynhart, Cobh

Early history

According to legend, one of the first colonists of Ireland was Neimheidh, who landed in

over 1,000 years BC. He and his followers were said to have been wiped out in a plague, but the Great Island was known in Irish as ''Oilean Ard Neimheadh'' because of its association with him. Later it became known as ''Crich Liathain'' because of the powerful ''

Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin (IPA: �iːˈlʲiəhaːnʲ were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example ''The Expulsion of th ...

'' kingdom, who ruled in the area from

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

into the early 13th century. The island subsequently became known as ''Oilean Mor An Barra'' (the Great Island of Barry & Barrymore), after the Barry family who inherited it. St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh

The village on the island was known in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as Ballyvoloon, overlooking "The Cove". In 1743 the British built a fort, later to become known as

Cove Fort Cove Fort is a fort, unincorporated community, and historical site located in Millard County, Utah. It was founded in 1867 by Ira Hinckley (the paternal grandfather of Gordon B. Hinckley) at the request of Brigham Young. One of its distinctive ...

, to the east of the village. The settlement was first referred to as Cove village in 1750 by Smith the historian who said: "it was inhabited by seamen and revenue officials". The Cork directory of 1787 shows about thirty businesses in the town, including one butcher and one draper. The Water Club established at

in 1720 was the progenitor of the present

Royal Cork Yacht Club The Royal Cork Yacht Club is a claimant to the title of the world's oldest yacht club, founded in 1720, though this is challenged by the Neva Yacht Club in Russia. It is currently located in Crosshaven, Co. Cork, Ireland. Formation and claim ...

(RCYC, now based in Crosshaven) and is the oldest

yacht club A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting. Description Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mari ...

in the world. The RCYC was based for many years in Cobh and the present Sirius Arts Centre used to be a clubhouse of the RCYC organisation. In 1966, the RCYC merged with the Royal Munster Yacht Club, retaining the name of the RCYC but moving its headquarters to those of the RMYC at

Crosshaven Crosshaven () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in lower Cork Harbour at the mouth of the River Owenabue, across from Currabinny Wood. Originally a fishing village, from the 19th century, the economy of the area became more rel ...

at the other side of the harbour. Cobh-Steep-Cathedral-Access-2012

19th century

International upheaval led to Cobh undergoing rapid development in the early 19th century. Due to the natural protection of its harbour setting, the town became important as a tactical centre for naval military base purposes, never more so than at the time of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. Today, the

Irish Naval Service The Naval Service ( ga, An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork. Though preceded by earlier mar ...

headquarters is on

Island facing Cobh. The wars against the French led to the town, then usually known as Ballyvoloon or The Cove of Cork, being developed as a British naval port assigned an admiral. Many of the present-day buildings date from this time of build-up.

George Brodrick, 5th Viscount Midleton George Alan Brodrick, 5th Viscount Midleton (10 June 1806 – 1 November 1848) was a British nobleman. The son of George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton and Maria Benyon, he succeeded to the peerage in 1836. He was educated at Eton College. He m ...

engaged the English architect

Decimus Burton Decimus Burton (30 September 1800 – 14 December 1881) was one of the foremost English architects and landscapers of the 19th century. He was the foremost Victorian architect in the Roman revival, Greek revival, Georgian neoclassical and Reg ...

to improve the streetscape and buildings during the 1840s. The eventual cessation of hostilities dented Cobh's prosperity for a while, but it soon became known as a health resort; many patients stayed here for their health because of the temperate climate. Amongst their number was

Charles Wolfe Charles Wolfe (14 December 1791 – 21 February 1823) was an Irish poet, chiefly remembered for "The Burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna" which achieved popularity in 19th century poetry anthologies. Family Born at Blackhall, County Kild ...

, who wrote "The Burial of Sir John Moore After Corunna". Wolfe's body is buried in the Old Church Cemetery outside the town.

RMS ''Titanic''

One of the major transatlantic Irish ports, the town was the departure point for 2.5 million of the six million

Irish people The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been c ...

who emigrated to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

between 1848 and 1950. On 11 April 1912, as Queenstown, it was the final port of call for the before she set out across the Atlantic on the last leg of her maiden voyage. She was assisted by the P.S. ''America'' and the P.S. ''Ireland'', two ageing

White Star Line The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between t ...

tenders, along with several other smaller boats delivering first-class passengers' luggage. Some sources and local lore suggest that a ''Titanic'' crew member, John Coffey, a native of Queenstown, left the ship at this time, thereby saving his life. 123 passengers boarded at Queenstown, with only 44 surviving the sinking.

Penal transportation

Cobh was earlier a major embarkation port for men, women and children who were deported to penal colonies such as Australia. The Scots Church has since 1973 housed the Cobh Museum which holds records of such deportations in ships' log books. The Scots Church (a Presbyterian church until its 1969 closure) overlooks the harbour from where so many departed.

Shipbuilding

A significant shipbuilding industry was developed in the town. The remnants of the Verolme Shipyard today maintain many of the original cranes and hoists now forming part of industrial and maritime heritage. Cobhpier 0360

The age of steam brought Cobh association with several milestones, including the first

steam ship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ca ...

to sail from Ireland to England (1821) and the first steamship to cross the Atlantic (''Sirius'' 1838), which sailed from

Passage West Passage West (locally known as "Passage"; ) is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour, some 10 km south-east of Cork city. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets. Passage West was ...

RMS ''Lusitania'' and the First World War

Another ship to be associated with the town, the Cunard passenger liner , was sunk by a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

off the

Old Head of Kinsale The Old Head of Kinsale () is a headland near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. A castle has been on the headland since at least the 3rd century, with the current iteration built in 1223. An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th centur ...

while en route from the US to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

on 7 May 1915. 1,198 passengers died, while 700 were rescued. The survivors and the dead alike were brought to Queenstown, and the bodies of over 100 who perished in the disaster lie buried in the Old Church Cemetery just north of the town. The Lusitania Peace Memorial is located in Casement Square, opposite the arched building housing the Cobh Library and Courthouse. Queenstown aka Cobh (8141082551)

During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Queenstown was a naval base for British and American destroyers operating against the

U-boats U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare rol ...

that preyed upon Allied merchant shipping.

Q-ship Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, decoy vessels, special service ships, or mystery ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open f ...

s (heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s into making surface attacks) were called Q-ships precisely because many were, in fact, fitted out in Queenstown.Beyer, Kenneth M.: ''Q-Ships versus U-Boats. America's Secret Project''. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland, USA. 1999. The first division of American destroyers arrived in May 1917, and the sailors who served on those vessels were the first American servicemen to see combat duty in the war. When that first convoy arrived in port after enduring a rough passage in what were little more than open boats, its members were met by a crowd of sailors and townspeople, thankful for their anticipated help towards stopping the U-boats that were blockading western Europe.

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Sir Lewis Bayly, commander of the Coast of Ireland station, met the senior American officer, Commander Joseph Taussig, at the dock and inquired as to how soon the weatherbeaten American ships could be put to use. "We're ready now, sir!" was the widely quoted answer from the American. The

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

established U.S. Naval Air Station Queenstown in February 1918. It operated

flying boats A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...

during the last months of WW1, and closed in April 1919. Due to its tactical military importance, under the terms of the 1921

Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...

, the port remained a UK sovereign base within the Irish Free State after 1922. Along with the other

Treaty Ports Treaty ports (; ja, 条約港) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Japanese Empire. ...

, it was handed over to the government of the Irish Free State in 1938.

Economy and tourism

Tourism is a large employer in Cobh. Large cruise liners visit Cobh each year, mainly during the summer months, although many of the tourists are transported out of Cobh by bus to other tourist destinations. In all, almost 100,000 cruise liner passengers and crew arrive in the town each year when their ships berth right in the centre of the town at the Republic of Ireland's only dedicated cruise terminal. Tourist attractions are focused on the maritime and emigration legacy of the town and include the ''Queenstown Story'' at the

Cobh Heritage Centre The Cobh Heritage Centre is a museum located in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. It is attached to Cobh railway station. The "Queenstown Experience", located at the centre, has mostly permanent exhibitions of Irish history. It has held exhibits on li ...

, ''Titanic'' Experience, ''Titanic'' Trail walking tour, Cobh Museum, Cobh Road Train, Spike Island tours and St Colman's Cathedral. The town has remained largely unchanged since RMS ''Titanic'' departed from Cork Harbour in 1912, with the streetscape and piers still much the same. Facing the town are Spike Island and

Haulbowline Island Haulbowline ( ga, Inis Sionnach; non, Ál-boling) is an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The world's Royal Cork Yacht Club, first yacht club was founded on Haulbowline in 1720. The western side of the islan ...

. The latter is the headquarters of the

, formerly a British naval base. Cobh was home to Ireland's only steelworks, the former state-owned

Irish Steel Irish Steel Limited ( ga, Cruach na hÉireann Teoranta), later known as Irish Ispat Limited, was an State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland, Irish semi-state company which was involved in steelmaking, steel production primarily from a ...

works which was closed by its buyer,

Ispat International Mittal Steel Company N.V. was an Indian company and one of the world's largest steel producers by volume and turnover. After a merger in 2005, it is now part of ArcelorMittal. History Mittal Steel Company was formed as Ispat International in 19 ...

, in 2001. There is a controversy over the slag heap on the steelworks, where there are concerns that it may be leaching into the harbour. Another important employer in Cobh was the Dutch-owned Verolme Cork Dockyard, in Rushbrooke. It opened in 1960 but ceased operations in the mid-1980s. In 1981 the MV ''Leinster'' was built at Verolme for service on the Dublin – Holyhead route. The last ship built at Verolme was the Irish Naval Service's LÉ ''Eithne'' (P31). Ship repair work is still carried at Rushbrooke using the

drydock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

and slip way carriages. The drydock pumps date from 1912. In the 21st century, a number of new developments were completed, such as a new retail park at Ticknock in 2008, and a leisure centre (with 25m swimming pool) in August 2007. In 2010, tours of Spike Island commenced, with tours leaving from Kennedy Pier, near the town centre.

Transport

Rail

Outside of the Dublin metropolitan area, Cobh is one of the few towns in Ireland served by a

commuter train Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are consi ...

service. The town is one of two termini for Cork Commuter Services. The other is

Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...

. Regular commuter services run between Cork city and

Cobh Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...

, calling at, among others,

Fota railway station Fota railway station serves Fota Island in County Cork. It is a station on the Cork to Cobh commuter service. Travel to Glounthaune station to transfer to Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern Co ...

Carrigaloe railway station Carrigaloe railway station serves Carrigaloe on Great Island in County Cork. It is a station on the Cork to Cobh commuter service. Passengers can travel to Glounthaune station to transfer to Midleton. Description The station is unstaffed and ...

, and

Rushbrooke railway station Rushbrooke ( ga, Rinn an Chabhlaigh) is a train station in the Rushbrooke area, on Great Island in Cork harbour. It is a station on the Cork to Cobh commuter service. Travel to Glounthaune station to transfer to Midleton. Description The ...

, along the way. Trains run every day and the journey time to Cork is under 25 minutes.

Cobh railway station Cobh railway station serves the town of Cobh, County Cork. It is located in a red brick building adjacent to the town's Cobh Heritage Centre. It is the terminus of the on Cork-Cobh section of the Cork Suburban Rail line. Travel to Glounthau ...

opened on 10 March 1862 and was closed for goods traffic on 3 November 1975.

Air

The nearest airport is

Cork Airport Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cross ...

, which can be reached in 20–30 minutes from Cobh via the R624 road and the N25 road.

Port

The Port Operations Centre for Cork Harbour is located in the town. The port's

harbour pilot A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harb ...

launches are based at the Camber - a pier and dock area at the eastern end of the town.

Roads

Currently there is only a single road (the R624) and road bridge that leads onto Great Island. This road bridge, Belvelly Bridge, was built at

Belvelly Belvelly () is a small village on the northern end of the Great Island of Cork Harbour, about four miles north of the town of Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. Belvelly is situated at the shortest crossing point between Great Island and the neighbour ...

in 1803 at one of the narrowest points in the channels around Great Island.

Cross River Ferry

In 1993 a Cross River Ferry was established which allowed cars and passengers to travel from Glenbrook near Monkstown to Carrigaloe on the Great Island. The crossing from Glenbrook to Carrigaloe takes four minutes and runs daily. Reservations are not required.

Local government and politics

While local administration was overseen by Cobh Town Council for some years, this local government body was abolished in 2014. Since then, the town has fallen within the area of responsibility of

Cork County Council Cork County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chorcaí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and co ...

. Cobh Municipal District, one of eight municipal districts overseen by the council, is represented by six elected councillors. As of 2019, these include 1 Labour Party, 2

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

, 1

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...

, 1

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

and 1 independent councillor. The town is also part of the Dáil constituency of Cork East.

Arts and culture

The Sirius Arts Centre is a hub for the arts in Cobh and is located on the waterfront. It hosts cultural events and music concerts both in-house and around Cobh. The Cobh Peoples Regatta is held every year around August, and includes onstage performances from local musicians and performers as well as a pageant to decide the 'Regatta Queen'. The festival typically ends with a fireworks display over the harbour. Cobh was the setting for the 2009 Connor McPherson film ''The Eclipse'', and also used as a filming location for the 1999 movie

Angela's Ashes ''Angela's Ashes: A Memoir'' is a 1996 memoir by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, with various anecdotes and stories of his childhood. The book details his very early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, US but focuses primarily on his life ...

Education

Cobh has several primary and secondary schools, including Colaiste Muire secondary school and Cobh Community College. Scoil Iosaef Naofa is a boys'

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

in the town, and has reached the ''Sciath na Scoil'' finals (in

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

and

gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

) on several occasions.

Sport

Cobh GAA Cobh GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Cobh, in County Cork, Ireland. The club fields both Hurling and Gaelic football teams. The club is a member of Cork GAA and Imokilly divisional board. The club's hurling team ...

is the local GAA club, and has a centre for

gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...

at Carrignafoy. Cobh Pirates RFC are the town's

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club, and compete at underage and other levels. The club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015. They play their home games at 'The Paddocks' in Newtown, where facilities include a gym, two playing pitches, a training pitch and a rubber training surface. The Cobh Pirates Ladies team was formed circa 2010. The most noted football team in the area is

Cobh Ramblers Cobh Ramblers Football Club (CRFC) ( ga, Cumann Peile Chóstóirí Chóbh) is an Irish football club. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the League of Ireland in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colm ...

, where

Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, coach and former professional player. He is the joint most successful Irish footballer of all time, having won 19 major trophies in his club career, 17 of which came during ...

started-out before transferring to English side

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...

, and

Stephen Ireland Stephen James Ireland (born 22 August 1986) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Ireland began his career with Cobh Ramblers before joining English club Manchester City in 2001. He made his profess ...

started his career with the club's underage, Springfield Ramblers. Cobh Ramblers play in the

League of Ireland First Division The League of Ireland First Division ( ga, Céad Roinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division, is the second level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. Th ...

, with home games at

St Colman's Park St Colman's Park is a football stadium in Cobh, County Cork. It is home to Cobh Ramblers F.C. of the League of Ireland First Division. The stadium was redeveloped during the mid-2000s. Construction on a new changing facility and press office ...

. Another local football team, Springfield AFC, based at Pat O'Brien Park, Ballyleary, has both junior and senior football teams. Cobh Golf Club has an 18-hole championship course at Marino on the main

R624 The R624 road is a Regional road (Ireland), regional road in Republic of Ireland, Ireland which runs from the south-east of the N25 road (Ireland), N25 in Tullagreen, County Cork to Cobh, Cobh town centre. It runs to several of County Cork's tou ...

road into the town. Cobh is also home to one of the oldest existing tennis clubs in Ireland, Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, founded in 1870. There are two coastal rowing clubs in the area, Cobh Fishermen and Rushbrooke Rowing Club, with the latter established in 1989. Other events on the water include the "Escape from Spike Island"

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...

, which was first held in 2012 and organised by Cobh Triathlon Club. It takes place annually in late summer, with both Olympic distance and sprint distance courses. The first "Great Island 10" (a 10-mile road race) took place on 18 April 2010, to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.

People

Anne Elizabeth Ball Anne Elizabeth Ball (1808–1872) was an Irish botanist, amateur algologist, and botanical illustrator. Born in Cobh 1808, Ball was a sister of naturalist Robert Ball (1802–1857) and zoologist Mary Ball (1812–1898). The siblings became in ...

(1808–1872) and Mary Ball (1812–1898), sisters and scientists in the

history of phycology The history of phycology is the history of the scientific study of algae. Human interest in plants as food goes back into the origins of the species, and knowledge of algae can be traced back more than two thousand years. However, only in the last ...

* Robert Ball (1802–1857) brother of Anne and Mary Ball, zoologist *

(1800–1881), English architect and designer of much of Cobh's streetscape *

Nellie Cashman Ellen Cashman (1845 – 4 January 1925) was an Irish nurse, restaurateur, businesswoman and philanthropist in Arizona, Alaska, British Columbia and Yukon. Cashman led a rescue party to miners to the Cassiar Country gold mine in the Cassiar ...

(1845–1925), gold prospector and philanthropist who was born near Cobh or at Midleton *

Patsy Donovan Patrick Joseph "Patsy" Donovan (March 16, 1865 – December 25, 1953) was an Irish born right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from to , most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted .301 lifetime and ...

(1865–1953), major league baseball player in the US *

Charles Guilfoyle Doran Charles Guilfoyle Doran (1835–1909) was a leading figure in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and the Fenian Brotherhood in Ireland from the middle of the 19th century. He was also Clerk of Works on the construction of St. Colman's Cath ...

(1835–1909), Fenian and clerk of works for the building of Cobh Cathedral, lived in the town most of his life * Jack Doyle (1913–1978), boxer, actor and singer * Frederick Edwards (1894–1964), recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

* Joe English, round-the-world sailor and international yachtsman. *

Robert Forde Robert Forde (29 August 1875 – 13 March 1959) was an Antarctic explorer and member of the Terra Nova Expedition under Captain Robert Falcon Scott from 1910–1912. Early life Robert Forde was born in rural parish of Moviddy near Bandon 1 ...

(1875–1959), Antarctic explorer *

Maeve Higgins Maeve Anna Higgins (born 24 March 1981) is a comedian from Cobh, County Cork, Ireland and is based in New York. She was a principal actor and writer of the RTÉ television production '' Naked Camera'', as well as for her own show ''Maeve Higgi ...

, comedian *

, former Stoke City and Republic of Ireland international footballer *

, former Manchester United footballer, started his professional career with

* Sean McLoughlin, Hull City footballer *

Elizabeth Louisa Moresby Lily Adams Beck, née Elizabeth Louisa Moresby (1862 in Queenstown, Cork, Ireland – 3 January 1931 in Kyoto, Japan) was a British writer of short-stories, novels, biographies and esoteric books, under the names of L. Adams Beck, E. Barrington ...

(1862–1931), fantasy writer *

John O'Flynn John O'Flynn (born 11 July 1982) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker, most recently for Finn Harps in the League of Ireland First Division. He previously played with Barnet, Exeter City, Cork City and Limerick. Playing ...

, footballer *

Fergus O'Rourke Fergus J. O'Rourke (1923–2010) was an Irish scientist whose publications included contributions to myrmecology and medical entomology. Educated at Belvedere College, and subsequently at University College Dublin, he graduated from University C ...

(1923–2010), zoologist resident in Cobh while Professor at University College Cork *

Thomas H. O'Shea Thomas H. O'Shea (October 21, 1898 – June 6, 1962) was an Irish revolutionary and one of the founders of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), subway workers in New York City that expanded to represent members in other forms of transit n ...

(1898–1962), Irish Volunteer and labour leader *

Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969) is an Irish people, Irish former track and field athlete. She won a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, 1995 World Championships, and a silver medal in the 5000 met ...

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

ist in the

5000 m The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

race at the 2000 Sydney

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

Fiona Shaw Fiona Shaw (born Fiona Mary Wilson; 10 July 1958) is an Irish film and theatre actress. She is known for her roles as Petunia Dursley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2001–2010), Marnie Stonebrook in the fourth season of the HBO serie ...

, actress, born here in 1958 * Sinéad Sheppard, local councillor and former member of pop band

Six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...

Sir Geoffrey Vavasour, 5th Baronet Sir Geoffrey William Vavasour, 5th Baronet (5 September 1914 – 28 July 1997) was an Irish people, Irish-born English people, English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer. He served in the Second World War with distinction, where he w ...

(1914–1997), first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer *

James Roche Verling James Roche Verling (27 February 1787 – 1858) was a British Army surgeon who became personal surgeon to Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena. Life Verling was born in Queenstown (now Cobh), County Cork, Ireland on 27 February 1787. He graduated i ...

(1787–1858), personal physician to

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

during his exile in St. Helena * Patrick Walsh, emeritus bishop of Down and Connor, originally from Cobh *

Joseph Wheeler Joseph "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (September 10, 1836 – January 25, 1906) was an American military commander and politician. He was a cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and then a general in ...

, 19th century founder of the Rushbrooke ship yard

Twin towns

Kolbuszowa Kolbuszowa ( yi, קאלבאסאוו) is a small town in south-eastern Poland, with 9,190 inhabitants (02.06.2009). Situated in the Sandomierz Forest in the Subcarpathian Voivodship (since 1999), it is the capital of Kolbuszowa County. Kolbuszo ...

, Poland *

Ploërmel Church Saint-Armel Ploërmel (; ; Gallo language: ''Pieurmè'') is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, the former commune Monterrein was merged into Ploërmel. Character of the town The to ...

, France *

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu ...

, US *

Pontarddulais Pontarddulais (), also known as Pontardulais (), is both a community and a town in Swansea, Wales. It is northwest of the city centre. The Pontarddulais ward is part of the City and County of Swansea. Pontarddulais adjoins the village of Hendy i ...

, Wales

References

External links

*
Cobh TourismCobh Heritage Centre
* – Passenger Lists are Organized by Date, Steamship Line, Steamship Class of Passengers and the route of the voyage. {{Authority control Towns and villages in County Cork Port cities and towns in the Republic of Ireland