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Description
Metaphorically housed in restored Victorian railway station,
the Cobh Heritage Centre is an entertaining and informative place to pull into
town. I recommend checking it out, even
if you do not arrive to Cobh by train.
This is the place that most emigrants departed from when they set ship
to America. It is a place of hellos and
goodbyes, and The Queenstown Story is a fine exhibition of the history of
departures that occurred from these platforms.
History
Over three million people emigrated from Ireland via Cobh,
or Queenstown.
To See and Do
Learn about "An American Wake," a bittersweet party held on
the last night at home, before an emigrant left to America. See the horrifying conditions on board the
early "Coffin Ships." Watch old film
reels of travel by sea. See the actual
possessions of famine emigrants. Trace
the history of vessels that left from Queenstown, from early steamers to luxury
ocean liners. Queenstown was the
Titanic's last port of call before she sank on her maiden voyage -- learn about
the history of this ship. Learn about
the tragic fate of the Lusitania, a huge luxury cruiser torpedoed by the
Germans off Cork Harbor. Trace your
family history at the Genealogy Information center in the station.
Additional Facilities
Restaurant, retail area, disabled facilities, and a Bureau
de Change. Free coach and car parking
adjacent to the centre.
How to get there
By car:
From Cork City, take N25 east, transfer to R624 south to
Cobh.
By bus:
See www.buseireann.ie
website for all current travel details and restrictions.
Opening times
Open daily 9:30AM to 6PM (last admission at 5PM)
Off Season Hours: November 1st to May 1st,
open daily 10AM to 5PM (last admission 4PM)
Admission fee
Adult 6.60 euro
Senior/Student 5.50 euro
Child 3.30 euro
Family (2 adults and 4 children ages 8-16 yr) 18.50 euro
Children under age 8 are free.
Address
Cobh Heritage Centre
Cobh
Co. Cork
Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)21 48135891
Email:
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Web: www.cobhheritage.com
My experience
A fine exhibition, packed with loads of information and
artifacts. I enjoyed the thoughtfully
designed, modern layout in the historical space. The entire exhibition is an experience for
the senses, from the sound of the rocking waves to the dimmed lights - it felt
as if I were at sea myself. I was able
to recognize the horror an emigrant faced by the footage of the churning, open
sea, and the realistically illustrated below-deck conditions. I gained a real sense of the actual
passengers and of their lives
Highly recommended.
Written by Liz O'Malley - Summer of Travel 2007
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