Titanic Tales - today's pilots at work

Pilots can still have a tough time today even despite the leaps in technology. When there's a storm a blowin' its just as tough today as it was in yesteryear. The toughest conditions at the harbour mouth are when you have a full blown southerly gale combined with a strong ebbing tide. Wind against tide can give rise to extremely challenging sea conditions. The above video gives you some idea.

Titanic Tales - piloting Liners into Queenstown (Part 2)

When we look at the pilot boats working Cork Harbour today we cannot be but impressed by their speed and ability to work in the most demanding of weather. The boats are the fastest in the harbour and can make it from Port Ops in Cobh to Roches Point within minutes.

That wasn't the case for pilots back in 1912. Twelve hours before the arrival of any liner the pilots would need to set out from Cobh and make their way to Roches Point. Once the liner was sighted the pilot would set out in a whaler and the oarsmen would row

between one and half and two miles from the point itself to meet the liner....and so it was in the case of the Titanic. The pilot then was John Cotter, a native of Queenstown. Once he had

boarded the Titanic he would have made directly for the bridge. Here he would have met with Captain Smith who he would have instructed to continue to the mouth of the harbour at a slow but steady pace. Compared to today, navigational intruments and technology were very limited. John Cotter would have guided Titanic to its anchorage using purely landmarks. This is recounted in Father Browne's Titanic Album, E.E. O'Donnell, 2011 '....using his local knowledge, the pilot would have instructed the Captain to follow a straight line-of-sight between the centre of the harbour's mouth and Bennett's Court, a prominent landmark on Great Island in the harbour. A terrace of coastguard houses stood on the mainland to the rear of Roche's Point (north of Roche's Point). As soon as the first of these came into view, Mr. Cotter would have told Edward Smith to drop anchor because this was the spot where the Titanic would have 1,000 yards of leeway in any direction.'

Explore these and other Titanic related stories when you visit Cobh. The Commodore Hotel is offering a unique Titanic package to mark the centenary year of its visit to Cobh. This package allows you to retrace the steps of Titanic passengers as they boarded Titanic from Queenstown and included participation on the Titanic Trail, a visit to the new Titanic Experience, and a visit to Cobh the Queenstown Story.

Titanic Tales - piloting Liners into Queenstown

In the series of then and now photographs these two are a very interesting pair. The first is of the Titanic at anchorage at the mouth of Cork Harbour and the second, below, is of Ocean going liners, the Independence of the Seas and the Celebrity Eclipse, as they dock in Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

Although, the Titanic was massive for her time, as she weighed 46,000 gross tonnes and measured 883 feet, she actually pales in size in comparison to these ocean going liners. The Independence of the Seas, for example, weighs 154,000 gross tonnes and measures 1,112 feet and the Celebrity Eclipse weighs 122,000 tonnes and measures 1,032 feet in length. These liners today dock right in the heart of Cobh and the photo below is of a unique occurrence in 2011 when two of these liners were in at the same time. The photo shows the Celebrity Eclipse slipping her moorings at the Deep Water Quay and the Independence of the Seas about to take her place. Of course the ocean going liners of today are highly manoeuvrable due to their propulsion systems and side thrusters. They can, in fact, almost turn on a six pence and it's fascinating watching them dock and manoeuvre into position when they are berthing at Cobh.

Liners in the time of Titanic were not so manoeuvrable and, although, Cork Harbour was large enough and deep enough to cope with their size many of the larger ones, such as Titanic, anchored at the mouth of the harbour instead. This also allowed for a fast turnaround. Tenders, with passengers, mail, and provisions from Queenstown, would already be bound for the harbour mouth as the liner dropped anchor. The whole process of transferring passengers and goods to the liner could be done in short order and often enough the liner could be under way again within a matter of hours.

Discover little nuggets of Titanic history, such as this when you visit Cobh. Experience the story of Titanic and its visit to Queenstown. The Commodore Hotel is currently offering Titanic packages that will allow you to do just that. These packages include participation on the Titanic Trail, a visit to the Titanic Experience, or Cobh the Queenstown Story. With this year marking the centenary of the Titanic this package offers you the unique chance to walk in the footsteps of Titanic passengers as they left from Queenstown!!!

If you'd like to plan your trip to coincide with a visit of a Cruise liner have a look at the Port of Cork's schedule of liner visits here!

Titanic - a red carpet affair

The première of the new TV mini-series, Titanic, on Saturday night proved to be a real red carpet affair. It had all the glitz and gloss of a Hollywood event as Marc Anderson and his team from Titanic 100 transformed the inside and outside of the Commodore Hotel into a venue befitting the occasion. Powerful searchlights, beams, and uplighters projected onto the outside of the building and guests experienced that star struck tension and awe, normally reserved for Broadway and West End openings, before they had even touched down on the 'carpet.'

At the hotel entrance they were

greeted by 'bell boy's' dressed in uniforms of the time. In fact, many of the guests, had gone to great lengths themselves to dress

in period costume. The classic cars parked nearby added to the ambience and in many respects it felt as if we had been transported back through time to the golden age of the Titanic itself.

TV3 and the Irish Examiner were there to capture the moment and many invitees found themselves being interviewed by the 'Expose' team for Monday night's airing on telly. It was all a heady affair and many found themselves caught up in the theatrics and pageantry. What a great atmosphere this created!!!

After a brief reception in the Jack Doyle Room, which had been recreated to mimic a cinematic theatre by the Titanic 100 crew, the first two episodes of Titanic were shown. This was well

received and the general consensus was that episodes 3 and 4 are now anxiously awaited.

If this is a precursor of the quality of events that Titanic 100 have put together for the Titanic centenary year then we have much to look forward to. Well done again to Marc and his team!!!

Titanic - new TV mini-series

Here's a picture taken of today's Irish Examiner. The snap features our own staff member, Sharon O'Shea, and Cobh Tourism's Jim O'Rourke outside the hotel on the red carpet for the Titanic première. Yes, the red carpet!!!

The Commodore Hotel was lucky enough to host the première of the new TV mini-series Titanic which airs on TV3 over the next four weeks on the lead up to the centenary of the Titanic sinking. Many thanks to Marc Anderson and the Titanic 100 crew who secured this event and chose the Commodore as their location. They did sterling work over the days leading up to the première to get the venue just right and recreate a real red carpet event....and boy did they succeed!!!

The Commodore Hotel was almost like a glitz Hollywood location for the night and the guests were blown away on their arrival. The Expose crew from TV3 were on hand to film and interview the guests as they arrived on the red carpet. Many of the them had gone to great lengths to dress in period costume and the local vintage car club had supplied a fleet of cars from the era to add that extra touch.

The Irish Examiner were also on hand to photograph the event and many of their photographs can be seen here.

For more details on the events that Titanic 100 have planned for the centenary year have a look at their website Titanic 100.

Titanic Tales - the hazards of queuing

The propensity of individuals from the UK to queue could be deadly....or so it was the case in the Titanic tragedy!

The following excerpt from Shadow of the Titanic (Andrew Wilson, 2011) seems to bear this out....'The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 took the lives of 68 per cent of the people aboard. Who survived? It was women and children who had a higher probability of being saved, not men. Likewise, people travelling in first class had a better chance of survival than those in second and third class. British passengers were more likely to perish than members of other nations....British good manners - the propensity to happily form a queue in almost any situation - almost certainly contributed to the lower survival rates among people from the United Kingdom.'

To learn more about the Titanic and to learn more about it's last port of call why not visit Cobh and immerse yourself in its intriguing nautical history. Here's some Titanic related packages that may interest you - Titanic Packages.

Titanic Centenary Concert

The Titanic centenary week is nearly upon us and surely the highlight of the events planned will be the specially commissioned Titanic Centenary concerts. Here's what Event Co-ordinators of the Titanic commemorations, 'Titanic 100 Cobh 2012', have to say:

‘An Irish Connection’ - Outdoor concert performance will be telling the story of the Titanic and emigration and its connection with Ireland through music and performance from many genres, supported by the Orchestra of Ireland and a twenty piece professional choir. This spectacular outdoor concert will include performers such as Cara O’Sullivan and Eddi Reader and a narrative by Brrendan Graham.
Tickets are limited and available fromwww.tickets.ie, The Titanic100 Cobh 2012 Office, 3 Westbourne Place Cobh, and The Irish Examiner Office Lapps Quay Cork. Tickets for seated areas €20 and restricted standing viewing is free of charge. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!! Late trains available during concert dates with Irish Rail.

WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY 23rd: Music in O'Sheas Bar with Sean O'Connor

DISCO IN CLUB C

SATURDAY 24th: Music in O'Sheas Bar with James Gornell & Music in Lounge with TJ Baird

DISCO IN CLUB C

Titanic 100 Latest Newsletter

Here's the latest newsletter from Titanic 100 Cobh 2012 which outlines the upcoming events in the Titanic programme over the next two months. To see the newsletter clearly, right click on each image and 'Save image as' on your hard drive. Once saved open up the jpeg file in Preview mode in Microsoft Photo Editor and use the 'Zoom in' button to enlarge the image and make it readable.

Shorecrest Highschool Marching Band

The Shorecrest Highschool Marching Band from Washington State, USA visited Cobh on Bank Holiday Monday. The group, over 170 members strong, assembled at the railway station, marched up through the town and back again, before finishing in the Promenade with a fabulous recital. They were excellent!!!

The band have won several awards during their Irish tour, including best marching band in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin. You could see why!

Here's a view of them while in the Promenade taken from the roof garden of the Commodore Hotel.

The group came at the invitation of Dr. Michael Martin of the Titanic Trail. Well done Michael!

St. Patrick's Day Parade - the aftermath

Well done to all the volunteers who did much of the behind the scenes work to make this year's (and every year's) St. Patrick's Day parade possible. Pictured above were some of the 'See You in Cobh' committee helping to stack the street barriers away.

'See You in Cobh' organise the parade and spend many weeks putting the event together. Well done lads!!!

On the day itself not only do members of the committee act as MC's on the viewing stand but many others help in stewarding the crowds or manning & policing the car park entrances and exits.

It was only when all the work was done that the lads took a well deserved break (and a bag of chips from the local chipper)!!!

Paddy's Day Parade - the aftermath....

Well after such a good parade the celebrations got under way in earnest and no place better to be than at O'Shea's Bar in the Commodore Hotel. Traditional Irish band, Liffey Lee, got into the swing of things straight away and belted out the 'auldies and Irish.' Thecraic was mighty and everyone was in great spirits.

Upstairs in the Jack Doyle Room Irish dance troup, the Cowhie-Ryan dancers, gave a fabulous display of Irish dancing. This troupe has produced many of the dancers for such shows as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. The troupe are a credit to Mrs. Pat Ryan who still does the training and choreography. As it happened Mrs. Ryan celebrated her birthday aswell yesterday. Happy birthday Mrs. Ryan!!!

At 5pm Liffey Lee took a break from the singing and all attention switched to focusing in on the rugby match between England and Ireland. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing!

Liffey Lee kicked up again shortly after and the disappointment

was soon forgotten. Hoorah!!!

The celebrations went on into the wee hours and fair play to Liffey Lee; they didn't let up. They gave it wellie....and so did we!!!

Queenstown 1912 - Cobh 2012

A few more pics from today's St. Patrick's day parade. Given the 100th centenary of the Titanic's visit to Cobh is this year its appropriate that this year's theme was Cobh 1912 vs. Cobh 2012.

Not much has changed!!! The buildings, the streetscape is very much the same and that was very evident along the route the parade took.

The pic above is of Commodore Hotel staff member, Ronan Nash, in a 1912 uniform.

Titanic 100 director, Marc Anderson, gives it the thumbs up!

Crowds gather along Westbourne Place, one of the viewing points along the route.

Crowds outside the Commodore Hotel just before the parade comes along.

The first of the vintage cars pass by the entrance to the Commodore Hotel.

At least 15 vintage cars took part in the parade.

The Mini Club of Ireland also took part and it was fabulous to see about 12 mini cars of all colours passing down the street, one after the other.

This beautiful old white car would certainly remind you of the car used in the film 'Titanic' in which things got hot and steamy between Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet!

Here's the Commodore four poster bed passing with our gang out in front!

...and finally the view in Casement Square looking towards the Viewing Platform from the original White Star Line offices, which now house the Titanic Experience.

All in all it was a great day, with great crowds and a great atmosphere. Well done to the hardworking members of 'See You in Cobh' who have spent weeks preparing this event and did trojan work on the day to make sure everything went smoothly! Take a bow!!!

St. Patrick's Day Parade - Queenstown 1912 to Cobh 2012

Well done to 'See You in Cobh' who organised the St. Patrick's Day Parade. What a great job gang!!!

The theme for this year's event was looking back to Cobh in 1912 the year that the Titanic called into Queenstown as its last port of call. Queenstown, or Cobh as it was called, hasn't changed much in the intervening 100 years. Many of the buildings and streetscapes are still the same. Cobh today is just almost identical as when the final 123 passengers who boarded Titanic would have seen it.

Back then the Commodore was known as the Queens Hotel and at the time was one of the first purpose built hotels in the country. The hotel was almost similar inside and out as it is today, 100 years later.

The parade today was one of the biggest in years. Not only were there more participants but there was certainly more spectators. This year the parade took a different route, starting out at the old railway station, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. It then continued along Westbourne Place, in front of the hotel and finished in Casement Square where the viewing stand was located directly opposite the Titanic Experience, which is now located in the original White Star Line offices.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Well done to Commodore Hotel staff members Ronan Nash, Ciara O' Donovan, and Sharon O'Shea who participated in this year's St. Patrick's Day parade representing the Commodore Hotel.

The theme of this year's parade was celebrating the Titanic centenary year and was titled Cobh 1912 - 2012. Our gang dressed up in

uniforms from 1912, with one in a modern day uniform for contrast. The Commodore Float was a recreation of a four poster bed from the time.

Well we didn't win, but fair play to all for putting in the effort!!!

St. Colman's Cathedral Illumination

One of Cobh's most iconic structure's, St. Colman's Cathedral, was illuminated once more last night. Well done to the hard working 'See you in Cobh' committee who have worked hard and fundraised over the last few years to make this possible.

Cobh Cathedral can be seen for many miles at sea by ships approaching Cork Harbour. Indeed, for many emigrants it was their last abiding memory of Ireland as they left these shores. Now that view will also be quite apparent at night. Well done all!!!

WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY 16th: Music in O'Sheas Bar with John O'Connor

DISCO IN CLUB C

DOYLE: Fundraising Concert - See You in Cobh Tickets on Sale at Reception/Door €10

SATURDAY 17th: Music in O'Sheas Bar with Liffey Lee 4pm (complimentary irish finger food) More Craic with Liffey Lee from 10pm

Music in Lounge with Con Twomey

Cowhie Ryan Dancers Display in Jack Doyle Room after Parade

DOYLE ROOM: Live Band "Escapade"

DISCO IN CLUB C

SUNDAY 18th: Music in O'Sheas Bar with Fergal Doody and Music in Lounge with Karl Long

BANK HOLIDAY DISCO IN CLUB C

We would like to wish all our customers and friends a Happy St Patricks and Mothers Day!

Titanic Tales - the need for speed?

This is a photograph from the Titanic taken by Father Browne on the journey between Cherbourg and Queenstown. It is often used to counter the argument that the Titanic was 'speeding' on her maiden voyage. The wake of the ship can clearly be seen on the ocean surface and indicates that the Titanic was taking a meandering course. While making such manoeuvres it would be impossible to go at full speed. Of course this was part of the commissioning process and was used to test the compass and navigational instruments. However, this was only on the first leg of the journey.

At the time the fastest liners on the Atlantic were the Cunard ships Lusitania and Mauretania. In the decade prior to 1912, both ships vied for the Blue Riband, the coveted title as the fastest ship to make the Atlantic crossing. Although, the Titanic was built more for comfort than for speed it would have been tempting to try for that coveted title on her maiden voyage; after all she did have the speed.

The starting point for the Blue Riband was generally accepted as the Daunt Rock, off Queenstown (as Cobh was then known). As Titanic set sail from Queenstown and set course for the finishing line of the Blue Riband, Ambrose Rock off New York, its quite plausible that Captain Smith's instructions were for full speed. Titanic had a capability of at least 24 knots and when she collided with an iceberg, three days later, the ship was travelling at 21 knots. The US inquiry admonished Smith for such speed, particularly, in the light of severe ice warnings that had been issued in the hours leading upto the collision. Many survivors in their testimony expressed shock at the volume of large icebergs they had seen as dawn broke over the collision site prior to their rescue. Many of the icebergs were over 200 ft in height and there was such a proliferation it was hard to imagine how any ship could escape contact without a slow and tricky negotiation of the malaise.

Was Captain Smith, under possible instruction from Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line, attempting to capture that Blue Riband title? If Titanic had crossed that finish line off Ambrose Rock all would have been quite clearer. However, what is clear is that Titanic was travelling too fast at 21 knots to successfully avoid collision with any of the profusion of icebergs that lay in its path off the coast of Newfoundland that Spring!

Explore the many other Titanic stories and the links to Titanic's last port of call at Titanic Packages.

Titanic Tales - further dark prophecies

Helen Bishop wasn't the only passenger who was foretold of doom. Edith Rosenbaum, a correspondent from the Women's Wear Daily in New York, was on assignment in Paris and booked Titanic at the last minute. As she travelled home she had a large collection of exquisite clothes with her, ordered for clients and businesses in the States. She had tried to insure her collection but was advised against it on the grounds that she was travelling on an unsinkable ship.

'The night before she sailed she had visited Madame de Thebes, one of the most famous fortune-tellers in Paris, who had told her she was about to endure a 'dreadful experience' during which she would lose her possessions and many, many friends.' (Shadow of the Titanic, Andrew Wilson, 2011) This echoed an earlier prophecy from an Arab sage who told her that she would be in a 'very grave sea accident.'

She was so unnerved that she tried to cancel her passage home but on finding that her collection would still have to travel on Titanic she decided to remain stating that '...my luggage is worth more than I am.'

The prophecy certainly came true and Edith lost her collection. Luckily Edith survived and lived to the ripe old age of 98...a true Titanic survivor.

Explore more Titanic tales while in Cobh, Titanic's last port of call - Titanic Packages.

Titanic Tales - 3rd time unlucky

On of the most unusual tales from the Titanic sinking is the story of survivor Helen Bishop. As Helen and other survivors escaped in one of the lifeboats many of the female passengers were hysterical at the thought that the lifeboat might be sucked down by the sinking ship. To put their minds at ease Helen recounted a true story of a recent encounter she had had with an Egyptian fortune teller. The fortune teller told her that she would survive a shipwreck and an earthquake, before being killed in a car accident. For the prediction to come true she would surely have to survive this ship disaster.

Helen Bishop did survive the Titanic shipwreck but the coincidences did not stop there.

Later that year Helen gave birth to a child who died the next day. As part of her emotional recovery doctors recommended a vacation. Helen and her husband took their advice and in 1913 holidayed in California. While there they experienced a minor earthquake. Both reflected on the prophecy of the fortune-teller who had now accurately predicted that Helen would survive two disasters. It didn't end there!

Towards the end of 1913 Helen was returning with friends from a party when the car in which they were travelling skidded on ice and crashed into a tree. The other two suffered minor injuries but Helen was not so lucky. She was thrown out over the front of the vehicle, through a mass of branches before landing on her head on a cement walkway over 30ft away. Helen's skull was crushed and she suffered a number of internal injuries. Her condition was critical; portions of her skull and brain were later removed in hospital.

Despite this trauma and initial fear that she might die, Helen's condition improved. She then had revolutionary surgery where a silver plate was fitted over her skull to protect the damaged section of brain. Finally, after months of recovery and rehabilitation she was discharged from hospital.

Helen had cheated death and, ultimately, the fortune-teller's triple prophecy; she had survived to tell the tale. She was the ultimate survivor who survived the Titanic, an earthquake and a near-fatal car accident...or had she!

Her luck, unfortunately, ran out; a number of years later Helen tripped over a rug in a friend's sitting room and she fell, head first, against a sharp hard surface. Of course it was the silver plate that took the impact and the resulting trauma to the head initiated a brain haemorrhage which, ultimately, killed Helen. It seems that the fortune-teller in Egypt had been right after-all, and her final demise would be a result of a car accident....in a way!

Explore similar Titanic tales in Titanic's final port of call - Titanic Packages.

Titanic Tales - the missing binoculars

The Irish Examiner featured an interesting story recently about the missing key for the Titanic's binoculars. Apparently, the lookouts in the crow's nest had no binoculars and, it was reported in the US enquiry to the disaster, if they had had binoculars they would have seen the iceberg earlier with probably enough time to avoid collision completely.

Where were the binoculars? The binoculars were actually on-board the Titanic, but the key to the locker, in which they were contained, were not. In a twist of fate the owner of the locker, Second Officer David Blair, was removed from the crew at the very last minute to make way for a more senior and experienced officer from the Olympic. In the haste that ensued, Blair forgot to hand over the keys and the rest they say is history. This is one of the many little quirks of fate that ultimately contributed to Titanic's demise.

The key has since been purchased by a Chinese Diamond merchant. As reported by the Examiner, he uses it as a management tool to ask 'what procedures would you have put in place to ensure that the key was where it was meant to be?'

Explore Titanic's final port of call - Titanic Packages.

Titanic Sunk by "Supermoon" and Celestial Alignment?

Titanic Sunk by "Supermoon" and Celestial Alignment?

An interesting article in the National Geographic suggest that moon phases could have been one of the major contributory factors in the sinking of the Titanic. What do you think?

Titanic Tales - Titanic Photos

The most comprehensive pictorial record of the Titanic is well recognised as that of Father Browne by historians the World over. Father Browne travelled on Titanic on the initial leg from Southhampton to Cherbourg. His photographs are reprinted in this fabulous book which chronicles his journey.

These photographs can also be viewed at a special exhibition at the Cobh Heritage Centre (Cobh the Queenstown Story) which commemorates Fr. Browne's work.

WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY 9th: Music in O'Sheas Bar with Back on Track
DOYLE RM - Regatta Fundraiser Poker Tournament
DISCO IN CLUB C
SATURDAY 10th: Music in O'Sheas Bar with Steve Rocks and Karl Long in Lounge
DISCO IN CLUB C

Titanic Tales - then and now

Westbourne Place from the sea. At the time of the Titanic there was no spire on the cathedral. This is the only noticeable difference between the two photographs; other than that the two are almost identical.

The one other, almost imperceptible, difference is in relation to the building just to the left of the Commodore Hotel. This building was originally one floor lower. It was designed to match the building on the immediate right of the hotel. These buildings were lower than the buildings either side of them in Westbourne Place and were designed that way by the original architect, Decimus Burton. His purpose was to isolate the hotel as an identifiable edifice within the complete block of buildings that is Westbourne Place and is an extremely unique architectural feature.

The Commodore Hotel is in fact very unique in that it was one of the very first purpose built hotels in Ireland. It was built as part of a grandiose project undertaken by Lord Midleton, the local Viscount, in the mid 19th century to redevelop Cobh. The plan was to develop the town as a Victorian spa retreat, the first tourist attraction of the day, if you will. This involved the reclamation of substantial tracts of land, the development of railway facilities, the development of a promenade, terraces, hotel, and baths. Lord Midleton commissioned the eminent architect of the day, Decimus Burton, to design the project. Burton's more prominent work included projects on Buckingham Palace, aswell as buildings and gardens of the Zoological Society in Regent's London. Westbourne Place itself was designed in a similar architectural style to Eastbourne, another seaside town on the south coast of England; hence the name 'Westbourne.'

Titanic Tales - then and now

Another pair of pics from the 'then and now' collection. The first is taken almost one hundred years ago and is taken from the White Star line pier, affectionately known locally as the 'Titanic' pier looking towards the Promenade and Westbourne Place with the Commodore Hotel (or the "Queens Hotel" as it was then) in the background. The second photo was taken a number of years ago and was taken from Kennedy Pier looking towards the remains of the Titanic Pier but again with the Prom and Westbourne Place in the background.

In many ways very little has changed. Mind you the presence of a modern cruise liner in the latter certainly stands out but other than that its as if time stood still!

While taking part in the Titanic Trail guided walking tour you do get a chance to explore Cobh's maritime heritage and particularly Cobh's links to the Titanic. As Dr. Michael Martin outlines on this tour, much of Cobh remains the same as that day the Titanic called. The Commodore Hotel is giving you the chance to walk in the footsteps of those Titanic passengers that departed from Cobh, or Queenstown as it was at the time. Titanic Packages at the Commodore Hotel, incorporate the Titanic Trail, as well as a visit to the Titanic Experience and 'Cobh the Queenstown Story.'

Titanic Tales - then and now

The first pic is a photo of Westbourne Place, Cobh around the time of the Titanic visit. The second one is more recent, taken last year just after a snow storm. Its amazing, there's a time gap between the two of over a hundred years yet they are in many ways the same. Its as if time stood still!!!

Most of the buildings and streetscapes of Cobh are virtually the same today as when the Titanic called. For those 123 passengers who boarded Titanic from Queenstown their experience of Cobh would be similar to yours if you were to visit Cobh today. This is explored in the guided walking tour given by Dr. Michael Martin on the Titanic Trail. On this tour you are in essence walking in the footsteps of those passengers.

The Commodore Hotel is offering great deals for March including a walk on the Titanic Trail, aswell as entry to the Titanic Experience, and also entry to 'Cobh the Queenstown Story.' Check out our Titanic Packages for more details.