Cobh - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island

Great Island

Great Island is the name of an island in Cork Harbour, just outside Cork city, at the mouth of the River Lee. The town of Cóbh is situated on the island, which is connected by bridge to Fota Island to the north, which in turn is connected by a causeway to the mainland...

in Cork Harbour

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" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...

. Facing the town are Spike Island

Spike Island, County Cork

Spike Island is an island of 103 Acres in Cork Harbour, Ireland.It was significant in the French intervention following the Glorious Revolution, and was later purchased by the British government in 1779 – becoming the site of Fort Westmoreland...

and Haulbowline Island. On a high point in the town stands Cobh (St Colman's) Cathedral

Cobh Cathedral

St. Colman’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Cobh, Ireland. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Cloyne.-Schedule of Mass and other services:MassWeekdays: 8am & 10amSaturday: 6pmSunday: 8am, 10am, 12noon & 7pm...

, seat of the diocese of Cloyne.

Name

The locality, which had had several Irish-language names, was first called Cove ("The Cove of Cork") in 1750. It was renamed Queenstown in 1849 to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria. This remained the town's name until 1922 when it was renamed Cobh with the foundation of the Irish Free State

Irish Free State

The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...

. Cobh is a gaelicization

Gaelicization

Gaelicization or Gaelicisation is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the Gaels. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group who are traditionally viewed as having spread from Ireland to Scotland and the Isle of Man."Gaelic" as a linguistic term, refers to the...

of the English name Cove and has no meaning in the Irish language.

History

According to legend, one of the first colonists of Ireland was Neimheidh, who landed in Cork Harbour over 1000 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

Uí Liatháin

The Uí Liatháin 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 the Déisi...

kingdom who ruled in the area from Late Antiquity

Late Antiquity

Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...

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.

The village on the island was known as Ballyvoloon, overlooking "The Cove" and this 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 Haulbowline

Haulbowline

Haulbowline is the name of an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. It is the main naval base and headquarters for the Irish Naval Service.-Etymology:...

in 1720 was the progenitor of the present Royal Cork Yacht Club

Royal Cork Yacht Club

The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the world's oldest founded in 1720, although this record is challenged by the Neva Yacht Club.- Formation and claim to be the world's first yacht club :...

(now based in Crosshaven) and is the oldest yacht club

Yacht club

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

in the world. The Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) was based for many years in Cobh and the present Sirius Arts Centre was formerly a clubhouse of the RCYC organisation. In 1966 the Royal Cork Yacht Club 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

Crosshaven is a village in County Cork, Ireland. Origins of the Irish name of Crosshaven include; - mouth of the river Sabhrann , and . The village is located in a scenic area with views of Wood, and Cork Harbour.-Transport:...

at the other side of the harbour.

Cobh is well served by pubs and hotels and leisure facilities which include the newly built Coral Leisure Center. The oldest recorded pub on the island is reputed to have been the "Anti Gallicon" situated in the Holy Ground

The Holy Ground

The Holy Ground is a local place name in the town of Cobh, County Cork, on the southern coast of Ireland. The song "The Holy Ground" is named after this area...

, and apparently liable to flooding when the tide came in. This pub dated back to the 1780s and was named after opponents to the French "Gallicon" faction who opposed the powers of the Pope.

Cove underwent rapid development in the early 19th century assisted by world events. Due to its naturally protected harbour Cobh has historically been important as a tactical base for naval military bases. For instance, Cobh was of major tactical military importance as a naval base during the Napoleonic wars between France and England. Today, the Irish Naval Service

Irish Naval Service

The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....

is based on Haulbowline

Haulbowline

Haulbowline is the name of an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. It is the main naval base and headquarters for the Irish Naval Service.-Etymology:...

island facing Cobh. It has eight ships based there, all armed with cannons and GPMG's. LÉ Eithne is the biggest at almost 85 metres (278 feet) long. She also has a helipad.

The Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

meant the town became a British Naval port with its own admiral and much of the present day buildings were built. The cessation of hostilities dented its prosperity for a time but it became widely known as a health resort and many convalescents came to Cove to avail of its temperate climate. Amongst these was Rev. Charles Wolfe who wrote "The Burial of Sir John Moore After Corunna" and whose remains are buried in the Old Church Cemetery

Old Church Cemetery (Cobh)

The Old Church Cemetery is an ancient cemetery on the outskirts of the town of Cobh, County Cork, Ireland which contains a significant number of important burials, including a number 3 mass graves and several individual graves containing the remains of 193 victims of the passenger ship which was...

outside the town.

One of the major transatlantic Irish ports, Cobh was the departure point for 2.5 million of the six million Irish people who emigrated to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

between 1848 and 1950. On 11 April 1912 Queenstown was the final port of call for the RMS Titanic as she set out across the Atlantic

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

on her ill-fated maiden voyage. She was assisted by the PS America and PS Ireland, two ageing White Star Line tenders, along with several other smaller boats delivering first-class luggage. Local lore has it that a Titanic crew member John Coffey, a native of Queenstown, jumped ship although there is no record of him on the crew list. 123 passengers boarded in all; only 44 survived the sinking.

Cobh was also a major embarkation port for men, women and children who were deported to penal colonies such as Australia. The records of such deportations can be found in the ship log books in the Cobh Museum, which since 1973 is housed in Scots church (Presbyterian church until 1969 closure) overlooking the harbour.

Due to its maritime advantages, a significant shipbuilding industry developed in Cobh and the remnants of the Verolme Shipyard today maintain many of the original cranes and hoists which now form part of the significant industrial and maritime heritage of Cobh which is considered to have major tourism potential. Underutilised dockyards in Holland (e.g. NDSM/Stichting Kinetisch Noord in Amsterdam which has been redeveloped as an artistic and cultural centre and where MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

has since located) and other European countries are now emerging as major hubs of cultural and economic development, focussing on fostering creative class

Creative class

The Creative Class is a socioeconomic class that economist and social scientist Richard Florida, a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, identifies as a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial...

and knowledge-intensive industries such as media and computing. http://www.ndsm.nl/. The Verolme Shipyard currently contains the Philip Gray Gallery of Fine Art http://www.philipgray.com/.
The age of steam brought famous achievements to Cobh, most notably the first steam ship to sail from Ireland to England (1821) and the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic (Sirius 1838) which left from Passage West

Passage West

Passage West is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour. It is some 10 km from Cork city, separated by the green belt from the urban sprawl of Douglas and Rochestown. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets...

. In 1849 the name of the town was changed to Queenstown to honour Queen Victoria who visited Ireland in that year.

Several other notable ships are associated with the town, including:

The Cunard passenger liner RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...

was sunk by a German U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...

off the Old Head of Kinsale
Old Head of Kinsale
The Old Head of Kinsale, is a headland near Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. An early lighthouse was established here in the 17th century by Robert Reading...

while en route to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

in on May 7, 1915. 1198 passengers died, while 700 were rescued. The survivors and victims were brought to the town of Cobh, and over one hundred 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.

During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Queenstown was a naval base for British and American destroyers operating against U-boats that preyed upon allied merchant vessels. Q-ship

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 fire and sink them...

s (heavily armed merchant ships

Armed merchantmen

Armed merchantman is a term that has come to mean a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in long distance and high value...

with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

s into making surface attacks) were called "Q-ships" as many were fitted out in Queenstown. The first division of American destroyers arrived in May 1917, and the sailors who served on those vessels were the first American servicemen in combat duty in the war. When the convoy arrived in port, after a rough passage in what were little more than open boats, they were met with a great crowd of sailors and townspeople, thankful for their help in stopping the U-boats that were blockading western Europe. The British Commodore met the captain of the American flagship by jumping onto the dock, and asked him how soon the weather-beaten American ships could be put to use. "We're ready now, sir!" was the widely quoted answer from the Captain.

Due to its tactical military importance, under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 the port remained a UK sovereign base, see Treaty Port

Treaty Ports (Ireland)

Following the establishment of the Irish Free State, three deep water Treaty Ports at Berehaven, Queenstown and Lough Swilly were retained by the United Kingdom as sovereign bases in accordance with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 6 December 1921...

. Along with the other Treaty ports it was handed over to the government of the Irish Free State

Irish Free State

in 1938.

Demography and people

The population of the Cobh area has increased greatly in recent times with large new housing estates established on the outskirts of the town, placing severe pressures on the transport infrastructure. The town boundary has not yet reflected these changes in order to accommodate the new housing developments in areas such as Rushbrooke

Rushbrooke

Rushbrooke is an urban area on the western side of Cobh on Great Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland. It is in the townland of Ringacoltig .The townland is Ringacoltig, an anglicised version of the original Irish name....

and Carrignafoy

Carrignafoy

Carrignafoy is an area on the Great Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland. It extends from the peripheries of Cobh town centre to the countryside areas which lead into Cuskinny and Ballymore. It contains an array of new housing estates and five schools are located in this area...

. Cobh is gradually becoming a satellite town to the nearby Cork City, reflected in the commuter train service and the Carrigaloe–Passage car ferry.

Economy

Haulbowline Island which faces Cobh town is the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....

, formerly a British naval base.
Cobh was home to Ireland's only steelworks, the former state-owned Irish Steel works which was closed by its buyer, Ispat International
Ispat International
Ispat International N.V. was a steel producing company with operations in Mexico, Trinidad, Canada, Germany and the United States. The company is specialized in the integrated mini-mill process and has a wide range of flat & long steel products, including slabs & wire rods.Lakshmi Mittal was the...

, 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.
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.
Another important employer in Cobh had been the Dutch-owned Verolme Cork Dockyard, in Rushbrooke
Rushbrooke
Rushbrooke is an urban area on the western side of Cobh on Great Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland. It is in the townland of Ringacoltig .The townland is Ringacoltig, an anglicised version of the original Irish name....

. It opened in 1960 and ceased operations in the mid-1980s. In 1981 the mvLeinster 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)
LÉ Eithne (P31)
LÉ Eithne is an Eithne class ship in the Irish Naval Service. The ship is named after Eithne, a tragic heroine and the daughter of the one-eyed Fomorian King, Balor in an early Irish romantic tale....

. Some ship repair work is still carried at Rushbrooke
Rushbrooke
Rushbrooke is an urban area on the western side of Cobh on Great Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland. It is in the townland of Ringacoltig .The townland is Ringacoltig, an anglicised version of the original Irish name....

using the impressive drydock and other facilities. The drydock pumps are reputed to date from 1912. Due to large-scale development in Cobh many new facilities have been built and many people from Midleton, Glanmire, and surrounding areas commute to Cobh each day for work and shopping purposes.

Transport and communications

Outside of the Dublin metropolitan area, Cobh is one of the few towns in Ireland served by a commuter train service. The town is the effective southern terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...

of the railway line
Rail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...

from Dublin to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

. Regular commuter services run between Cork city and Cobh, calling at, amongst others, Fota railway station
Fota railway station
Fota halt serves Fota Island in County Cork. The halt is unstaffed. There are two platforms, with level access to the Cobh-bound platform. Access to the Cork-bound platform is via a footbridge, although there is a defunct level crossing which can theoretically be used to cross the tracks.It is...

, Carrigaloe railway station
Carrigaloe railway station
Carrigaloe railway station serves Carrigaloe in Cork. The station is unstaffed and only the Cork-bound platform is accessible by wheelchairs; a footbridge accesses the Cobh-bound platform....

, and Rushbrooke railway station
Rushbrooke railway station
Rushbrooke is a halt in the Rushbrooke area, on Great Island in Cork harbour on the Cork Suburban Railway Line. It is unstaffed. Access is via a ramp to the Cork-bound platform but via stairs only to the Cobh-bound platform....

, along the way, the line ends at Cobh railway station
Cobh railway station
Cobh railway station serves the town of Cobh on the Cork Suburban Rail line, where it is the end of the line. It is located in a red brick building adjacent to the town's Cobh Heritage Centre. It is famous for being the station where hundreds of survivors of the RMS Lusitania disaster left the town...

, which opened on 10 March 1862 and was closed for goods traffic on 3 November 1975.
Nearest airport Cork Airport which can be reached in 20–30 minutes from Cobh accessible by the R624 road
R624 road
The R624 road is a regional road in Ireland which runs from the east-south of the N25 in Tullagreen County Cork to Cobh Town Center. It runs to East Cork's biggest attraction the Fota Island resort and Zoo....

and the N25 road
N25 road
The N25 road is a national primary road in Ireland, forming the route from Cork to Rosslare Europort via Waterford City. The road is part of the E30 European route and a short section is also part of the E01 European route...

.
The Port Operations Centre for Cork Harbour
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" . Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour...

is located in the town including the Harbour pilot base at the Camber.
A Major upgrade of the R624 road
R624 road
The R624 road is a regional road in Ireland which runs from the east-south of the N25 in Tullagreen County Cork to Cobh Town Center. It runs to East Cork's biggest attraction the Fota Island resort and Zoo....

is planned with the construction of a new bridge (replaces old Belvelly bridge) and a new road from Belvelly in the North of Cobh, to Tullagreen where the R624 road
R624 road
The R624 road is a regional road in Ireland which runs from the east-south of the N25 in Tullagreen County Cork to Cobh Town Center. It runs to East Cork's biggest attraction the Fota Island resort and Zoo....

joins the N25 road
N25 road
The N25 road is a national primary road in Ireland, forming the route from Cork to Rosslare Europort via Waterford City. The road is part of the E30 European route and a short section is also part of the E01 European route...

from Cork City to Rosslare
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferries to and from Wales and France....

at the N25 Carrigtwohill-Cobh Interchange
N25 Carrigtwohill-Cobh Interchange
The N25 Carrigtwohill-Cobh Interchange is an interchange between the N25 road , the R624 road and the R623 road, located in Tullagreen. The interchange is used when coming from Cork City, Midleton, Waterford City and Rosslare....

.

Local government and Politics

**2009 Local Elections**
Party	Seats	Change
Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...	3	=
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...	2	=
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...	1	=
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...	1	=
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...	2	=

Cobh Town Council is the local authority governing the town of Cobh. It consists of nine elected Councillors who work with the administrative, executive and technical staff, led by the Town Manager. The Town Council has a wide range of functions in order to serve the people of Cobh. As of June 2009 the political make-up of the council is 3 Labour Party

Labour Party (Ireland)

The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...

, 2 Fine Gael

Fine Gael

Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

, 1 Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...

, 1 Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

and 2 independent councillors. The contact details of current Cobh public representatives are found on the website of the Cobh Town Council. The town is also part of the Midleton Electoral area for elections to Cork County Council

Cork County Council

Cork County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Cork in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach...

and is in the Dáil constituency of Cork East

Cork East (Dáil Éireann constituency)

Cork East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...

Cobh today

Leisure and commercial activities have improved in recent years:

In February 2008 building of the new retail park in Cobh (Ticknock) took place all units have been sold and are expected to open in January/February 2010.
The new Aura swimming pool opened in August 2007, in January 2009 Aura Leisure group went into administration the swimming pool was closed but a break through came in June 2009 when Coral Leisure group began to operate the pool and Leisure Centre.
There were plans to build a new marina in front of the town, but it is unclear if this will go ahead.
Since Late 2008 when the recession began Cobh has seen a boom in new retail, restaurants and fast food openings. Many of these were in construction or planned before the economic downturn commenced.
Cobh has many schools including Colaiste Muire secoundary school and Cobh Community College. In 2010 a planned new school development has been drawn up by the Department of Education and Skills to cater for the high population and need for good education in the town.
In the summer of 2010, tours of the famous Spike Island in the Harbour were started; with luck the tours will become commonplace, leaving from Kennedy Pier (located near the centre of the town). Spike Island has hundreds of years of historical significance, from its early beginnings as the site of a monastery to its being the last view of "home" seen by many Irish prisoners before they were transported to Van Diemen's Land.

Arts and festivals

The main hub for the arts in Cobh is the Sirius Arts Centre located on the waterfront. It hosts many cultural events both in house and around Cobh.
The Maritime Song Festival takes place each year in May with live performances and impromptu sing-songs of sea shanties and traditional music of the sea at the Sirius Arts Centre and a number of hostelries around Cobh and the Great Island.
The Cobh Peoples Regatta is held every year around August. It is the cultural highlight of the Summer. The event traditionally includes on-stage performances from local musicians and performers as well as a Cobh pageant to decide the Queen of Cobh for the coming year. The festival ends every year with a fireworks display over the Harbour at 10pm. It attracts up to 20,000 people and is known widely around Ireland and the UK
Cobh is the setting of the 2009 Connor McPherson film The Eclipse

People

Anne E. Ball (1808–1872) and Mary Ball
Mary Ball
Mary Ball was an Irish naturalist and entomologist most noted for her studies of Odonata and for her discovery of the curious phenomenon of stridulation in aquatic bugs....

, (born Cobh, 15 Feb 1812), sisters who were pioneering scientists motivated by curiosity who contributed to the knowledge of Irish flora and fauna. They are noted as eminent scientists in the history of phycology
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...
Robert Ball, (born 1 April 1802, died 1857). Brother of Anne and Mary Ball. Zoologist.
Captain Thomas Brierley, awarded a medal for outstanding gallantry for his heroic part in the rescue of Lusitania victims.
Patsy Donovan
Patsy Donovan
Patrick Joseph "Patsy" Donovan was an Irish-American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from to , most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates and St...

, US major league baseball player
Charles Guilfoyle Doran
Charles Guilfoyle Doran
Charles Guilfoyle Doran was a leading figure in the Irish Republican Brotherhood 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 Cathedral in Cobh, County Cork.Doran was born in Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow) on 2...

- Fenian and Clerk of Works throughout the building of Cobh Cathedral. Lived in the town most of his life.
Jack Doyle
Jack Doyle
Jack Doyle , known as "The Gorgeous Gael" was at one time or another a contender for the British Boxing Championship, a Hollywood actor and an accomplished tenor.-Early years:...

, boxer, actor and crooner
Robert Forde
Robert Forde
Robert Forde was an Antarctic explorer and member of the Terra Nova Expedition under Captain Robert Falcon Scott from 1910–1912....

, (1875–1959) Antarctic explorer
Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins
Maeve Higgins is an Irish comedian. She was a principal actor/writer of the RTÉ production Naked Camera, as well for her own show Maeve Higgins' Fancy Vittles....

, comedian
Stephen Ireland
Stephen Ireland
Stephen James Ireland is an Irish footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Aston Villa.-Cobh Ramblers:...

, Aston Villa footballer
Sonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century...

, silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....

ist in the 5000 m
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

race at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Fergus O'Rourke
Fergus O'Rourke
Fergus J. O'Rourke 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 College Dublin both as a medical doctor and with a Masters in Science...

, Zoologist was resident in Cobh while Professor at University College Cork
Dr. James Roche Verling, personal physician to Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile in St. Helena
Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler (shipbuilder)
Joseph Wheeler began building and repairing ships in the early 19th century using derricks and slips on the Brickfield slobs off the Strand Road, Cork. By 1829 he had moved to a yard on the Lower Glanmire Road where he built a patent slip...

, 19th century founder of the Rushbrooke
Rushbrooke
Rushbrooke is an urban area on the western side of Cobh on Great Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland. It is in the townland of Ringacoltig .The townland is Ringacoltig, an anglicised version of the original Irish name....

ship yard
Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....

, former Manchester United footballer, started his professional career with Cobh Ramblers
Patrick Walsh (bishop)
Patrick Walsh (Bishop)
Patrick Joseph Walsh , is an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and from 1991 until 2008 he was the 31st Bishop of Down & Connor. Dr Walsh was born in 1931 at Cobh, Irish Free State...

Emeritus bishop of Down and Connor was originally from here.

Sport

Cobh Pirates RFC are the towns rugby club. They compete at Junior 1 and Junior 2 level as well as having many under age teams. The 2009/2010 season was a particularly successful one for the club as the Junior 2 side won every competition they entered. The Cobh Pirates Ladies team is a new development since 2010 and numbers have proven to be strong.
Cobh's most successful football team is Cobh Ramblers, the club where Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....

made his name and earned a transfer to English side Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

, as well as where Irish international footballer and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

midfielder Stephen Ireland
Stephen Ireland
Stephen James Ireland is an Irish footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Aston Villa.-Cobh Ramblers:...

started his career with Springfield Ramblers the underage section of the club. Cobh Ramblers most successful season came in 2007, when they were promoted to the Eircom/Airtricity League Premier Division for the 2008 season, which is the highest division in Ireland. They beat Athlone Town 1-0 on the last day of the season to secure promotion. Approx 3,500 Ramblers fans made the trip to Athlone Stadium for the game. After a close first season they were relegated to the A championship. As of 2011 Cobh Ramblers remain in the A Championship and are in the hands of the FAI which wil provide finance to see the club back to the top of Irish Football.
Cobh Golf Club has a new 18-hole championship course at Marino on the main road R624 into Cobh.
Rushbrooke rowing club is also a very successful club in Cobh.
Cobh GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

is the center for gaelic games on the island, such as hurling and gaelic football, and is located at Carrignafoy
The inaugural Cobh 10 mile road race took place on 18 April 2010 on the streets of Cobh and the roads of the Great Island. Called the Great Island 10, all proceeds will go to the Irish Cancer Society.

Twin towns

- Kolbuszowa

Kolbuszowa

Kolbuszowa is a small town in south-eastern Poland, with 9,190 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship , it is the capital of Kolbuszowa County.-History:The name of the town comes from the land owner Kolbusz...

, Subcarpathian Voivodeship

Subcarpathian Voivodeship

Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

- Ploërmel

Ploërmel

Ploërmel is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-Character of the town:It is a growing and developing community with a thriving economy and a lively atmosphere. The town is modern rather than romantically mediaeval, but it is clean and attractive and offers a...

, Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

- Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro, São Paulo

Cruzeiro is a city in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is located about from the state capital...

, São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

- Lake Charles

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...

, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, USA - Pontarddulais

Pontarddulais

Pontarddulais is a community and town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. It is situated north west of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Pontarddulais ward.-Overview:...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.