THE tiny styrofoam container in the picture used to be a regular sized coffee cup. Two years ago it was put in an onion bag, attached to the outside of a submersible and taken to the wreck of Titanic. The diver was Irishman Rory Golden and that same Titan submersible , on another ocean floor voyage in 2023, tragically imploded taking five lives.
Rory had gifted the cup to Dr Michael Martin, a Titanic authority and a man who knows more about the Co Cork harbour town of Cobh than any history book, even the ones he wrote himself. On a visit, Dr Martin showed us this little cup as he told of Cobh’s Titanic history. For two hours in April 1912, the ill-fated liner stopped at Cobh — then known as Queenstown — and, after seven got off and 123 boarded, sailed away on that terrible journey to the bottom of the ocean.
So why wasn’t the cup crushed? ‘Ah,’ said Dr Martin, ‘because it’s an open vessel and the pressure under was equal on every part, so it shrank.’ Cobh, 20km from Cork city, is bustling. Brightly painted independent shops and homes decorate the coastline, all overlooked by the magnificent St Colman’s Cathedral.
We were delighted to be able to stay at the town’s Commodore Hotel, facing the harbour, which opened way back in 1854. It’s at the heart of the town, sewn through its history, and has views onto Spike Island and Haulbowline, home of the Irish Navy. My wife and kids, 13 and 11, fortified by cosy beds, sea air and a feast from the Georgian hotel’s O’Shea’s Bistro, slept heavily before waking to an unexpected sight.
An enormous cruise liner, not much more than a stone’s throw away, was passing our window and docking close by — able to do so because this is the second deepest harbour on earth. We headed to sea ourselves that day, taking the short ferry jaunt from close to the hotel to Spike Island. Down the centuries, it has been everything from a monastic community, a British naval fort, a convict transportation point and the grimmest of prisons .
A wander through the imposing punishment cells in ‘Ireland’s Alcatraz’ reveals where even petty thieves, destitute from famine, were locked up before transportation. It will leave you cold. The compelling tour of Spike Island has a 5-star TripAdvisor rating, and no wonder.
This place is an unpolished gem of Irish history and no Rebel County exploration should be without it. In the town itself, the history is well told by the passionate Dr Martin on his daily Titanic Trail walking tour, yet there’s even more at the Cobh Heritage Museum. Emigration stories are personalised here, details of folk who left for so many reasons mapped out among premium exhibits.
Twenty minutes north east takes you to Midleton, where history can be heard, seen, touched and tasted, too. A tour of the old distillery, the Jameson Experience, fills the senses, and more than 100,000 visitors a year can’t be wrong. The part this place played, and continues to play, in keeping quality Irish whiskey — Jameson, Powers and more — flowing worldwide makes for an extraordinary tale.
We loved wandering among the huge oak whiskey barrels, and had to chuckle at the subtle way the tour guide threw shade on how the Scots make their versions. And don’t miss the vault for a peek at the limited editions. These bottles sell for €45,000 and more, yet get snapped up by collectors.
STAY THERE: We stayed in the Cork International Hotel, 10 minutes from the city with a free shuttle to the airport Commodore Hotel, Cobh, has views of Cobh Harbour, Spike Island, Haulbowline DO THERE: Cobh Heritage Centre has exhibitions telling the story of the town, including the famine era and Titanic. The Titanic Trail: Guided Titanic Tour of Cobh, last port of call for the ship. The Jameson Experience, Midleton: Tour revealing the significance, heritage and craftsmanship of the iconic Jameson brands.
It’s 23km from Cork city. Emerald Park: Ireland’s only theme park and zoo, Ashbourne, Co Meath. We checked in that night at the spotless and ultra-efficient 4-star Cork International Hotel near the city’s airport, booking the boutique cinema to enjoy a family film.
Our suite was an ideal choice with two bathrooms and enormous indulgent beds that — after a huge steak dinner — whisked me off to a mighty sleep. And, with state-of-the-art everything, not a peep from an aeroplane could be heard. Our trip to Cork was part of a lap of Ireland we had planned for a while.
We hugged the eastern coastline from Antrim to Cork on the way down and took in west-coast sights on the way back up. I relished our stop at Meath’s superb Emerald Park — formerly Tayto Park — along the way. On the menu were wild rides and a stroll through the on-site zoo, home to 250 curious creatures from across the globe.
If you want to impress the youngsters, join them on the fearsome Cú Chulainn Coaster or maybe Na Fianna Force in the recently opened Tír Na nÓg section, part of a well-spent €22million investment. But if you take the Viking Voyage water ride at Ireland’s only theme park, be advised that as you disembark, giddy and with wet pants, you’ll be wondering if this was your best decision of the day. The whole trip was an adventure, an education and a first-class staycation all in one.
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