Cobh is a port in Cork Harbour, County Cork, in southwest Ireland. It's pronounced "cove" and that's what it means, a sheltered harbour. It's part of the commuter belt for Cork city and in 2022 had a population of 14,000. Cobh retains a small town atmosphere, with colourful terraces rising up the hill to the cathedral, and visiting cruise ships towering over the waterfront.
Understand
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Until the 18th century, shipping to this region used small ports such as Youghal, Kinsale and Cork city. Ships grew bigger as Britain created a maritime empire, and bigger still as metal and steam replaced sailing vessels. Cork Harbour is a "ria", a drowned river valley and sheltered cove of 7–26 m depth, so large warships, freighters and liners can use it. In the 19th century "The Cove" became fortified as a navy base and was renamed Queenstown after Queen Victoria visited in 1849. It was one of Ireland's main ports of emigration, with some 1.5 million embarking here on their way to North America. That was one source of revenue that led the White Star Line to schedule Titanic to call here westbound in 1912. They didn't see any point in it calling on the eastbound return; and sure enough, it didn't.
As Ireland struggled towards independence the royal name rankled, and the town became An Cóbh, which is the gaelicised version of "cove". But the British didn't leave – they retained three "Treaty Ports" as Royal Navy bases, here at Cobh / Queenstown, at Castletownbere on the southwest tip of Ireland, and at Lough Swilly in County Donegal. The Cobh port was not a land territory like Gibraltar or Hong Kong, but a collection of military installations dotted around the harbour, including at Crosshaven. In 1938 all three were handed over to Ireland and fell derelict. Ireland's own navy base was, and still is, on Haulbowline Island, which was not part of the Treaty Port. Cork Harbour remains busy with all kinds of shipping.
The Tourist Office is in Market House on Casement Square, just above the Lusitania memorial. It's open M-F 09:00-17:00. Visit Cobh is the tourist information website.
Get in
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By rail
[edit]Irish Rail commuter trains run every 30–60 min from Cork Kent station to Little Island, Glounthaune, Fota (for Wildlife Park), Carrigaloe, Rushbrooke and Cobh, taking 25 min.
Change in Cork for trains from Dublin Heuston, Limerick, Waterford and Mallow (for Cork Racecourse).
Change at Glounthaune for Carrigtwohill (for Barryscourt Castle) and Midleton (for Jameson Whiskey Distillery).
1 Cobh railway station is on the sea front by the cruise ship terminal. It's a simple platform terminus, rather hidden away on Westbourne Place, with ramp access to the sole platform. The former station building is now the Heritage Centre, see below.
By road
[edit]Cobh is on an island, so by road there are only two routes:
- From N25 East Cork Parkway take junction 3 onto R624 south. This crosses Fota Island then reaches Belvelly to follow the coast into Cobh.
- 2 Passage West Ferry is reached by R610 east of Cork, and crosses to Carrigaloe 1 km north of Cobh. The ferry runs daily 6:30AM–9:30PM and takes 5 min.
There's no bridge across the island's eastern channel. The "East Ferry" sailed from medieval times, latterly cable-hauled, but ceased in 1913.
Cork Connect Bus 200 runs every 30 min daily from Cork St Patrick's Quay, taking 40 min to Cobh. It stops at the railway station then through town to O'Neill's Place.
By boat
[edit]See Cork#Get in for the ferries from Roscoff and Santander. They dock at Ringaskiddy, west across the channel.
Cruise liners often visit: they may dock here or at Ringaskiddy, or land passengers by tender for excursions. They're on round-trip itineraries, but check the upcoming cruise schedule in case a point-to-point journey is possible.
Get around
[edit]- The main sights are within town or walking distance, though you need wheels to circumnavigate the island.
- Cathedral Car Park is east side of St Colman's, €2 / hour.
- Five Foot Way Car Park is 500 m west of the station and Heritage Centre, €10 for 24 hours, max stay 48 hours.
- Taxis wait in Pearse Square. Operators are A Cabs +353 21 481 4000 and Cove Cabs +353 21 481 2299.
See
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- And see Titanic for more on this liner
- Titanic Memorial is on Pearse Square. This grand "unsinkable" liner was launched in Belfast in 1911 and began her maiden voyage for the White Star Line on 10 April 1912. The timetable for RMS Titanic and her sister ships was to sail from Southampton to Cherbourg then overnight to Cobh, then onward to New York. She was too big to dock in Cherbourg or Cobh so passengers transferred by tender. 123 joined at Cobh, seven passengers left, and a stoker deserted. Two hours later Titanic was back under way into the Atlantic. Near Newfoundland she was gashed by an iceberg and sank in the early hours of 15 April, with the loss of over 1500 lives.
- 1 Cobh Heritage Centre (The Queenstown Story), Deepwater Quay P24 CY67 (by railway station), ☏ +353 21 481 3591. Daily 9:30AM-5PM. Museum inside the former dockside building depicts the town's emigration and other history, including the Great Famine and Titanic. Adult €15, conc €12, child €9.50.
- Annie Moore (1874-1924) is commemorated by a waterfront statue by the Heritage Centre. She was 17, and looking after her brothers aged 15 and 12. They sailed on Nevada to arrive in New York on 1 Jan 1892, where Annie was the first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island. Their parents were already settled in Manhattan. Annie married a fish salesman from a German Catholic family and had 11 children, of which five survived to adulthood. Her grave at Calvary in Queens was re-discovered in 2006 and now bears a Celtic Cross.
- 2 Cobh Museum, Scots Church, High Rd. Apr-Oct M-Sa 11AM-1PM, 2-5PM. In an old Presbyterian church opposite the Heritage Centre but separately run, this small museum has various exhibits of town life and its maritime history. Adult €4, child €2.50.
- 3 Titanic Experience, 20 Casement Square P24 DW63, ☏ +353 21 481 4412. Daily 9AM-7PM. Guided tour through the White Star departure hall, following the emigrants' footsteps. Adult €13, conc €11.50, child €9.
- Lusitania memorial is on Casement Square. RMS Lusitania was a large Cunard liner plying between New York and Liverpool. On 7 May 1915 she was 12 miles off Kinsale Head, near the end of her eastbound crossing, when she was torpedoed by German submarine U-20. The single torpedo blast triggered a big secondary explosion and the ship sank within 18 minutes. The speed and list of the sinking prevented launching of most lifeboats, and 1195 people perished of the 1959 aboard. Survivors were landed at Cobh, as were many bodies. There was international anger at the attack: 128 US citizens were aboard, with the millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt among those lost, but the USA stayed out of the war for another two years. Germany maintained that Lusitania was an enemy British ship within a designated war zone, and was carrying munitions. The shipwreck lies 93 m deep.
- 4 St Colman's Cathedral, 5 Cathedral Place. Daily 8AM-7PM. Towering neo-Gothic RC cathedral; the steeple is 91.4 m tall. Construction began in 1868, whereupon the bishop decided that it should be altogether grander than what had been planned by Pugin. The disruption and cost overrun meant the place wasn't completed until 1919. There's a remarkable 47-bell carillon, with the largest bell a humonguous 3.44 metric tonnes. Donation.
- "Deck of Cards" Houses are a photo-stop, a colourful rake of houses on West View west side of the cathedral.
- 5 Old Church Cemetery remained in use when its church was abandoned and fell into ruin from 1815. It was often used for those dying at sea or passing through the port-of-call, so it has a cosmopolitan selection. Best known are the mass graves of Lusitania victims. Others include 17 members of the crew of Lapwing who died in 1804/05 of dysentery. The famous boxer, singer and crooner Jack Doyle (1913-1978) also lies here.
- 6 Belvelly Castle is the 14th to 15th century turret that greets arrivals via the road bridge to Cobh. It fell derelict in the 19th century but in 2018 was restored as a private residence. During World War I, sailors on shore leave at Queenstown would be brought here by enterprising coachmen to see "Blarney Castle"; there was even a counterfeit stone to be kissed. But given the nature of Blarney, those coachmen had demonstrated a genuine example.
- 7 Cuskinny Marsh is a wetland nature reserve, accessible 24 hours.
- 8 Fota Wildlife Park and Arboretum is a few km north, see Cork.
- 9 Spike Island (Ferry from Kennedy Pier), ☏ +353 21 237 3455. Daily Apr-Oct, weekends in Feb, Mar and Nov. There may have been a monastery here, but the main feature is the great bastion used for defence and as a prison for convicts awaiting transportation and for republicans. It remained a British base as part of the Treaty Port of Queenstown until in 1938 it was handed back to Ireland. It's named Fort Mitchel, after John Mitchel of Newry. The ticket includes the 10-minute boat trip to the island, a 40-minute guided tour, and a total of 3 hours on the island. Adult €28, conc €24, child (under 12) €15.
- 10 Haulbowline is the island half a km northwest of Spike Island. Just admire it from afar: although it's joined to the west harbour shore by a causeway, it's an Irish navy base, ugly and off-limits.
Do
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- Titanic Trail Tours, Meet at Commodore Hotel, ☏ +353 87 276 7218. Daily at 11AM and 2PM. One-hour walking tour explaining the Titanic story in Cobh. Adult €22.50, child €12.50.
- Cobh Rebel Walking Tours start from the Heritage Centre. Their focus is The Troubles and civil war.
- Sirius Arts Centre has a gallery but is mostly a performance space, open W-Sa 11AM-5PM. It's on the waterfront west side of JFK Park.
- Football: Cobh Ramblers play soccer in the League of Ireland First Division, the Republic's second tier. Their stadium is St Colman's Park (capacity 5000) 200 m uphill from the railway station. The playing season is March-Nov with games usually on Friday evening.
- 1 SailCork, East Ferry Marina P24 D681, ☏ +353 21 481 1237. M-F 9:30AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-1PM. Learn dinghy or cruiser sailing, powerboating and other seafaring skills.
- 2 Cobh Golf Club is north off R624. Blue tees 6530 yards, par 72, visitor round €25–35.
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- Fail to notice what day it is for a couple of weeks, while otherwise being a meticulous travel-planner, if you're the hero of Around the World in 80 Days. If ever a traveller needed the assistance of Wikivoyage, it's the fictional Phineas Fogg, who makes a £20,000 bet that he can circumnavigate and return to London in that time. Homebound from New York and behind schedule he commandeers a vessel, rapidly burning all its coal to maintain top speed then burning its wooden fittings. The fuel runs out off Ireland so he lands at Queenstown, takes the night train up to Dublin then a steamer to Liverpool. He can just about make it, then he's arrested for a few hours. It's soon cleared up but Fogg arrives in London a day late. The author Jules Verne (himself a keen amateur sailor who knew the harbours of Europe) had thought up the final twist several years before he used it in this story. Fogg has gained a day by circling eastbound, it's still only Saturday 21 Dec 1872, and he wins his bet and more importantly true lerv. So we're asked to believe that he never noticed being a day adrift all the way across San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Ireland and Liverpool. The theme tune to the 1956 film version with David Niven, sung by Sinatra, doesn't namecheck Queenstown / Cobh but County Down, for the sake of a clunky rhyme with London Town. Still, if the alternatives were Malay godown or Puget Soun'....
Buy
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- Spar is at 16 Midleton St a block north of the cathedral, open M-F 7AM-10PM, Sa Su 8AM-10PM.
- The retail park 1 km north next to Old Church Cemetery has Lidl and Aldi, open daily.
- Cobh Farmers Market is on the waterfront Saturday 10AM-2PM.
Eat
[edit]- Jacobs Ladder is within Water's Edge Hotel, see below. They do good seafood, open daily noon-8PM.
- 1 The Quays, 17 Westbourne Place P24 V628, ☏ +353 21 481 3539. Th-M noon-9PM. Bar and restaurant with patio on the waterfront near railway station.
- O'Shea's Bistro is within Commodore Hotel.
- Seasalt[dead link] is a cafe and deli at 17 Casement Square, open M-Sa 9AM-4PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
- Grand Italia (aka Mimmo's) is a pizzeria at 4 Casement Square, open daily 4-10PM.
- The Arch is a cafe and wine bar at 5 Casement Square, open M-Sa 8:30AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM.
- Cafe 12 at 10 Casement Square is open M-Sa 9AM-3:30PM.
- Azure Harbour Bistro is at 11 West Beach, open Th-M noon-9:30PM.
- Wan Fu on Lynch's Quay is open daily 3-11PM, sit in or takeaway.
Drink
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Town centre pubs are clustered around Casement Square, then north up the hill along Midleton St.
- 1 The Mauretania, 14 Casement Square P24 WK84, ☏ +353 86 716 2793. M-Sa 9AM-midnight, Su noon-11PM. Historic four-storey house built 1855, now a cosy pub named after the ocean liner.
- 2 Ryan's Bar, 12 Casement Square P24 H016, ☏ +353 21 481 1539. Daily 1:45PM-midnight. Great friendly pub with live music.
- 3 Tarrant's Bar, 11 Casement Square P24 T226. M-Sa 10:30AM-10PM, Su noon-10PM. Good trad-style pub, live music.
- Kelly’s Bar, 19 Casement Square P24 Y560, ☏ +353 86 601 5954. Daily 10AM-1:30AM. Small busy central bar. Mezzanine, large-screen TVs, popular with sports fans.
- The Rob Roy is at 2 Pearse Square, open M-Sa 10AM-midnight, Su noon-midnight.
- Connie Doolan's Bar, 26 West Beach P24 XH99, ☏ +353 21 481 4001. daily 11AM-midnight. Olde-world maritime theme, overlooking the sea.
- Quarry Cock, 2 John O'Connell St P24 P762 (200 m north of cathedral), ☏ +353 21 481 1754. Daily noon-midnight. Nice local bar with lovely pine timberwork.
- The Roaring Donkey, 6 Orilia Terrace P24 EY43, ☏ +353 21 481 1739. M-Sa 5-11:30PM, Su 3-11PM. A lovely old pub, established 1880 at the top of the hill. Front bar is quite small but widens at the back. Often has live trad music.
Further out:
- 4 Anchor Bar, 14 East Hill P24 HX27, ☏ +353 21 481 4674. Daily noon-midnight. Last pub in town, on the top of a steep hill with a fine view of Cork harbour.
- 5 High Chapperal, Ballymore P24 R270 (3.5 km east of town), ☏ +353 21 481 1629. Daily 5:30PM-1AM. Family-oriented country pub, music at weekends.
Sleep
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- 1 Waters Edge Hotel, Yacht Club Quay P24 HC60 (facing railway station), ☏ +353 21 481 5566. Small, friendly hotel with 18 bright rooms and a waterfront restaurant. B&B double €180.
- 2 Commodore Hotel, 4 Westbourne Place P24 WR60, ☏ +353 21 481 1277. A grand, 150-year-old, Victorian landmark which housed Lusitania refugees temporarily. Mid-priced and some decor showing its age, but good value and slick service. B&B double €140.
- 3 Bella Vista Hotel, Spy Hill, Bishop's Road P24 XV24, ☏ +353 21 481 2450. Clean hotel with18 bedrooms, also has self-catering suites. Harbour views and a short walk to the town attractions. Dog-friendly. B&B double €120.
- See Cork#Sleep for Fota Island Resort.
Cope
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Doctor: for out-of-hours service call South Doc (+353 1850 335 999). They may direct you to one of the regular town GPs if one happens to be open.
Dentist: Cobh Dental Clinic is in Casement Square, open M-F (+353 21 4 813 813). Out of hours try +353 87 27 64 755.
Pharmacies and chemist shops in town operate a 24-hour service by rotation.
Police: the Garda Station is 300 m west of the railway station on Lower Road and is open 24 hours a day. For emergencies dial 999 or 112.
Connect
[edit]As of August 2025, Cobh and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from Eir and Three.
Go next
[edit]- Kinsale 50 km west is a charming historic small port.
- Blarney with its famous castle is only 6 km northwest of Cork city.