Cobh, on Ireland’s south-west coast, was the last port of call for the Titanic, which before heading into the Atlantic on her fateful maiden voyage in April 1912, stopped at the small harbour town to pick up 123 people heading for New York and a new life.
Located in the original Cobh offices of the White Star Line, the owners of the Titanic, the Titanic Experience invites visitors to retrace the footsteps of the ship’s passengers through cinematic shows, scene sets, holographic imagery and touch screen technology.
The exhibition highlights the excitement of boarding the most luxurious liner of her time and explains the almost impossible sequence of events that caused Titanic to sink.
The fate of the 123 passengers who embarked at Cobh (then named Queenstown) is also revealed – only four survived.
Gillen Joyce, managing director of the Titanic Experience, says: “We wanted it to give information that captured the poignancy of the fact that the last 123 persons left from this building for the Titanic, and to be enjoyable also.”
The Titanic Experience is part of a yearlong series of events and activities, called Titanic 100, taking place in Cobh to commemorate the legacy of the luxury liner.
Events include concerts, Titanic trails and boat tours, a maritime festival, vintage and gourmet festivals and tours of Cobh pubs where people enjoyed a farewell drink before they boarded the doomed liner.
Along with the Titanic 100 programme in Cobh, the opening of Titanic Belfast on 31 March and the series of events taking place as part of the Titanic Belfast Festival throughout April makes 2012 truly a Titanic year on the island of Ireland.
Cobh is a picturesque seaside town steeped in maritime history and located on Great Island within Cork Harbour on Ireland’s southern coast.
Home to a deep water berth, it attracts more than 50 cruise line ships annually.
In 2011 the Port Of Cork was voted ‘Best Port of Welcome’ and ‘Best Destination Experience’ in the world by Dream World Cruise Destinations Magazine.
www.discoverireland.com
www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie
www.titanic100.ie
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