Commemorate, Remember and Embark on the history of the Titanic

2012 is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s maiden (and only) voyage. Everyone has heard of the fateful Titanic, but many do not know that Ireland played a huge part in the history of the Titanic. In fact, the Titanic was built in Belfast and Cobh, then Queenstown, was the Titanic’s last port of call. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic, Cobh in County Cork, Ireland will play host to a memorable series of events designed to remember and pay tribute to the Titanic and all who have been involved with her. Whether you are a history buff, had relatives on the Titanic or are just looking for a good excuse to trek over to the Emerald Isle, Cobh is the place to be in 2012. Plan your Ireland Vacation with Celtic Tours World Vacations.

For the last century, the world has been intrigued by the story of the largest passenger liner at the time that many thought was unsinkable. Built in Belfast between 1909 and 1912, the Titanic was the 2nd of 3 huge ocean lines operated by the White Star Line and was the largest ship in the world. The interior of the Titanic held the highest standard of opulence. Extending over 6 floors, the Grand Staircase with its domed ceiling and carved balustrades is probably the most recognizable interior feature of the ship. The Titanic passenger list ranged from the richest people in the world to the poorest; it is perhaps the range of people on board with a wide range of reasons for travel that makes the ship’s story so fascinating. The Titanic’s final port of call was Queenstown, modern day Cobh, Ireland. On the night of April 14th, she struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and was so badly damaged that she survived for less than 3 hours before she sank. Over 1500 people, two-thirds of the Titanic’s passengers and crew, drowned because there were not enough lifeboats to rescue everyone on board.

The picturesque seaport town of Cobh boasts one of the largest natural harbors in the world, and has a long and interesting maritime history because of it. Being a major transatlantic port, Cobh was the departure point for many Irish emigrants to North America, and was the finalport of call for the RMS Titanic.

Visitors to Cobh will find the Cobh Heritage Center a great place to start in learning about the unique history of Ireland through the 18th and 19th century including mass emigration, the Great Famine and on how criminals were transported to Australia for petty crimes. The Cobh Heritage Center also hosts an interesting and informative exhibit on the Titanic.

The Titanic Experience, due to open on February 1, 2012 in Cobh, is a new permanent visitor attraction situated in the original offices of The White Star Line. The location marks the departure point for the last 123 passengers who boarded the Titanic. The Titanic Experience brings the characters of the Titanic to life through innovative audio visual technology such as cinematic shows, scene sets, holographic imagery and touch screen technology.

Cobh is surely rich in Titanic and maritime history, and 2012 is an exquisite time to visit Ireland to commemorate the history and stories of the people aboard the Titanic. Events are scheduled throughout the year of 2012, with the week of April 9 – 15 set aside for flagship commemoration events.

There is truly something for everyone this year in Cobh. Travel to Ireland just to experience the history of the Titanic, or include a stop to Cobh on your next tour of Ireland with Celtic Tours World Vacations to embark on the history of the Titanic. Cobh is included on many of our Escorted Tours to Ireland and can also make a great stop on your next self-drive tour of Ireland. Check out our website for all of our Ireland vacations!

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Cobh

A colorful town with a unique place in Ireland’s heritage, Cobh has a rich maritime history as the embarkation port for Ireland emigrants.

The Great Island on which the town of Cobh stands is the largest island in Cork Harbor. The towering French Gothic St Colman's Cathedral stands at the top of the hill overlooking the tall brightly colored buildings of Cobh and the dockside of the most important port of emigration in the country. Following a visit from Queen Victoria in 1849, the port was renamed Queenstown,  until it reverted back to its Irish name in 1922.

Cobh's long maritime history starts as the world's first yacht club, the Royal Cork Yacht Club established in 1720. Continuing through history, the first steamship to sail across the Atlantic, the Sirius, sailed from Cobh in 1838. Cobh was also the last port of call for the Titanic on her tragic maiden voyage and Cobh was where survivors of the Lusitania were brought after the ship was torpedoed by German U-Boats off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915. 150 victims of the Lusitania are buried in graves in the Old Church just north of Cobh.

The town is best known however, as the country's main emigration port following the great Famine of 1846-1848. Once called "the saddest place in all of Ireland", Cobh was the embarkation port of some 2.5 million Irish emigrants fleeing famine and povert. Their tale is told in the award winning exhibition centre, the Queenstown Story, housed in the disused Victorian Railway by the dockside. The Cobh Heritage Centre is one of the many stops on Celtic Tours premier escorted motorcoach tour the Celtic Dream.

Though a town with a sorrowful past, Cobh is a vibrant hub of activity and interest. A quaint town of narrow streets, winding up steep hills, Cobh has a number of old-fashioned pubs and good quality restaurants. Cobh is a popular spot for sailing and there are harbour cruises around Haulbowline Island and the former prison of Spike Island.

Learn more about Celtic Tours escorted motorcoach tours to Cobh.

Irish Road Bowling

The ancient sport of Irish Road Bowling is played on public roads throughout West Cork, offering boisterous competition, cheering fans and shouting wagers. Travelers who happen upon an Irish Road Bowling game sometimes feel that they’ve stepped into an alternate universe. But can be quickly filled in by a number of onlookers.

The game is similar to golf only the “bullet” is lofted towards a finish line. The player or team with the fewest shots wins the game. The iron ball used is the size of a tennis ball, weighing 1.75 pounds.With distances along country roads being up to 4 km, great skill is used to loft bullets around tight curves and negotiate gradients.

Irish Road Bowling has been played throughout Ireland longer than anyone can remember. History suggests that Irish Road Bowling was once more widespread than it is today with games being played in Scotland, the north of England and in North America up until the 19th century. Today, Irish Road Bowling is being reintroduced into the Irish communities throughout the world but most games can be viewed only in County Cork and in the extreme north of Ireland in County Armagh. Both areas have their own unique styles of game.

As the game is played on public roads (usually secondary), it is advised when approaching a host of men on either side of the road, shouting and peering intently to pull over and follow any advice given.

Irish Road Bowling is quite an exciting sport with bets on both sides, inciting shouting and wagers often giving advice to the bowlers. The event can be quite a spectacle and one really good way to learn more about the history of Irish sport.

If Irish Sports is your fancy, you can also check out the GAA Museum and Croke Park in Dublin. Croke Park is somewhat famous among Americans for the 1996 Notre Dame v Navy game and is the suggested host for the upcoming 2012 Notre Dame v Navy rematch. Learn more about this exciting Irish sporting event at Celtic Tours.

The Blarney Stone

Steeped in history and magical charm, Blarney offers the visitor a host of wonderful things to do and places to discover. Blarney, one of Ireland’s most picturesque villages, is set in beautiful wooded countryside, just 5 miles from Cork City. It is an ideal base to visit the many sights of County Cork and County Kerry. High on most people’s list of things to in Ireland is a visit to the famed Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone.

Blarney Castle presents a fairytale picture, its tall towers are set within extensive gardens containing such romantically named landmarks as: the Druids Altar, the Witches Kitchen and the Wishing Stairs. All of which add to the whole magic of Blarney Castle. The castle is now a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements. The castle’s history originally dates from before AD 1200, when a wooden structure was built on the site. The prevailing castle was built in 1446 for Cormac MacCarthy - then King of Munster. The MacCarthys held sway over Blarney and Munster throughout the many tumultuous centuries of Anglo-Irish conflict until the defeat of the old Irish nobles at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, after which the Lord of Blarney was exiled.

At the very top turret of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Over 200,000 people visit Blarney Castle each year with the purpose of kissing the Blarney Stone to be bestowed with the “gift of gab”, the talent for eloquence that the Irish famously possess. The kiss, however, is not achieved casually. To touch the stone with one's lips, the participant must ascend to the castle's peak, then lean backwards on the parapet's edge, over a sheer drop, as the wind whistles around your ears. This is traditionally achieved with the help of an assistant. But it’s all perfectly safe and you’ll go away with something new to talk about, and a touch o’ Blarney.

Though kissing the stone is a relatively new ritual, the association with smooth talking and Blarney goes back many centuries. When Queen Elizabeth I of England sought to impose her rule on Ireland's Gaelic Chiefs, The Lord of Blarney, Cormac MacCarthy, proving most elusive, would reply to her demands with flamboyant flattery rather than submission. The Queen was said to reply, "this is all Blarney, he never means what he says and never does what he promises." And so the word Blarney came into the English language, eloquent words that flatter or deceive. There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that it was the Lia Fáil—a magical stone upon which Irish kings were crowned. Others say that it was created by a witch during the Middle Ages.

After kissing the Blarney Stone, visitors may want to try their hand at golf or shop in the Blarney Woollen Mills. Learn more about Celtic Tours premier escorted motorcoach tours.