Today is the first day that is has rained without break. Luckily, the day has not been too dependent on outdoor activities; but it makes for a post long on history and short on photos. In the morning, we rode our bus for about 15 miles to Cobh (pronounced “cove” - the bh is pronounces like a v in Irish). This town long served as the main harbor for the city of Cork and was a main emigration point on the south coast of Ireland. We were greeted by a local historian, Michael Martin, who gave us some insight into Cobh’s history.
In addition to the general history of Ireland, Michael spoke about the Great Famine, a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. The main cause of famine was potato blight, which ravaged potato crops throughout Europe during the 1840s. The political, social and economic climate also contributed to the famine. During this time, approximately one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland, causing the island's population to fall by and 25%. It was during this time that my great-great grandparents emigrated from Ireland to the US. There is a plaque in the Cobh Heritage Center honoring the USS Jamestown which brought food donated by the people of Boston for the famine-stricken Irish citizens.
The Harbor in Cobh is one of several which lay claim to the title of "second largest natural harbor in the world” after Sydney. Another important fact about the harbor is that it was the last place the RMS Titanic dropped anchor before heading across the Atlantic on her tragic journey in 1912. It is also the final port for the RMS Lusitania. The memorial below pays tribute to the victims of the RMS Lusitania. In 1915, this ship was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Cobh with a loss of 1,196 passengers, including 127 Americans. This action helped bring America into World War I. During WWI, 193 the American Navy ships entered this harbor.
The memorial below is to Annie Moore, a 15 year old from County Cork, who was the first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island on January 1, 1892.
A highlight of a Grand Circle trip is the home hosted active they provide. Our 41 travelers were divided into 6 groups, and we hit the jackpot. At noon, we were transported to the home of Ger Martin, the wife of our morning historian. She served us a delicious lunch of Shepard Pie. In Ireland, Shepard Pie is always served with ground lamb. If ground beef is used, it is called Cottage Pie. Below is their lovely backyard.
As you can tell, we were all happy travelers.
After lunch, Ger spoke about Camogie, what women’s Hurling is called. A real enthusiast, she played on the County Cork team until she was 39.
For dinner this evening, we met my first cousin’s husband’s first cousin, Mary, who lives in Cork. Guess we’re not really related, but it was fun to pretend. We hope to see her again next time she visits California.
It is time to pack our bags once again as we make our way to Killarney in County Kerry where my great-great grandfather was born.
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