Cobh Compass
    Cobh facts
    • Cobh was known as Queenstown from 1849 to 1920.
    • Over 2.5 million Irish emigrants departed from Cobh harbour.
    • RMS Titanic's final port of call was Cobh, on 11 April 1912.
    • St Colman's Cathedral carillon has 49 bells — among the largest in Europe.
    • Lusitania victims are buried in the Old Church Cemetery.
    • Cork Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world.
    • Cobh was known as Queenstown from 1849 to 1920.
    • Over 2.5 million Irish emigrants departed from Cobh harbour.
    • RMS Titanic's final port of call was Cobh, on 11 April 1912.
    • St Colman's Cathedral carillon has 49 bells — among the largest in Europe.
    • Lusitania victims are buried in the Old Church Cemetery.
    • Cork Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world.

    1600s-1800s

    Convicts, forced labour and hidden migration stories

    Cobh's migration history includes people transported against their will, not only hopeful emigrants.

    The town's emigration story is not only about voluntary departures. Exhibitions at Cobh Heritage Centre point visitors toward forced labour, transportation and convict journeys to places such as the West Indies and Australia.

    This matters because it gives Cobh's harbour story a sharper edge. The same port could represent hope, punishment, exile, survival and family separation depending on who was leaving and why.

    Source recordedVerified 10 May 2026