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.

635-present

Spike Island: monastery, fortress and prison

Spike Island has been monastery, fortress, prison, military base and visitor attraction.

Spike Island compresses more than a millennium of harbour history into one ferry trip. It has been associated with monastic life, harbour defence, military occupation and prison use.

Its power as a visitor attraction comes from that layering. You are not only visiting a former prison or a fort; you are visiting a place repeatedly repurposed because of its position in Cork Harbour.

Source recordedVerified 10 May 2026