A Titanic Day Out

We took a trip down the coast by train today to visit Cobh. 

Cobh was the embarkation point for 2.5 million emigrants from Ireland between 1840 and 1950 and was also the final port of call for the Titanic on it's doomed maiden voyage.

The Titanic Experience tells the story of the 123 persons who embarked on the voyage from Cobh. On arrival you're given the embarkation card of one of those 123 and you can find out the fate of your character at the end. Mrs B survived and lived to 91 years of age in the States but I was drowned after helping women and children into the lifeboats, my body never recovered..........cheery stuff!

The Queenstown Story, tells a similar cheery story about the mass migrations, mainly forced, to penal colonies in Australia to slavery in the Caribbean and servitude in America.

Despite the depressing subject matter, both exhibitions are really good, very informative and well laid out.

Extra 1 - looking out over the Cobh to the bay (the 2nd largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney) and Spike Island. The Titanic had been moored up beyond the bay out of sight and the last passengers ferried out to her.

Extra 2 - how times have changed for some of yesterday's celebs. So if you want to impress your "Neighbours" with an antipodean themed garden, you know who to call.