Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
21–25 Oct 2027 (dates to be confirmed) · Cork City
The October bank-holiday weekend fills Cork's pubs, clubs and concert halls with jazz, the city at its most musical.
Cobh
Every emigrant story in the family seems to pass through Cobh. The port town on Great Island in Cork Harbour was the final port of call for RMS Titanic in 1912, and the last sight of Ireland for millions before her.
Best sites to see in Cobh
Titanic Experience Cobh
An exhibition in the former White Star Line ticket office from which Titanic's last passengers embarked, telling the story of the 123 passengers who joined the ship at Cobh in April 1912.
St Colman's Cathedral
The large neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral on the hill above the town, built between 1868 and 1919, with a tall spire, carved stone and views over Cork Harbour from its grounds.
Cobh Heritage Centre
A centre in the town's former railway station covering Irish emigration through Cobh, the harbour's naval history and the stories of Titanic and Lusitania.
Spike Island
A star-shaped island fortress in Cork Harbour, developed as a major fortification in the 19th century and also used as a prison, visited by ferry from Cobh pier.
Where to stand, and when
- The Deck of Cards houses on West View: Photograph the steep row of colourful houses from below in the morning, when light falls on the fronts.
- The promenade and harbour front: Late afternoon gives good light on the cathedral above the town and on ships in the harbour.
- The cathedral grounds: On a clear day the grounds give a wide panorama over Great Island, the harbour and Spike Island.
Cobh through history
Cobh was the final port of call for RMS Titanic, which anchored off the town on 11 April 1912 before sailing for New York.
The town was renamed Queenstown in 1849 following a visit by Queen Victoria, and reverted to the Irish name Cobh in 1920.
Cobh was one of Ireland's principal emigration ports, and millions of Irish emigrants departed through Cork Harbour over the 19th and early 20th centuries.
After RMS Lusitania was sunk off the Cork coast in May 1915, many victims were brought to Cobh, then Queenstown, and many are buried in the Old Church Cemetery outside the town.
Practical tips
- Cobh is steep, so plan routes between the waterfront, cathedral and Deck of Cards houses with the hills in mind.
- Book the Spike Island ferry ahead in summer, as sailings are weather-dependent and places are limited.
- The train between Cork city and Cobh is a convenient alternative to driving and arrives beside the Heritage Centre.