Some 20 kilometres from Cork and situated on the side of the Great Island hills overlooking the water, Cobh is one of the most striking towns in Cork Harbour.

Cobh was little more than a fishing village until the early 1800s, when the town was designated as a British Naval port. The Admiral was stationed there and many of the elegant buildings still evident in the town today were built during this time. Cobh changed its name to Queenstown in 1849 to commemorate a visit by Queen Victoria to the town during that year.

In 1854, the “Water Club of the Harbour of Cork”, by then known as the Royal Cork Yacht Club, moved into a magnificent new building on the waterfront at Cobh. Designed by Anthony Salvin and constructed on behalf of the sailing club by James Smith Barry of Fota, it served as a base for the Royal Cork Yacht Club for over 100 years until the club moved to Crosshaven in 1966. In more recent times, the building has been restored by the Sirius Commemoration Trust and serves as an Arts Centre, houses the offices of the Cobh Chamber of Commerce and the Cobh Tourist Office.

St. Colman’s Cathedral is a magnificent example of Neo-Gothic architecture. Standing tall in the centre of the town, its construction began in 1868 and was not completed until 1916. The 49-bell carillon of the cathedral is the only such instrument in Ireland and larger than any of its kind in Britain. The carillon is played from a keyboard and pedalboard in the belfry and visitors to the town and to Cork Harbour are regularly treated to a recital of the bells carried far on the sea air over the water.

Since the 19th century, Cobh has been a regular port of call for liners from all over the world. During and after the famine, about 2 million people emigrated from Queenstown to America and Australia. The Queenstown Story at the Cobh Heritage Centre vividly tells of emigration from Cobh from 1845 – 1950. Cunard and White Star are just some of the liner names associated with Queenstown during that time. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic, which sank after hitting an iceberg on 14th April, 1912. At the quayside stands a memorial to those drowned in the tragedy of the Lusitania, which was sunk off the Old Head of Kinsale in 1915 by a German submarine. Almost 2,000 drowned and many of the bodies were brought ashore at Queenstown for burial in the Old Churchyard.

In 1922, with the formation of the Irish Free State, Queenstown once again changed its name to Cobh.

The liner trade ceased during World War II. Although it resumed after the war, it never again reached the height of the early 1900s. However, in recent times, the Port of Cork has established dedicated cruiser berthing facilities at the Deepwater Quay in Cobh. In 1988, the QE2 made her first visit to Cork Harbour. By the end of the 2006 – 2007 season, some 36 cruise ships will have berthed at Cobh, bringing an estimated 35,000 visitors to the Cork region.

Cobh remains a commercial fishing port. It is also popular for shore fishing and the Deepwater Quay will fish productively at any stage of the tide. Lynch’s Quay, although smaller and less popular than the Deepwater Quay, also offers excellent fishing.