Yesterday we went down to Cobh to see a huge ocean liner arrive into the port.
The town of Cobh* has a fascinating maritime history. For decades, before the rise of air travel, it was the departure point for millions of Irish people as they set sail for the New World. It was the last port of call of the Titanic before its fateful crossing. It received the dead bodies from the Lusitania, when it was torpedoed off the Old Head of Kinsale. And it is a later addition to the Republic of Ireland, a “treaty port” ceded to the State by Britain just before the onset of World War II. The headquarters of the Irish Navy is just across a narrow channel from Cobh, on the island of Haulbowline.
The ship, the Navigator of the Seas, is one of the largest cruise ships in the world with a weight of 140,000 tonnes. It can carry over 3,000 passengers. In this case, the boat was on a short weekend trip from Southampton. The passengers must have been amazed when they were greeted by a large crowd of onlookers. It was a holiday weekend here, with a local festival happening in the town.
My kids were well impressed. A floating hotel of this magnitude is an impressive sight, no matter what age you are.
* Cobh is pronounced, and means, “Cove”: unusually, an “irishisation” of an English word. Most of our place names are anglicisations of Irish Words.
Passive Impressions 
Dear Woodpigeon,
Yesterday I had a good idea. Google Alerts. I read about them on Google’s site and thought, why not.
I live in New York but grew up in Cobh, so I put in “Cobh” as one of my Alert subjects.
Today, Google delivers to my Inbox 2 Cobh mentions, one of them being yours. Your photographs of the cruise ship/liner were very fine. We have quite a few of ships operating out of New York harbor.
Recently, on the Staten Island Ferry (I live on SI) the oohs and aahs and wows of some tourists caused me to turn round to see the source of their wonder. There in early-evening mid-harbor was a huge cruise ship with endless floors –they did look more like the floors of a low-quality apartment building/block of flats, than decks– stacked up on top of each other, so many that every rule of maritime proportion was broken in the interests of AquaMammon. It was just leaving on some 5 or 7 day sea-cruise. Passengers were out on the decks. They saw the ferry. They waved at the ferry.
I groaned at the sight, and found myself saying: “My God. It must be Hell on that thing. I can’t imagine any place I would less like to be.” Of course I only then realised that the folks around me were looking at me with profound uncomprehension.
They had been waving back at the cruise-passengers –no doubt envying them on their chicken-coop cruise.
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One of your photographs in particular showed this aspect very cleverly –the one that shows the decks as though they were a block of flats. You had taken out the ‘distraction’ of any ‘sea’ context –made my point very effectively.
It was nice to read of Cobh. I’m still very connected to it (in fact I’m currently working on a (nonfiction) book, “The Story of Herman Gebler”, that has an important scene that takes place in Cork Harbor. It’s too involved to go into here (but just in case you are interested, go to my website stonestreetpress.com and click on Malachi McCormick’s blog which I have recently started. In the blog I write at greater length about the book. And a liitle bit about Cobh.
I read your poetry; especially liked your two poems about your father; (I decided recently that I should write my own obituary; had the humbling experience of not being able to think of anything that I wanted to say.
I hope you write a lot of poetry –it seems that the craft of poetry requires that.
Thank you also for the mention of the Chris Anderson book; some very important ideas there that might take us through to some ultimate sanity.
Despite much evidence to the contrary, I am still optimistic.
Again –thank you for inspiring this little interlude.
Hello Malachi, you are most welcome!
I have a particular fascination for Cork Harbour, and indeed, the intricate and tempestuous Cork coastline. Over the past few years, I have managed to walk the entire East Cork coastline from Roches Point over to Youghal, and I’m now starting on West Waterford (when the time and tide is right, of course).
Even though I am a blow-in to this county, I find it an inspirational and quite beautiful place.
Your books look wonderful – what a rewarding way to spend your career!
I’ll link to your blog and perhaps drop in to say hello on occasion.
Thank you again for your comments.
Woodpigeon
[…] than show photos this time, I’ve recorded a short video instead. […]
Nice and usefull post, thanks, this is one for my bookmarks!