If you are entering the Cobh Town Centre from the main road, you would see the Cobh Museum at a gentle hill as you drive down to town. As if it is standing like a sentinel, the museum serves as a gateway to the historic and heritaged-rich town of Cobh.
The museum housed a small but significant collection of Cobh’s connection to its local, maritime and military past. It has permanent and rotating exhibit, and in the past, it famously displayed the Pilots’ log for Titanic call. As of this writing, the museum is currently open to the public, but check with them here for updates.
It is considered a voluntary not-for-profit museum and is run and staffed by a team of volunteers, among them are the Curator, Secretary and Treasurer who spent countless hours of musuem work.
Before it was converted as a museum, the building was an old Scots Church. From the outside, it still has its Gothic theme as exemplified by the tower and spire. The interior also retains its tiled floor and the timber pulpit where the original lectern and harmonium is on display.
The very first thing that you would see after you walk in the museum’s red door is the Cunard Crest. The Cunard Line merged with White Star Line in 1934 and the Cunard Crest was untouched in the basement until it was donated to the museum in 1973. As part of the museum’s conservation effort, the crest was restored from its corrosive state in 2012. The cleaning and treatment brings back the detail of what it is today.
Cobh’s involvement with RMS Lusitania goes beyond helping with the recovery of the victims of the sinking. Cobh also buried the dead in the town’s backyard at Old Church Cemetery. The museum carries an extensive records and some artifacts about this fateful World War 1 event. Pic below is the ship’s deck chair salvaged on the waters of Kinsale.
An appealing feature of the museum is the natural light coming from the glazed stain glass window. This light accentuates a clear and intricate viewing to such notable collection like these three head bust (pic), a replica of a page from Book of Kells, an old Bibleand others.
In the corner of the old church pulpit is a special place for some ships in the bottle. In a way, this is a symbolism of what Cobh museum represents: it holds memories in the past that needs to be preserved. The museum also serves as a bridge to the present because a visitor can consult on inhouse reference and be directed for genealogical research of their Irish ancestor.
Here are a few FAQs and tips to make your visit enjoyable and stress free.
- Please wear mask and observe social distancing inside the museum.
- Museum open from April to October, but do contact them here for inquiries.
- There’s a nominal fee for admission (4 euro adult, 2.50 euro Senior & 2.00 euro child)
- Group rates are available if email or phone in advance.
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