In honour of the recent celebration of International Sculpture Day last April 30, it dawned on me to highlight some of the magnificent sculptures we have on Cobh Ireland, particularly the ones that can be found on the center of town. If you haven’t been on our lovely Town Centre, the sculptures on this post are within walking distance of each other. Our town centre is really small enough that you can wander around, observe them up close and still have plentry of time to do other activities.
First one on our list is the poignant Lusitania Peace Memorial. Located in Casement Square, there are two main characters in these figures: the angel of peace and the grieving fishermen. This was a memorial, of course, of the Lusitania sinking by a German submarine off the coast of Kinsale. The town of Cobh became involved when they help recovered the bodies and buried some of the victims at the local cemetery.
April 11 1912 would forever be etched as a tragic day that changed maritime history with the sinking of Titanic. Cobh got entwined in this history when our town became the last port of call of the ship. The Titanic Memorial on Pearse Square is a special plinth with two bronze plaques to remember the tragedy and especially the 79 passenger victims that boarded from Cobh.
Explorer Robert Forde found his passion before he found his fame. Forde was an integral member of the crew that undertook the Terra Nova Expedition; he however did not participate on the last leg of the fatal South Pole journey because he was ordered by Captain Scott to received treatment on New Zealand for his severely frostbitten hands. Forde retired in Cobh and was buried at Old Church Cemetery.
Irish immigration to US and other countries is a defining moment in Irish history. In search of a new place to live and work, Irish people primarily moved out because of the ravaging famine. The statue of Annie Moore and siblings is noteworthy because Annie was the first to be registered in Ellis Island, New York. Located outside the Cobh Heritage Centre, this bronze sculpture is also a symbol of Irish influence and culture around the world.
Sonia O’Sullivan is one of the greatest sportswomen in Cobh and one can argue even of the whole island of Ireland. This runner olympian statue is hard to miss at the Town Centre. She continues to be a positive influence to the young runners and sports in general in and outside the country.
There you have it, five sculptures around Cobh Town Centre that is worth stopping by for its significance in shaping Cobh to what it is today. There are other sculptures that can be seen too, particularly in the John F Kennedy Park (including “The Navigator” (see title cover)), at the whole stretch of our waterfront. Thank you for reading and Happy International Sculpture Day again from Cobh Ireland.
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