As April 15th 2012 hits shortly, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic will be marked in various different ways. Dubbed ‘unsinkable’ the liner set off on it’s maiden voyage on April 10th. However, only four days into the crossing, it collided with an iceberg at 11.40pm on April 14th.
The sinking of the Titanic has arguably been the most tragic and well known maritime diaster in recent times. For this reason, it has always been well documented with various TV shows and documentatries showcasing the disaster. Across the world the award winning 1997 blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will be re-shown in theaters in 3D format. Ireland in particular has a special place in Titanic’s history and to commemorate, there will be plenty of events to mark the occasion up and down the country.
It is not too hard to understand why Ireland plays a large part in the history of the Titanic. The ship was built between 1909–11 by the Harland and Wolff shipyard company who were based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The ship was built in order to hold a capacity of 2,224 people. The passengers on the ship included many Irish emigrants hoping to start a new life in America. Most of the Irish passengers came aboard when the Titanic made her last stop before the sinking in Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Co. Cork. Today you will find a memorial in the centre of the town of Cobh to remember the devastating loss. Continue reading →
Not surprisingly due to the beautiful scenery and varied landscapes of Ireland, it is a top destination for walking holidays and currently throughout Ireland there are now 43 National Waymarked Trails, which includes 120 looped walks. 21 of these walks are in County Cork, and in particular one area of the county that is often frequented by walkers on their vacation in Ireland is the wonderful region of West Cork.
