Saturday, November 17, 2018

Leaving Cobh

Before leaving Cobh we made one last stop at the Cobh Historical Center.  We spent two full
Annie Moore and her
Two brothers
hours walking through the exhibits which could have been characterized as the  Emigration from Ireland (the country's population is still lower than it was before the famine), the Titanic and the Lusitania.  Cobh was the last stop of the Titanic before its sinking.  The Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Cobh.  The survivors were brought to the shoreline hotel where we had slept the night before and many of the dead were buried at the Old Church Cemetery in Cobh.  

Click to enlarge
At the historical center there is a statue dedicated to Annie Moore.  She emigrated from Ireland and was the first official immigrant to enter Ellis Island.  There is a similar statue of her at Ellis Island. 

There was a small quote from President Kennedy on the wall.  It read, "Most countries send out oil or iron, steel or gold or some other crop but Ireland has had only one export and that is its people."  Since the 1700s, it is estimated that between 9-10 million people have emigrated from Ireland.  For perspective, the total population today is 4.8 million.  

On to Kinsale!
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5 comments:

  1. lorraine persingNovember 17, 2018 at 12:16 PM

    Another interesting blog. Because it is in the news so much now, do the people you talk to have strong feelings about Brexit? Strong feeling between Northern Ireland and Ireland? It seems as if animosities between political and religious groups can last hundreds of years, alas!

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  2. Mary JoNovember 17, 2018 at 12:21 PM

    Thanks for the update. It is fun following you on your trip. I’m happy our people were part of the export. How lucky we are. Looking forward to Kinsale.

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  3. John B.November 18, 2018 at 10:33 AM

    I heard it's slippery there.

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  4. MHermsen November 19, 2018 at 6:37 AM

    Wow! I never knew the stats on the population of Ireland. Clearly the famine is a big part of it's history. That explains why events and organizations such as Irish Fest and The Shamrock Club are so successful. (In addition to the Blaney participation). It would be interesting to learn about the Kennedy family's ancestors leaving Ireland. Glad you're enjoying your trip!!!☘️

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  5. MHermsen November 19, 2018 at 6:42 AM

    Somewhere along the way, two of my ancestors were also part of the export of Ireland. My great grandmother was a McCauley. My other great grandmother hails from Ireland, but was adopted and we don't know her birth name.

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