After a very decent night's sleep, we awoke to sunny skies. I beat Peter out of bed and went for a walk the other way on the promenade. Much to my surprise a huge ocean liner had just docked. It was the MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) Magnificat, a luxury liner. It was the first time ever this line had docked in Cobh! The tour buses were lined up to take the passengers sightseeing. Amazing sight!
After a good, brisk walk, Peter and I had a delicious hot Irish breakfast in the B&B dining room. From there we walked to the Heritage Center and toured "The Queenstown Experience," a multi-visual overview of the plight of the poor Irish emigrating after the potato blight and the horrid conditions they endured on board. The exhibit also described the penal ships taking Irish convicts to Australia. The sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania were also treated in detail. To me the most bone-chilling aspect of the exhibits were the sounds associated with these events. The statue of young Annie Moore and her two brothers is prominent outside the exhibit hall. Annie was the first immigrant to enter Ellis Island.
Then we hustled to the front of the Commodore Hotel, just down from our B&B for a walking tour of Cobh led by Brian Martin. He gave us some unexpected insights into the Titanic tragedy (Cobh was its last port before hitting the iceberg) and Cobh's maritime history. Cobh vies for the title of the second largest natural harbor on the world. Also, the ships were not in the business for passengers; they were in it for the mail contracts!
We returned to our room for a quick shower before heading out for the highlight of the day--meeting my Sheehan cousins! We met Joan Sheehan Condim at the Fota Hotel in Carrigtohill, not far from Cobh. She is a pretty and charming woman and the three of us hit it off immediately! Joan drove and our first outing was the graveyard where we found the gravestone for Michael Sheehan, my great great grandfather and the brother of Joan's great grandfather, David. We then drove up into the hilly farmland where Michael and David grew up. Lo and behold, the overgrown ruins of the farmhouse were there! But we had to climb the fence to see it! No sooner were we contemplating the place than the new owner of the land appeared! "Can I help you?" he asked. When Joan explained who we were he exclaimed, "You knew Katie Sheehan?" And Joan did!! Unbelievable! He, John Bourk, and his wife Nuala had bought the land from the estate and were raising animals--cows, sheep, hens and geese. His wife invited us into her house and told us about "their little piece of heaven." Joan even contracted with them for her Christmas goose!
But we were going to be late for the festivities! So we hustled to Midleton to another cousin's, Joan Sheehan, for a drink, a little Irish whiskey! Then on to her sister's, Anne Sheehan, where we had Proseco before a grand luncheon. We talked, laughed, told stories, looked at photos and got to know each other. What a fabulous time! We exchanged addresses and hope to all get together again! A definite highlight of the trip to Ireland.
By the time we retrieved our car to drive back to Cobh, the sun was setting and we were ready for bed!!
4 comments:
What a memorable day!! Reminds me of my visit to Felito and meeting Gnazzo relations. Are the Sheehan's from your mother or your father's side?
From my mother's side. It was a spectacular day!
Oh, Fran is so enjoying your visit to Ireland & your time spent w/the Sheehans!
It is exciting to view different places and there are some places which cannot be visited by any other vehicle except that of car. So it is better to hire a car for visiting these places.
Post a Comment