Australia Day in Cobh

Cobh is pulling out all the stops to welcome the 2000 passengers on board a cruise ship arriving from Sydney on Sunday 7th July and is staging the third Australia Day in Cobh in their honour. For several decades ship loads of Irish men and women were transported to Australia as convicts. Now over 2 centuries later a ship load of Australians is coming back to these shores. The cruise liner Sea Princess that will arrive in Cobh is a lot more salubrious than the ships that transported convicts half way around the world. Of the 2000 passengers on board over 1500 are Australians enjoying a 104 night world cruise.

The previous world cruise visits of the Dawn Princess to Cobh in 2009 and 2011 were thoroughly enjoyed by the passengers and locals alike. Cobh Tourism and See You in Cobh are organising events for the day
with everything from food and craft stalls, entertainment including the Band of 1 Southern Brigade, Irish dancers, fiddle players and other traditional musicians, a sea shanty group and spectacular shop window displays.

At 11.30am in Cobh Heritage Centre, the Australian Ambassador to Ireland Dr. Ruth Adler and the passengers and crew of the Sea Princess will be afforded a Civic Welcome by the Mayor of Cobh, Cllr. John
Mulvihill jnr. There will also be a Blessing of the Bonnets ceremony in memory of all convict women transported to Australia and the bonnets blessed will become part of a permanent exhibit in Cobh
Heritage Centre later this year. The Sea Princess is scheduled to sail at 6 pm to continue its journey around the world. In true Cobh style people will gather on the quayside to wave farewell to the passengers while the Cobh Confraternity Brass and Reed Band will perform on the quayside. Perhaps there will be a few Australian favourites in their repertoire!