Cobh Puts On Fabulous Australia Day in Cobh

Cobh turned Australian on one of the most beautiful days of the year last Sunday as the town put on a superb display of friendship to welcome the Sea Princess liner carrying approximately 2500 Australians. On one of the hottest days of the year so far with temperatures in the high twenties, locals came out in their droves to welcome the hundreds of passengers who chose to remain in the the town for the day after the liner had berthed at 7.00am earlier that morning.

The day began in the Cobh Heritage Centre with Mayor of Cobh, Cllr John Mulvihill Jnr welcoming all, including the Australian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Ruth Adler and her family to ‘Australia Day in Cobh’. Mayor Mulvihill went on, ”Our two countries have many connections and indeed Irish Australians have played a long and enduring part in Australia’s history. Many went to Australia  in the eighteenth century as settlers or as convicts, and contributed to Australia’s development in many different areas. In the late 19th century about a third of the population in Australia were Irish”.

The Mayor also brought some witty news to the travelling Aussies about events that have happened since they boarded their World Cruise some weeks earlier. ”Since leaving your home port many things have happened on your home soil, Kevin Rud is again Prime Minister after replacing Julia Gillard Penrith. The Panthers defeated Gold Coast Titans 40-18 in the NRL round 17, and your cricket team has landed in England  for the ashes. Oh, and the Lions trashed the Aussies in the to win the series yesterday.You may have read about Brian O’ Driscoll’s omission from the Lions team for the last test match, and it has been hugely controversial here, however, I feel you’re lucky that he was not playing. I hope the New Zealanders enjoyed it!”. Needless to say there was a huge cheer from the large attendence.

In brief, Speaking of her delight at being invited to Cobh for the day, Australian Ambassador Dr Ruth Adler said ”I’m honoured and delighted to be able to be present at such an event in your beautiful town of Cobh which has so many connections to Australia, not just now but right down throughout our history. I’m really looking forward to my day here”.

Father John McCarthy went on to perform the ‘Blessing of the Bonnets’ ceremony, `Roses from the Heart´ which is a unique memorial to the 25,566 convict women transported to Australia from Ireland and Britain from 1788 to 1853 after which the Ambassador placed both bonnets on model heads held by two children involved with the Cobh Annimation Team.

Mayor Mulvihill then went on to present the Australian Ambassador’s husband, Dr Conrad Goonerage with a Cobh Pirates rugby jersey and their Son Jesse with another Irish symbol in the form of a Hurling stick before a break for lunch.

The Promenade was packed with market stalls and entertainment went on throughout the afternoon in Cobh with Luasca, a traditional group of young musicians will played a selection of traditional tunes on tin whistles, flutes, concertina, accordion and bodhrán followed by another Trad Group called Redheads. Irish Dancing also played it’s part during the afternoon when Aoife Ryan´s Irish Dance Group performed in the Promenade. Highlight of the day for many would have been the performance from the Band of the Southern Brigade which was then followed by the Molgoggers Sea Shanty Group  Through the afternoon there were FREE guided tours of St.Colman’s Cathedral and Old Cemetery.

As part of the tradition Liner sendoff, from 5.30pm there was more musical entertainment on the quayside opposite the liners berthing place with the Cobh Confraternity Band as hundreds of people gathered to wave the Sea Princess and it’s passengers Bon Voyage. In a byegone era, friends, relatives and the people of Cobh gathered on the quayside to wave white handkerchiefs as a farewell salute. With the Band playing a selection of favourites both Irish and Australian the huge crowd who had earlier bought Australian and Irish flags from a Cobh Tourism stall in the Promenade, sang and cheered as the liner departed.

All the groups involved in setting up and seeing this day though should be very proud of themselves with major credit going to the team of Cobh Tourism.

Over 100 more photographs of the day on our Facebook Page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.598018043553484.1073741870.175857379102888&type=3