Large Crowd Pay Tribute To Lusitania Victims

Commodore Rynd, Master of the Queen Elizabeth and Commodore of the Cunard fleet lays a wreath at the foot of the Lusitania Peace Memorial

The second largest Cunard ship ever built, the MV Queen Elizabeth, with a gross tonnage of 90,900 GRT carrying guest capacity of 2,068 and 996 crew, berthed in Cobh in glorious sunshine at approximately 9.00am ón Sunday morning.

To coinside with the visit, the Port Of Cork held the annual Lusitania Memorial Service. The group departed from Cobh Heritage Centre led by the O.N.E and St Colman?s Pipe Band, followed by Commodore Rynd, Master of the Queen Elizabeth and Commodore of the Cunard fleet, Chairman of the Port of Cork, the County Mayor, the Lord Mayor and other dignitaries.

At the Lusitania Peace Memorial in the town centre Captain Michael McCarthy, Port Of Cork, opened the ceremony by welcoming the very large crowd which was  followed by the laying of three wreaths, one
each by Commodore Rynd, Dermot O’Mahoney, Chairman of the Port of Cork and Cllr Finbarr O’Driscoll on behalf of Mayor Sinead Shepherd and Cobh UDC.  A short service then followed from Fr Micheal Leamy to conclude the ceremony.

When the Lusitania left New York there were 1,962 people on board, 694 crew, 1,265 passengers and 3 stowaways. Only 764 people survived – 474 passengers and 290 crew. Over 800 of the victim?s bodies were never found. The bodies which landed in Cobh are buried in three mass graves in the ‘Old Church Cemetery’, Cobh.

More photographs available of the Cobh Edition Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.453486158006674.117002.175857379102888&type=1