Titanic Memorial Garden

Mayor Jim Quinlan with Cobh native, Treasa Goodwyn Smith (nee Coffey) co-chair of the New York County Cork Association.

An Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny performed the official sod-turning of the Titanic Memorial Garden in Bishop Roche Park on Friday 25 May in the presence of Mayor of Cobh, Cllr. Jim Quinlan, the Mayor of Cork County and elected representatives. The location was chosen not only because of its scenic aspect but also because it is one of few places from which Titanic’s point of anchor is visible.

The Titanic Memorial Garden is a legacy project which has been pursued by Cobh Town Council in partnership with Cobh Tourism Ltd. It is a project that continues to receive significant support from Cork County Council and many thanks is also due to SECAD who have granted significant funds for the completion of ground works and landscaping on the site.

According to Mayor Jim Quinlan, “a legacy of this nature is an essential development. It is hugely important that the people of Cobh, and indeed visitors to our town, have a lasting focal point remembering our rich maritime history, that will endure long after the commemorations of 2012 are over.”

The Mayor has recently returned from a New York County Cork Association fundraiser which to date has raised in excess of €10,000 which will be used to erect a Titanic Glass Wall monument in the garden.The event was all the more fitting given the involvement of Cobh native Treasa Goodwyn Smith (nee Coffey) as co-chair of the association. Michael Martin was also in attendance and gave a well received in-depth historical narrative of Cobh’s rich history.

€10,000 was raised on the day of the event which was held in the County Cork Association Hall in Long Island City, New York on 29 April. The Mayor spoke on behalf of the people of Cobh at the event and expressed the appreciation of the people of Cobh for this “generous transatlantic gesture of support.” Further donations are expected by the County Cork Association from members who were unable to attend the event and therefore the overall amount is due to rise.

“It will be incredibly fitting to complete this project with the assistance of the Cork community in New York. It will make the link between Cobh and New York, which were at opposite ends of the voyage for millions of Irish emigrants, all the more tangible. During the recent event in New York I genuinely lost count of the number of people who had themselves, or whose ancestors had, left from Cobh to find a new life in the USA”, stated the Mayor.

It is hoped that work will commence on-site in the coming weeks.