The global impact of the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic will be
highlighted at a commemoration in Cobh next Sunday afternoon.
On 14th April 2013, the 101st anniversary of the day on which the
Titanic struck an iceberg, people will gather in Cobh for a ceremony
to remember all of those who died when the ship sank. Cobh Tourism is
organising this ceremony as it has done for over ten years in her last
port of call.
One hundred and twenty three passengers boarded the Titanic in
Queenstown on 11th April 1912. Three days later the ship struck an
iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank with the loss of over 1500
lives, including 79 of those who boarded in Cobh.
The sinking of the ship was a global tragedy with passengers from over
thirty nations and territories sailing on the Titanic. In this the
year of The Gathering, a special invitation is extended to people from
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark,
Holland, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Scotland,
South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, Uruguay, USA
and Wales to travel to Cobh and remember their countrymen and all
those lost on that fateful maiden voyage. The passengers from each of
these countries will be remembered in a special way at this year’s
commemoration.
The ceremony will start at 3 pm at the Old Town Hall at Lynch’s Quay
when a Colour Party from the Cobh Branch O.N.E. will parade to the
Titanic Memorial in Pearse Square. The ceremony of prayers and wreath
laying will have musical honours provided by the Commodore Male Voice
Choir and Cobh Confraternity Band. The proceedings will then move to
the waterfront Promenade. Seventy nine white flowers will be placed in
the sea by members of the Cobh Animation Team in memory of the “Cobh”
passengers. School children representing the thirty two other
nationalities will then present floral tributes and flags to the Mayor
of Cobh, Councillor Sinéad Sheppard who will then place the bouquet in
the sea in honour of all those who lost their lives when the Titanic
sank.
The ceremonies will conclude with a bugler playing the Last Post and
Reveille. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.
