I got up early and tried to dress accordingly with the mixed forecast. It was supposed to be in the lower 60s (pretty warm, good temperature here), but rain in the afternoon and we were going to be on the water. I met my group outside after eventually settling on a warmer raincoat and a v-neck (what’s new?). We took a bus into the city center, but had to jump off and speed walk across the rest of the city, over a bridge, and down to the train station because the bus was sitting at a stop way too long and we didn’t have time for that. All 14 of us claimed a spot in the station and tried to stay out of everybody’s way while Tom went to grab the tickets. We made it to the train in our usual rushing manner. The train ride was disappointingly not very eventful. There were some nice views once we got away from factories and getting closer to Cobh was more enjoyable when we were crossing the water.

We started our day with our one and only requirement for the day trip: going through Queenstown Museum. We learned the history of the name, how it started as Cove was changed to Queenstown, then they switched it back to Cobh, but with the Gaelic spelling because they don’t have V’s in their alphabet, though it’s still pronounced “Cove.” Upon arriving we got a ticket which included the name of someone who had left the harbor either by one of the prison ships on the way to Australia, any of the “coffin ships,” the Titanic which made its last stop there, or the Lusitania, which was sunk by a German submarine in WWI. My character’s name was Grace Chaffe Carroll, who was actually an American and traveled on the Lusitania after a trip to Ireland to get back to Connecticut in 1913. She sounded like a very artistic woman with her work with photography, music, and art. One of the men working there told me that her grandson visited the museum last year, which I thought was really cool.

Our professors were nowhere to be found after we all finished the museum so we decided to continue because we had the rest of the day free anyway. The group split up, some wanting to get food first, while the others looked around the town. I went to a small café with four others, where we had a traditional Irish breakfast. It included eggs, sausage, their bacon, beans, mushrooms, and white and black pudding. As Irish custom, we could then choose between tea or coffee, which they serve at almost every sit-down place. We then made our way up the hill to the cathedral that can be seen no matter where you are in Cobh. Needless to say St. Colman’s was huge! It was a spectacular sight and only got better the closer I went. Because of how big it is, it was impossible to get the full thing in one picture. Even when I was far enough away, things were always in the way to block some part of it. We looked like ants standing next to it. What amazed me the most was the inside, though. As many people know, when walking into a church everyone becomes quiet and respectful. This time I felt a stronger sense of that. In addition, I was at a loss for words and trying to take it all in. It is one of – if not the most – beautiful, ornate churches I have ever seen. The engravings that cover the walls are so delicately crafted it’s amazing. Each section has its own theme and uniqueness. The wood carvings, stained glass windows, and engravings all tell stories. And even though they’re different, they all fit together in this Cathedral. St. Colman’s has the most bells in the British Isles, ringing in 49 of them in total. The bells chime through the church but they sound distant, soft, comforting. The kind of feeling I got from being there. It was daunting how big it is and the masterpieces that line the walls, yet it brought me peace. The huge arched ceilings seem to keep everything in, holding it close. I can’t imagine what it would be like to go to Mass there, unfortunately it wasn’t Sunday and there were no more daily Masses. Being in St. Colman’s feels like it almost seemed too sacred for a normal Sunday Mass, like it should be saved for special occasions. But I know that wouldn’t make sense considering that’s what Churches were made for. I sat there in awe a long time staring at the intricate designs. I know my pictures or descriptions won’t come close explaining the detail this cathedral contains. It is one of those places you wonder how someone could make something so delicate. The 5 of us regrouped and ended up having a long, very deep conversation about religion, but it was really nice. I love those deep talks with people. It gives you a whole new level of your relationship with that person. In total we were probably at St. Colman’s for 2-3 hours.

We next spotted a statue at the end of a small street and wanted to see what it was so we wandered that way. There was a shrine and the Bible Garden. We explored the garden. It was surprisingly big! The place was filled with flowers and there were scripture verses carved in stone, some memorials, and the Stations of the Cross lining the wall. We were the only ones there and it was very peaceful. The wind did start getting stronger and clouds were moving in, but the rain held off. The gardener there began talking to us for a while. The professors warned us that the Irish follow our politics very closely, but I didn’t know how much.  After speaking to this man, I’d say they know a great deal. Probably more than most Americans. And it’s not just with current politics. The past week, I have seen John F. Kennedy everywhere! I went into a picture shop and I swear there was a part just of JFK pictures. In Cobh, they have a park called Kennedy Park in his honor. It’s very interesting seeing what they think of America and our government.

We turned back to the harbor next and ended up walking the entire thing. At the end we reached the Titanic Memorial Garden. This place wasn’t so much of a garden at all, but it still led to an adventure. We found an overgrown path that we wanted to explore and found ourselves at the bottom of a cliff we had no idea existed. Given we don’t know most things here it shouldn’t be too shocking, but it surprised us.  It was really cool and we ended up hanging out there for a little bit, until we realized how hungry we were. However, we didn’t take into account that at this point it was after 7 and lots of places close at 7. The only places still open were a little out of our price range so we decided to get on the next train and get back to Cork to grab food. We went to Milano’s, which I hadn’t gone to yet, but others said was delicious. I ordered a calzone which was huge, but really good. I could tell everything was really fresh, which usually makes food taste better. On our walk back home, we came across a band performing on a corner. There were not many people there when we first walked up and they introduced themselves as The Band Anna. They brought their friend from the crowd up to sing a couple songs with them, too. They were amazing and we ended up listening to them for a while. A good sized crowd started to form at this point. People were coming out of the pub just to come listen to these guys. We continued our walk home around 10:30 and went to our rooms after our long adventurous day. I couldn’t go to bed until I saw how the hundreds of pictures I took of the Last Port of Call for the Titanic turned out.