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Cobh Cork Ireland Cruise Port Guide
Location:
Navigating beautiful Cork Harbour with Roches Point to the right and the sailing mecca of Crosshaven to the left is spectacular.
Most cruise ships dock close to town next to Cobh Heritage Center. At times, when more than one large cruise ship is in town, you might be docked at Ringaskiddy, about 2 km away. A ferry service will bring you to Cobh.
Be sure to hang out either side of the deck while sailing away from Cobh, but mostly the port side. There, you will sail by some great coastline and a lighthouse.
Smaller cruise ships (with an overall length not exceeding 499 feet/152 meters) can berth in the heart of the city of Cork.
Cobh serves as the gateway to Cork, which is about 20 km away. There is a train service (click on Mallow -Cobh/Midleton) from the port of Cobh to the center of Cork. The train station is right at the port. Its about 7 euros return and takes about 24 minutes, trains every 30 minutes,when a cruise ship is docked. Limited service on Sundays.
Printable map to take along on your cruise.
Cruise calendar for this port and which berth will be used.
Watch a destination video.
Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers
Monthly Climate Averages for Cobh Cork Ireland
Sightseeing:
It is a pleasant town; its streets climb the steep
slope of a hill, the top of which is crowned by the very fine St. Coleman's
Cathedral which has a carillon of 47 bells.
Cobh (The old name is Queenstown) is situated on Great Island, one of the three large islands
in Cork harbor which is all now joined by roads and bridges - Little
Island and Fota are the others.
The harbor is one of the largest and safest anywhere,
being capable of taking the largest vessels afloat. The great Transatlantic
liners used to come in up to the 1950s.
On the quayside, there is a memorial to the victims of the Lusitania, many
of whom are buried in the old church cemetery. The ship was sunk
off Kinsale in 1915 by a German submarine, an action which was responsible
for bringing the United States of America into the Great War, the
survivors were brought back here. Another unhappy association is
with the Titanic, 'the safest liner in the world'. Queenstown was
her last Cruise Port on her fateful maiden voyage. Visit the Titanic Experience to find out more.
Tours Excursions Transportation:
Butlers Bus Tours offers a Blarney & Kinsale Bus Tour Including Cork City & Cobh. Sells out quickly.
There are trains from Cobh to Cork, generally running every hour with a journey time of 24 minutes. The round-trip ticket costs around 10 € for adults and 3 € for children
Taxis are available outside the port and the fare to Cork is approximately 35 € – 45 € one way.
Hop on/off buses by Cork City sightseeing tour taking in some of the best attractions in Cork with visits to the English Market Cork, Cork City Goal, the Shandon Bells, UCC and other top Cork City attractions. A 2 Euro discount if you show your train ticket.
It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.
Nearby Places:
A Cork stopover permits a wide choice of quality shore excursions. Experienced, courteous, multi-lingual guides escort passengers on luxurious, air-conditioned coaches to sites of historical, cultural and scenic interest.
A relatively recent heritage attraction is Cork City Gaol which provides an impressive image and sound representation of gaol life in southern Ireland from the 1820's to the 1920's.
Blarney
A short coach drive from Cork city is Blarney village, probably the
best known and most visited tourist attraction in Ireland. Blarney
Castle was built around 1446 and tradition tells us that to kiss
the famous stone is a guarantee of the gift of eloquence. At the
impressive Blarney Woolen Mills, the visitor can witness examples
of old Irish crafts on exhibition, including hand weaving and hand knitting,
and select from the largest retail collection of Waterford Crystal
in the world. Bus 224 from Cork train station will take you there (9 miles)
www.blarneycastle.ie
Kinsale
Located 17 miles / 27 kilometers from the city, Kinsale is one of the
most picturesque fishing and tourist resorts in Ireland. A noted center
for yachting, sea angling and gourmet eating, the town was awarded
the European prize for tourism and the environment in 1995. One of
Kinsale's oldest attractions are Charles Fort, a huge star-shaped fort
built in 1677 while a major new attraction is the spectacular Old Head
of Kinsale championship golf course.
www.kinsale.ie
Jameson center, Midleton
The market town of Midleton is a mere twenty-minute journey from Cork
city or Cobh. Here in the carefully restored Old Midleton Distillery
is located the Jameson Heritage center. A visit to the center, which
contains the largest Pot Still in the world, is a journey through the
history of Irish whiskey.
Waterford
There has been a steady increase in the number of shore excursions
which embrace 1,000-year-old Waterford city – home of Waterford Crystal.
Coaches convey the cruise passengers from Cork to the plant's well
appointed visitor center where one may observe the production of truly
artistic pieces. En route passengers may take in the medieval walled
town of Youghal and the monastic ruins of the imposing Rock of Cashel.
West Cork
To the south-west of Cork are magnificent Bantry Bay and neighboring
Glengarriff and Garnish Island where the Gulf Stream influence is
clearly visible on the sub-tropical vegetation.
Shopping and Food
There are plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants along the harbor.
Currency:
The Republic of Ireland is part of the Eurozone, so as in many other European Union countries the currency here is the Euro (symbol: €). Stand Alone Cash machines (ATMs) are widely available in every city and town in the country and credit cards are accepted in 90% of outlets. Fees are not generally charged by Irish ATMs (but beware that your bank may charge a fee).
Communication:
Free WiFi at the Cobh Heritage Center, next to the terminal.
English is spoken everywhere but Irish (Gaeilge) is the first official language.
Opening Hours and Holidays:
Offices: 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Shops: 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday, until 8pm on Thursday; Saturday: 9am to 6pm; Sunday: Limited Hours Pubs: 10.30am to 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday. Closing is at 12.30am Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, 12.30 to 11.30pm. Pubs are closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Holidays in Ireland
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