Cobh Heritage Centre

Whether you are interested in the Irish Emigration story, tracing your ancestors, learning more about the ill-fated Titanic and the Lusitania, or immersing yourself in our naval and military history, Cobh Heritage Centre has it all and lots more.

With such a rich heritage, history and so many stories to tell, a trip to Cobh Heritage Centre is a must. This beautiful, informative and sometimes emotive cultural Centre is inventively situated within Cobh’s beautifully restored Victorian railway station, a building with its own historic story.

Because so many people from Ireland’s past travelled through Cobh, one of the world’s finest natural harbours, visitors can learn about the stories of these emigrants. Over three million Irish people emigrated from this port. Many had to leave because of the Great famine, many left in search of a new start and the hope of a better life.

The Emigration Story relates the maritime, naval and military history of the area, the fortification of the harbour with forts such as Haulbowline, Spike Island, and Fort Camden and takes you on an journey of exploration of the lives of those who left from the 1600’s right through to the 1950’s.

Tales of the early emigrants to Virginia, the Carolinas and Canada, the forgotten Irish who endured forced labour in the West Indies during and after Cromwellian times, to the sinking of the Titanic and The Lusitania, are inventively displayed in a variety of modern, tasteful and artistic ways.