Cobh to honour the dead in Titanic anniversary

A ceremony will be held in Cobh this weekend to mark the 113th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic as the town welcomes the first cruise liner of the 2025 season.

This Sunday, members of the public are invited to the town of Cobh in county Cork for a special event honouring all those who lost their lives in one of the world’s most haunting maritime tragedies.

On the same day, Cobh will also welcome the first cruise liner of the 2025 season, an event that always draws a big crowd.

Today, Cobh remains one of Ireland’s busiest cruise ports and a hugely popular tourist spot.

As the Titanic’s final port of call, Cobh holds a deep historical connection to the ill-fated liner, remaining an important place of remembrance for Titanic enthusiasts and the descendants of victims and survivors. Each year, visitors from around the world travel to Cobh to reflect on the ship’s legacy.

Organised by Cobh Tourism, the annual ceremony provides an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to pay tribute in a town forever linked to the Titanic’s fate.

This year’s commemorations will take place at the Titanic Memorial on Pearse Square, beginning at 2.30pm. The solemn ceremony will feature music, prayers, and the laying of wreaths in honour of those who perished on 15 April 1912.

Invited dignitaries, local clergy, a colour party from the Cobh Branch of the Organisation of Ex-Servicemen and Women (O.N.E.), Cobh’s Historical Animation Groups, and the Commodore Male Voice Choir will all contribute to the ceremony.

For the conclusion of the ceremonies, attendees will gather at Cobh’s scenic promenade, overlooking the very pier from where the Titanic’s final passengers boarded the tenders Ireland and America to bring them to the Titanic which lay at anchor near Roche’s Point. Here, the names of the 123 passengers who boarded the ship in Cobh – then known as Queenstown – on 11 April 1912 will be read aloud. A wreath will then be cast into the sea in their honour, followed by the poignant sounds of ‘The Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’ performed by the Cobh Confraternity Band.

Those wishing to delve deeper into the Titanic story are encouraged to visit Cobh Heritage Centre and Titanic Experience Cobh or partake in the Titanic Trail Guided Walking Tour of Cobh.

For further details on the commemorations, go to visitcobh.com.

Local people and visitors to Cobh are all warmly invited to attend the ceremony this Sunday afternoon.