Southern Star January 10 2015
SIR – Recently there were
suggestions that that a Diaspora
Centre be located on
the site of the old bonded
warehouses at the Port of
Cork, which would be a good
idea. However, I think that
it is a shame, given Cork
Harbour’s long and historic
tradition, that we don’t have
a real maritime museum in
Cork.
I believe that Passage
West would be an ideal location
for the maritime museum
for a number of historical
reasons: It was the original
Port of Cork up until the midto
late-1800s
This year, 2015, we will
be celebrating the 200th anniversary
of the launching
at Passage West of the first
steamship built in Ireland,
the ‘City of Cork,’ which was
constructed at the Hennessy
Bros Shipyard, which was
located in the vicinity of Fr
O’Flynn Park.
In 1838, the ‘Sirius’ left
Passage West to become the
first steamship to cross the
Atlantic to New York. She
was under the command
of local man Capt Richard
Roberts.
Passage West has a long
history of ship building and
ship repair. Two of the town’s
graveyards have numerous
headstones with maritime
links, e.g. the ‘Mary Russell’
saga, Capt Roberts’ memorial
and many many more.
Passage West was twice
the ‘beach head’ for the taking
of Cork City; the Duke of
Marlborough’s troops landed
there in 1690 and General
Emmett Dalton’s Irish Free
State troops in 1922. It has
a long line of seafarers that
served, and many gave their
lives, over the years in the
Merchant Navy, British and
Irish Naval Services.
Currently there are several
large buildings in the centre
of the town lying idle, e.g.
the old convent school and
the old town hall in Chapel
Square, any of which would
be ideal location for a maritime
museum.
Next year, we will have a
landing pontoon in place for
harbour tours, etc – a facility
that will provide further
access. So I think it’s time to
make a start and voice our
claim as the ideal location for
Cork’s maritime museum.
Regards,
Jim Murphy,
8, Pembroke Wood,
