Kinsale and Cobh, titanic Belfast and Titantic Cobh
 

We will visit the Titantic Experience in Belfast and wondering about also doing the Titantic museum in Cobh... In the morning we will probably be driving from Cashel to Kinsale (overnight). We could stop in Cobh on our way to Kinsale to visit the Titantic museum if the recommendations is to do both the Belfast Titantic and the Titantic museum in Cobh. Thoughts????

Why?

There's a serious argument that Ireland has contributed more per square mile to the world than any other patch of territory on earth.

From preserving Christianity in the Dark Ages, then re-exporting it to Europe through its monasteries, to the world's only drinkable whiskey to its emigrants practically writing the entire US Constitution (though also providing much of the soldiery that then wiped out America's indigenous population), then exporting Christianity to most of the British Empire, and developing the finest written and spoken English of all - it's certainly true it outperforms underachieving nations like France in the "what did the ....ever do for us?" stakes

It's also got, especially around the coast of West Cork, some of the world's finest marine landscapes.

So what on earth is the point of trolling round every memorial in the country to its incompetent engineering? I mean (as we Irish would put it): fair play to its tourist board for chutzpah, but (as we English would put it) it's a bit of a cheek to expect people to pay good money to gawp at slides of a ship whose only two claims to fame are:
- it was unseaworthy, and
- it was built in Ireland

Trip Advisor rates it the third most applauded thing in Cobh - and believe me, you really don't want to waste time on No 1 (a bus tour getting you out of Cobh)or No2 (its horrid cathedral. Oddly, it's the cathedral of the Diocese of Cloyne, and there are still traces of the original seat St Brendan of Clonfert established in the 6th century at Cloyne - far more fun than this dismal ship mausoleum. So is the current Church of Ireland cathedral at Cloyne, which is stuffed with memorials to its most famous bishop George Berkeley, after whom the city in California is named)

Now people whose only interest in Ireland is this damn ship will probably enjoy the Cobh thing. For everyone else: just drive to almost any coastline in Co Cork and walk along a cliff or beach for a few miles. Or meander round Cloyne.

Sorry:

I exaggerated the Titanic Experience's appeal

Trip Advisor browsers rate the Titanic Trail (a sort of OK walk round the town)the third most interesting thing in Cobh. There are then three even more unmemorable activities more highly rated than the Titanic Experience, which only just nudges ahead of the Cobh Golf Club.

Flanneruk, so, sounds like the Titantic experience in Cobh could be checked off the "to do" list. Hope Cobhs chamber does not site your reply. Maybe we will just stick with the Belfast Titantic. I will check with our traveling friends. Thanks,

Went to Cobh before the whole Titantic movie came out and I went simply because it was the place my rellies got on the boat to sail to America from. It was more about that than anything then. It was also the first toilet I had eve seen that you walked into and the door opened if you didn't come out in 20 min. If you tried to sneak in on another's dime you got a bath because it washed everything down automatically. I would skip it and go on to Kinsale, lovely seafood there to eat.

Flap , oh darn you have tempted me to go there just to see the bathroom.

There's one of those toilets in (oh, heck, I have forgotten) either Kilrush or Kilkee. Bear in mind that it costs 50 eurocents.

Tidy, just a minor spelling correction as you have put a bit of gigantic into titanic - and come up with titantic.
For what it's worth, I have been in both Belfast and Cobh and found neither that wonderful. Belfast is much bigger in size and scope of course but while the Cobh exhibition will not delay you too long, you have a much more interesting city on your doorstep, Cork.
Kinsale is also worth some of your time as well of course!

For marine landscapes of Ireland, Cork Harbour (the second largest natural harbour in the world)ticks all the boxes and Cobh is at its centre.
Quite apart from its Titanic connection, Cobh is worth a visit, or better still why not make it a base from which to explore Cork city and surrounding area? Cobh in itself is ranked at number 7 of the "attractions" of Cork on Trip Advisor, with a magnificent cathedral, the Queenstown Story Heritage Centre, Spike Island, the Titanic Trail, the Titanic Experience and Fota House, wildlife park and gardens. Barryscourt Castle and the Jameson Experience in Midleton are just 15 minutes from Cobh and Cork city just a 25 minute train journey from Cobh. Then there is the coastal scenery of east Cork stretching from Youghal to Roche's Point and again from Cork Harbour towards Kinsale.
Cobh has been listed as being one of the top ten tourism towns in Ireland for 2014, offering an experience and a welcome that is second to none.
Cobh's connection with the Titanic is quite tangible as the ship's final 123 passengers boarded here on 11th April 1912. Just three days later 79 of these were dead! The buildings, piers and streetscape of Cobh is virtually unchanged and the story of those 123 passengers is well told in the Titanic Experience and in the soon to be opened Titanic Memorial Garden.

We were also planning a stopover in Cork City with a visit to Cobh for the Queenstown Heritage Center - not really interested in the Titanic. Is it also something we should skip? Will be using trains and buses for our trip, so planning ahead is essential.

The Queenstown Story is definitely worth a visit. Cobh is very accessible by train from Cork, just a 25 minute scenic journey. There are trains every 30 minutes at peak times and every hour at off peak times.

No, the Queenstown story is worth it. If I ever take my nieces to Ireland I am going back because their great great granny had their great granny on the boat to NYC. They all left out of Cobh. It is a beautiful port town and worth a visit but not just for the Titanic hype. Like I said it was just the Queenstown story when I went 15 years ago.

We will ponder this valuable input. For sure we will spend a night or two in Kinsale.

This is a very interesting thread. I see some things that I need to return for.

Nobody mentioned Blarney Castle, a short bus ride from Cork. It isn't much and a hazard climbing the old steps but I went anyway and had my picture taken, upside down kissing the stone.

I rode the HOHO bus around Belfast. It passed the works where the Titanic was constructed. The guide's commentary was not very flattering and it just looked like an old building so I didn't try to visit.

Thanks for the input - I will keep Cork and Cobh in my itinerary.

Personally I prefer Cobh (Cove)to the former fishing port now tourist haven of Kinsale.. There is a lot more than the Titanic link although the walking tour could be of interest.. You can take the ferry over the river rather than back up into Cork and back down to save a little time.

flanneruk have you tried the Rick Steves Ireland forum,, bulls^*t is highly regarded on there apparently..