Cobh Animation Team brings past to life with style 

IT can sometimes be hard to imagine what life was like 100 years ago, how our ancestors lived, how they moved through the same places we do now, and even what they wore.

Those who have been lucky enough to bump into the Cobh Animation Team over the past 10 years don’t have to imagine, as the group of splendidly dressed ladies have been bringing history to life through costume for a decade.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the group of volunteer re-enactors first started to dress in period costume around Cobh, to coincide with the centenary commemorations of the Titanic sinking in 2012.

It was the brainchild of Cobh native Claire Cullinane, who would later go on to become an Independent councillor who dedicated much of her time and efforts to promoting tourism in the town, and showcasing everything it has to offer.

Claire Stack, one of the founding members of Cobh Animation Team, said that when Claire Cullinane passed away suddenly in 2016, the group decided to carry on in her honour.

“It was her brain child, she loved Cobh, she loved everything to do with it… it was something that she loved so much, and we decided then we’d keep it going,” said Ms Stack.

“We’ve been going since, for the last six years now, and she’s always there,” she added.

As is in the name, Cobh Animation Team have spent the last 10 years animating the past, bringing history and culture to life through costume, as well as storytelling through “living history” events.

Often guests of honour at charity events, historic commemorations, and celebrations, the team of historic costume enthusiasts have been invited to occasions across Munster, Ireland, and even internationally.

Ms Stack says they are best known for their costumes from the Victorian era but that members of the group have clothes spanning from 1840 to 1940.

“Every team member would have a costume from each era, it’s not just one costume. We try to do them correctly as much as possible, they might not be exact, but they would definitely be in the style of the costumes at the time,” she said.

From their first costumes of passengers who might have been spotted around Cobh in 1912 waiting to board the Titanic, to intricate Victorian gowns, to replicas of uniforms donned by Cumann na mBan, almost everything is carefully hand-crafted by the animation team themselves.

“Everyone puts together their own costume and they’ve all learned to sew and make things and everything. The ladies are all brilliant, it’s amazing what they put together and it’s all their own work. If there’s anything we can’t do, we might try to get somebody to do the basic part for us, and then everyone will embellish it or put their own individual touch to it,” said Ms Stack.

Today a group of 14 ladies, occasionally joined by the odd gentleman or grandchild, Ms Stack said the animation team makes every effort to turn out to anything they are invited to, having attended over 50 events this year alone (not including greeting every liner that visited Cobh).

“We’re delighted when people invite us to various events, it’s rarely that we’d turn down something unless we have no-one to go… We try and do whatever people want us to do, and we get involved, it’s great fun and it brings a bit of living history to the place,” she said.

As well as sharing fashion and cultural history through costume, Cobh Animation Team also re-enact historical stories while in costume in events for all age groups, from schools up to active age groups.

“Previously we’ve done a living history of the stories of Cobh and Spike, we do a Mná na hÉireann one as well linking into 1916… and for Culture Night this year we just wanted to do something different, so we did our own stories,” said Ms Stack.

“Most of us have stories going back to our own families… we’re all part of history and all our families are part of it. People on the team went researching and, going back, they found out things about their own families that they didn’t necessarily remember or know, and it was lovely to have that little personal touch as well,” she added.

From meeting Prince Charles, to taking part in significant centenary commemorations of the foundation of the Irish State, to being invited to Áras an Uachtaráin to celebrate their 10th anniversary, Ms Stack said that there have been some amazing memories made by the team over the past 10 years but that some of the best moments have been the small ones.

“When we were at the Phoenix Park in Dublin recently, a woman came over to us when we were just walking along and she said I’ve just come from hospital, my husband is quite sick in hospital, and ye have just made my day — sure we were all in tears,” she said.

“We’ve met Prince Charles, we’ve met various other people… but sometimes it’s the small things that matter the most, if we can bring a bit of joy to people just by being ourselves and just walking along,” she added.

While sometimes people might have a moment of fright or panic when they run into figures dressed up as ghostly characters from time gone by, Ms Stack says mostly the response from the public is overwhelmingly one of joy.

“It is fairly spectacular when you do see people like us coming along. When the liners are down town in Cobh we do a lot of just walking around the street, and a lot of people from abroad would come up and say ‘can I get a photograph with ye?’ and ‘how much do ye charge?’,” she said.

“We say ‘oh no no no, there’s no charge — it’s all about introducing people to the friendliness of the Irish in one way… it’s just about spreading a bit of joy really,” she added.

Keeping the past alive through re-enactment, Ellen O’Regan caught up with the Cobh Animation Team, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.