Cobh Heritage Centre digitises new emigration artefacts

COBH Heritage Centre has announced that it has digitised several artefacts following a public call out for memorabilia associated with Irish emigration.

The call-out resulted in artefacts from all over the world being donated to the centre. 

These have been digitised and several are on display at the centre, which tells the story of Irish emigration from the 1600s to the 20th century.

Among the newly donated artefacts is a small bottle with a note inside which was thrown from the Titanic by Jeremiah Burke. It reads: “From Titanic, goodbye all, Burke, Glanmire, Cork.”

Also among the artefacts is a letter written on the Titanic by Edward Colley to his cousin.

The letter was posted when the Titanic arrived in what was then known as Queenstown, now Cobh.

Additionally, the artefacts include a shillelagh that belonged to an emigrant in the US in the 1860s; a water canteen that was used in the American Civil War and two flags that were hanging on the SS America on its last voyage into Cobh.

Thanks to the generosity of the public, the large exhibition in the Cobh Heritage Centre on the Titanic features many individual and personal stories, including photographs taken by Fr Frank Brown which are some of the last photographs ever to be taken of the Titanic.

The exhibition also tells the story of Mary Mullins and Denis Lennon who eloped on the Titanic.

The story of Jack and Rose from the Titanic film is based on them.

Cobh Heritage Centre annually welcomes more than 80,000 visitors and has also announced a vacancy for a director of operations and strategy. Reporting to the board of Cobh Heritage Centre, the director of operations and strategy will lead, co-ordinate and manage the development and operation of Cobh Heritage Centre.

To apply for the position contact Claire Looney O’Sullivan via email, claire.looney@corkcoco.ie.