Outing to Cobh 29 Aug 2015

The society’s first tour was to Cobh in Co. Cork. After getting a cup of tea following the journey down from Emly, we got a short ferry ride across the harbour to Spike Island. Our tour guy met us off the boat at the other side and gave a us very interesting tour of the former prison and Naval base. The trip to Spike island led us to recall the achievements of Tommy Donovan who was sent to prison in Cork in connection with the disarming of a military and police patrol near Emly during the war of independence. Tommy with his companions went on hunger strike for a total of ninety four days in 1920 .Eleven men began the strike but two died. Tommy’s nephew Mossy, who was on our tour to Cobh, has an autograph book containing his signature and those of his companions in Spike Island prison. Unfortunately,Tommy never fully recovered from the ordeal of the hunger strike and he died in 1930 in his fortieth year.
We had our dinner after returning from Spike Island in the Commodore Hotel. We were then taken on a walking tour of Cobh by our tour guide, including the Cathedral and the Titanic trail. The sun was shining all day long and it was a fabulous day out.