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Irish Examiner
06-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Heartbreak Pier: Where a million souls took their last steps on Irish soil
Emigration. A word so ingrained in the Irish psyche, it carries as many complex emotions in 2018 as it did a hundred years ago. Regardless of whether the decision to quit 'the Auld Sod' was based on opportunity or compulsion, its effects upon those left behind remains one of our most vivid cultural landmarks with deep roots in every county across the nation. Between 1848 and 1950, it is estimated that 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland. Crowds waiting to embark the Titanic in Cobh, then called Queenstown, in 2012. An image from the Fr FM Browne SJ Collection More than 2.5 million of those boarded ships in Cobh, or Queenstown as it was known until 1920, making it the single most important port of emigration. Amongst those multitudes, over 1 million took their final steps from Irish soil across the gangplanks of 'Heartbreak Pier' — the jetty to an unknown New World trodden with the heavy hearts of those who would never return. Due to its association with the misery of forced departure, the pier became known locally for the heartache of a final goodbye to family and home. 'There was no such thing as a return ticket in the 1890s and early 1900s, every ticket was one-way,' recalled a shipping agent of the time. 'The man who emigrated was a 'two pence a day' man — the average wage for a labourer back then. They rode to Cobh on donkeys and ponies and were greeted there by opportunists who knew the animals were up for grabs on the quaysides.' On April 11, 1912, the Titanic called to the port of Queenstown (now Cobh), Co. Cork on her maiden voyage to New York. The picture shows some of the passengers strolling on the top deck as the liner was anchored just outside the mouth of Cork Harbour. A few days later, she sank after hitting an iceberg and most of those on board were killed. It's not known if those in the picture survived or not. Ref 114/115. Picture: Thomas Barker, Cork Examiner photographer With a history that must surely make it one of the most famous slipways in Ireland, if not the world, Heartbreak Pier is set for significant investment as part of an ambitious re-development plan to protect and conserve its status as a potentially major tourist attraction. Located adjacent to the iconic White Star Line building in Cobh, the pier had fallen into severe disrepair over the last number of decades, a victim of erosion, storm damage and the general weathering of time. 'The pier as a structure is a significant piece of history,' said Gillen Joyce, proprietor of the Titanic Experience. 'Having transformed the White Star Line building, and seen firsthand the impact of the site on visitors as well as the region, we felt passionately about saving 'Heartbreak Pier' and ensuring that it would not be lost to the elements.' The pier will add significantly to Cobh's existing attractions, providing another tangible landmark amongst the already popular themes of emigration and its vocative connection to the RMS Titanic. Key to the redevelopment is a new structure which interacts with the old pier, and where visitors can walk upon that same piece of 'the old country' as did the 1 million souls across the decades of Irish history. Amongst the 1 million who crossed the epochal structure, the 123 who were passengers on the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic have garnered much curiosity in recent years. At its final port of call at Queenstown on April 11th, the last passengers to board the ship for its intended journey to New York crossed the timbers of Heartbreak Pier on a journey where only 44 of the 123 would eventually survive. A photo taken on the deck of the Titanic when it was bearthed in Cobh. Picture: Thomas Barker, Irish Examiner Three travelled first class, seven in second and the remainder in third — or steerage. Having anchored at the entrance to Cork harbour to transfer and collect passengers, Titanic set sail on what became one of the most tragic of maritime legends. The ship struck an iceberg on the night of April 14th, and foundered with the loss of over 1,500 passengers early on the following morning.
Irish Examiner
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Headlines on papal visits to Ireland show how country has changed
Almost 40 years separated the visits of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis to Ireland, and the contrasts between the tone of the two events are thrown into sharp focus even just from a glance at the headlines covering each event at the time. If the theme of the first papal visit was a celebration, then the tone for the second visit was more akin to seeking forgiveness. In the Cork Examiner on October 1, 1979, an image of the pontiff was accompanied by the headline: 'Young Ireland hails Pope for all ages'. Inside the newspaper, further headlines declared things such as 'Pope shares nation's tears of happiness' and 'Going to Mass will never be the same again'. One newspaper headline even said: ''A jolly good fellow,' sing the media' On August 27, 2018, the Irish Examiner let the image speak for itself on the front page while, inside, the very different mood to the visit of Pope Francis was reflected. 'Public act of contrition helps to clear the air for a festival of the faithful,' was the headline across pages two and three. Other headlines said how 'Francis asks forgiveness for abuse and cover-up', while we also heard how 'thousands of dissenting voices speak out against visit'. The legacy of church abuse cast a long shadow over Pope Francis's visit, during which he addressed a litany of crimes by its institutions and members. Popemobile in city centre The pontiff visited Ireland for two days in August 2018, which included a visit to Knock shrine in Co Mayo, a meeting with victims of clerical abuse, and a visit to a homeless centre run by the Capuchin Fathers. It also included a dash through Dublin City centre, where thousands of onlookers caught just a glimpse of the Popemobile as it sped past, as well as the Festival of Families in Croke Park — which featured performances from Andrea Bocelli and Daniel O'Donnell. The visit culminated in an open-air Sunday Mass in Dublin's Phoenix Park, where pilgrims's attendance was a fraction of the million people who greeted Pope John Paul II at the same spot in 1979. It nevertheless still had plenty of eyes on it, as RTÉ reported an audience of 1.1m viewers tuning in for at least a portion of the broadcast. During the Phoenix Park Mass, he asked for 'forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland' and for 'pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions'. The visit prompted several demonstrations, including at a mass grave of infants at a former home for unmarried mothers in Co Galway, and at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. Colm O'Gorman, a survivor of clerical abuse and the former head of Amnesty International Ireland, organised the rally at the Garden of Remembrance to coincide with the Phoenix Park Mass. Mr O'Gorman said it was an 'extraordinary' show of 'powerful solidarity and purpose'. He said that it was initially dismissed that Pope Francis would address a series of abuse and mistreatment scandals by the Catholic Church, which he said would have been 'completely unacceptable'. What popes generally do — and that includes, sadly, Pope Francis — is they speak of their regret and sadness, or sorrow at the hurt caused to so many people 'That's not an apology. It's an expression of sorrow,' he added. However, Mr O'Gorman said he has 'enormous regard' for the late pontiff's empathy towards refugees and migrants. He added that Pope Francis's stance on women's rights and LGBT+ issues had been 'open and non-judgmental'. A more liberal approach to social issues emphasised why his response to clerical abuse in Ireland was 'such a disappointment', Mr O'Gorman added.
