Cobh,QE2

The memorial in Cobh to the sinking of the Lusitania. The ship was torpedoed 3 miles from Kinsale by a German u boat in 1915, I think The US then entered the first World War. The survivors were brought into Cobh, those that perished and their bodies recovered are buried in Old Church cemetery outside the town. About 30 years ago I had been reading about the Lusitania and went to the cemetery to see the memorials, as we thought.We searched the graveyard, mostly overgrown at the time but could find no trace of it, as we were leaving I asked a gentleman at the gate where they
were and he said he thought they were up the back somewhere.



All we could see were raised mounds of grass, There were no headstones or markers that I can remember now.I visited again today and the town council have done a great job of tidying up the graveyard and marking the final resting places of the victims.There are 3 of these large marker stones for the unidentified bodies buried here.














A fairly new memorial stone, naming mostly crew who could possibly be identified.














Another marker shielded by huge yew trees













Cobh (Queenstown) has a long naval history, to walk around the old part of the cemetery you can see old headstones depicting this. This is the grave of Dr James Verling, he sailed on the Northumberland on 8th August 1815 with Napoleon as he was being sent to St Helena to exile.Dr Verling remained there as his physician until 25th April 1820. He completed other postings and finally settled in Cobh and died there on 1st Jan 1858.
There are organised walks now in the cemetery, as there are a number of famous graves here. Jack Doyle the boxer and film star known as the gorgeous gael is one,he had money and fame but squandered it all to die penniless and destitute in London in 1978. Friends brought his body back to be buried here.
The oldest recorded burial here is in 1698!