Sunday, October 04, 2015

Old Church Cemetery, Cobh | Lusitania Graves & Memorial ♥

I've been wanting to take more pictures of my hometown of Cobh and share with the world some of the sights it holds that entice thousands of visitors to it from around the whole world each year and I thought what better place to begin with than one of the most historical places in the town and one of my personal favourites - the Old Church Cemetery, final resting place of those who perished in the sinking of the Lusitania as well as other shipping disasters off the coast of County Cork.

The Old Church Cemetery in Cobh is a place I have always loved. It's so peaceful there and it is a place steeped in history, with graves dating back to the 15th century. I always loved to visit there and see all the old graves, reading the old-fashioned names on them as a child and deciding which ones I liked. Anytime I visited there always seemed to be something new to catch my attention, things which I had missed before and now that I'm an adult I still discover new sights everytime I visit.

The old church which is so decrepit now is always awe inspiring to look at. The tombs and headstones in there have always captivated me and I remember reading one as a child and wondering what a baroness was. The headstones in the graveyard are dotted all over the grass in no particular order and each one is different, making them a fabulous photography subject.

It is an incredibly peaceful place and instead of having an eerie feeling, it instead has one of peace and tranquility, with beautiful flowers growing on the graves, walls and grass - it's amazing how things so beautiful and full of new life such as spring flowers can grow in a place which is a symbol of death.

Most of the graves in the older part of the graveyard are of those who perished in sinking ships off the coast of Cork and it was actually the centenary of the Lusitania disaster which drew me to the graveyard during the week. There are some individual graves of the remains of those who drowned when the Lusitania sank but also three mass graves for those who died. The graveyard now has glass plaques and wreaths in place to honour the memory of these poor souls. Cobh had lots of events to commemorate the anniversary of the Lusitania sinking and I sadly missed them all but it was great to go and pay my respects myself in the graveyard and to see the new plaques.

The Old Church Cemetery draws visitors from all around the world, as well as the town folk of Cobh. I think it's the unique and interesting headstones that makes people curious to visit. I really do love how peaceful it is there and it's such a lovely place to pay respect to those who've sadly passed away.

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2 comments

  1. I find old cemeteries so interesting & beautiful. You surely captured it's unique feel and intrigue. Thanks for the awesome pictures. :)

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  2. Me too Natalie, I love strolling around them. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, so glad you like the pictures :)

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