‘A momentous occasion’: World’s newest cruise ship docks in Cork
Conor Mowlds, chief commercial officer at the Port of Cork Company, Paul O’Regan, harbour master at the Port of Cork Company, Frank O'Flynn, Mayor of the County of Cork, Kieran McCarthy, Lord Mayor of Cork, Marcelline Bonneau, Lady Mayoress of Cork, Inger Klein Thorhaug, captain of MS Queen Anne, pictured to mark the arrival of the Cunard Line’s newest ship, Queen Anne, to the Port of Cork on her maiden voyage to Ireland. Picture: Diane Cusack
The world’s newest cruise ship - Cunard's Queen Anne - has docked in Cobh, in what has been dubbed “a momentous occasion for the Port of Cork”.
The Port of Cork Company (PoCC) welcomed the vessel on her maiden voyage to Ireland today, with the port stating that the arrival of the 249th ship to fly under the Cunard flag “marks a historic moment for both Cunard and the Port of Cork, renewing a long-standing association that dates back to the early 20th century”.
Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown, is one of the oldest of the cruise liner company’s ports of call.
Three of the most famous Cunard vessels that visited Cobh were the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and the ill-fated Lusitania and sister ship, the RMS Mauretania in the early 1900s.
In a ceremonious event aboard the Queen Anne, a traditional plaque exchange took place to commemorate this significant occasion.
Representatives from the PoCC presented a custom-made plaque to the ship's captain, symbolising the enduring relationship between the port and Cunard.
Moreover, a commemoration wreath was placed at the Lusitania memorial in Cobh to honour the memory of those lost in the tragic sinking of the Lusitania in 1915.
“The arrival of the Queen Anne on her maiden voyage to Cobh is a momentous occasion for the Port of Cork,” Conor Mowlds, chief commercial officer at the Port of Cork Company and chair of Cruise Ireland said.
“We are honored to welcome the Queen Anne and her engers, and we look forward to many more such visits in the future."
Meanwhile, president of Cunard, Katie McAlister remarked:
“Queen Anne’s British Isles Festival voyage is celebrating the very best of Great Britain and Ireland and we are delighted that our guests on board have the opportunity to visit Cobh, a location so embedded in our history.”
The final leg of the voyage will see Queen Anne departing from Cobh this evening for Southampton.
Throughout her maiden season, she will sail from Southampton on itineraries to the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, the Canary Islands, and the Norwegian Fjords, visiting over 60 destinations in 16 countries.
App?
