THE SIZZLE of barbecues and the band of the First Southern Brigade greeted 1,500 Australian tourists as the cruise liner Dawn Princess berthed in Cobh, Co Cork, yesterday for the town’s annual Australia Day festivities.
Stallholders sold Irish and Australian flags while pubs played traditional Irish music for tourists who came off board the liner for the afternoon.
The focal point was at Cobh Heritage Centre where a “blessing of the bonnets” ceremony took place. Roses from the Heart is a memorial to the 25,566 convict women transported to Australia from Ireland and Britain from 1788 to 1853.
The project involves the making of a bonnet, similar to that worn at the time, to commemorate the life and contribution each of the transported women made towards the founding of a new nation. Fifteen thousand bonnets have been contributed from all over the world in a project which originated at the University of Tasmania.
Christine and Ian Wooldridge from Lanceston in Tasmania were among those who attended the ceremony. Mr Wooldridge said the service was “very moving” even for someone without close ties to Ireland. The Mayor of Cobh, Councillor Jim Quinlan, said he was honoured to welcome the Australian ambassador to Ireland, Bruce Davies, to the ceremony. Mr Quinlan described the berthing of the cruise liner in Cobh as a huge boost to the area.
“It is fantastic. This is the second visit of the Dawn Princess from Australia and our second time having Australia Day. The blessings of the bonnets service was very poignant and it was lovely to hear all the Australians singing along. It is a very uplifting day and a great celebration of our ties with the country.”
Debbie Walsh, general manager of Cobh Heritage Centre, said visitors from Australia who arrived in Cobh yesterday were referred to a genealogical service if they expressed interest in tracing their Irish ancestry. She described Australia Day as the “pinnacle” of the tourist season in the town and paid tribute to locals for making the event such a success. The festivities included Irish dancing and an air-sea helicopter rescue display with the Waterford based Coast Guard helicopter.