Sir, - It is difficult to comprehend why your coverage of various events in Cobh (The Irish Times, July 8th) made no mention of the new Titanic Memorial unveiled in the town on July 7th.
The unveiling of this memorial was an international event involving our society, the Titanic Historical Society of Massachusetts, the British Titanic Society, Millvina Dean, the youngest survivor, and relatives of the Irish passengers who boarded Titanic on April 11th, 1912.
The day's activities included a walking tour of Cobh, which highlighted the town's maritime past, followed by a visit to the Heritage Centre.
At 1 p.m. the group left Cobh by ferry in a re-enactment of the journey taken by the tenders in 1912, to the outer anchorage, where a brief memorial service took place.
As the ferry, with about 100 on board, returned to Kennedy Quay in Cobh, a special recital on the carillon of St Colman's Cathedral rang out across the town.
The new memorial at Pearse Square, Cobh, which consists of two bronze plaques on a limestone plinth, was unveiled by Mr Liam Burke TD, a relative of the Titanic victim Mr Jeremiah Burke of Glanmire, Co Cork.
Cobh artist Michael O'Donovan's artwork features the Rice family on board the tender America approaching the Titanic, off Roches Point.
The speakers at the unveiling included Mr Terry Anderson, cathaoirleach of Cobh Urban District Council, Mr John Mulvihill, chairman of Cork County Council, and Mr Ed Kamuda, president of the Titanic Historical Society of Massachusetts.
The memorial was jointly blessed by Rev George Hilliard and Fr Donal O'Mahony.
That evening, at the Commodore Hotel in Cobh, there was a special dinner to commemorate the founding of the Titanic Historical Society 35 years ago, on July 7th, 1963.
These events will be reported in the journals of Titanic societies throughout Europe, North America and South Africa. - Yours, etc., Ed Coghlan,
Chairman, The Irish Titanic Historical Society, Malahide, Co Dublin.