This weekend marks the 105th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and as I live only a short drive from where the ill-fated ship set sail for America (which took place on a Thursday from Cobh, County Cork) it’s only fitting that it should feature on this week’s Thursday Doors. The entrance in the photo above leads to a restaurant that looks out onto what’s left of Heartbreak Pier, the last place some of Titanic’s passengers touched dry land. The ship arrived in Queenstown (now called Cobh) in county Cork to pick up mail and 123 passengers, before setting out on her first trans-Atlantic voyage. There were over 2,000 passengers and crew on board as she left the harbour at 1.30 pm on Thursday 11 April 1912, bound for New York.
Heartbreak Pier
The Titanic exhibition is housed in the old White Star Line office building, which looks much the same now as it did back then.
Of the 123 passengers who boarded from Cobh, three were first class, seven were second class and the remaining 113 were third class or steerage. Only 44 survived, ten of those being from Cork. When you receive your ticket for the guided tour you are given the name of one of the passengers who boarded Titanic from Cobh that day. At the end of the tour you find out whether or not you were among the survivors. The first time I took this tour, the name on my ticket was that of Katherine Buckley, aged 22, a young Irish woman from county Cork. You can find out what happened to her by following the link at the end of this post. This time my ticket belonged to Mary Canavan, a single woman aged 22.
She was one of nine children, a farmer’s daughter from County Mayo and embarked as a 3rd class passenger. Her ticket cost £7 and 15 shillings (approx. £700 in today’s money). Mary’s elder brother Patrick had emigrated to America the year before and she was to join him. She traveled in a group of fourteen men and women from her parish, Addergoole* in Mayo, but lost her life, along with two of her cousins, Patrick Canavan and James Flynn, when the ship went down. Only three of the group survived.
Katherine Buckley’s fate – A Titanic Experience
If you sail on over to Norm’s blog you’ll find an interesting selection of international Thursday Doors by clicking the blue ‘frog’ link at the end of his post.
Jean Reinhardt 
A sad time. I love Ocean liners. My mother and I used to travel on them.
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I’ve never been on a cruise, Sherry, but my mother and sisters have and loved it. It’s on my bucket list for when I retire.
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I have always been fascinated by the Titanic and the story of the people makes it even more interesting.
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Me too, Dan. My friend’s grandfather was one of those who drowned on the Titanic, he was a french chemist returning to his family in America after a trip back to France.
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The death toll is such a sad part of that story, more so because it could have been prevented if they had planned better
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I’m certainly glad I sailed over here today even if you did give me goosebumps with this post. Nice remembrance, Jean. 🙂
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It was sad that what started out as a new life for some ended up in tragedy.
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The Titanic is one of those iconic stories that seems to capture everyone’s imagination. It is fitting that you feature the Titanic so close to its tragedy anniversary.
What an interesting idea to give each visitor a passenger profile when they come in. I would imagine it makes the experience that much more ‘alive’.
Sadly, this sinking was a lesson in numerous things that, if done correctly, could have prevented the tragic death of so many people.
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Being given the ticket of one of the passengers made the experience so much more personal, Joanne.
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What a great way to learn a bit of history (both your post and getting the name of a passenger, etc.)! I have to echo what Joanne said and it’s a nautical example of the saying, “Pride goes before a fall” or, in this case, a sinking.
janet
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It’s a very moving tour, Janet. There was no need for such a great loss of life, if only more care had been taken.
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Was the pier always called Heartbreak Pier, or did it change to that name after the Titanic sunk?
The history and stories of those who were sailing on her are fascinating. Thanks for sharing both Katherine’s and Mary’s. They were so young, and so brave!
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It was built about 150 years ago, Deborah, and it’s estimated that over one million people walked on it to board ships when they emigrated to America and Australia. That’s how it got the name Heartbreak Pier. It was called that before the Titanic disaster. As the ships headed out into the Atlantic they passed by Fastnet Rock, which was referred to as the Teardrop of Ireland, as it was the last bit of Irish land seen by emigrants.
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Wow! Poignant spots, and great names! Thanks for the added information.
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Such a story yet I am intrigued with the details of the Titanic tragedy. Is that creepy?
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I’m also intrigued by the Titanic but the Lusitania, which sank off the coast of Ireland three years later was just as tragic. Of the 1,959 passengers and crew on board, 1,198 died. Titanic passengers had 2 hours and 40 minutes to get off the ship, while the Lusitania went down in only 18 minutes.
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Oh my. I do remember that tragedy but not the death toll. This is why no cruises for me!
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I’ve only slept overnight on a crossing from Cork to Roscoff, France, but never been on a cruise. Not sure how I might feel about being on a ship for a week.
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Heartbreak Pier… that says it all, doesn’t it? For generations of folks who had to leave because the land of their birth was unable to support them. Thank you for sharing, Jean:).
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It’s a very appropriate name, Sarah.
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The final door to pass through before their fateful voyage. Just the opposite of “Abandon all hope ye who enter here.”
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Dante’s ‘Inferno’ would have been the last thing on their minds, especially those who were emigrating. They must have been so full of hope for a new life.
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Tragic, Jean.But I must be one of the few people on the planet who hasn’t seen the movie!
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I think that all of these compelling individual human stories are the reason why the Titanic tragedy lives on and continues to captivate so many, even after all these years.
Great post Jean 🙂
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And it was an international disaster, Norm, with passengers and crew from many different countries involved – even from as far away as India.
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What a great idea for a tour! However it must have given you an eerie feeling – I know it would me!
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It did, Jan. Although, it didn’t put me off travelling by water, thankfully.
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The personal story of Mary made this failed voyage even more sad! Good I didn’t know about this when I went as a 5-year-old on an ocean liner to go from Indonesia to Holland! A poignant account, Jean!
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If I was only five years old travelling that distance across the sea I wouldn’t want to know about Titanic either, Jesh.
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A lovely and poignant post, Jean. The tragedy of the Titanic continues to fascinate, doesn’t it? An example of the folly of man.
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True, Helen. Apparently, there was pressure to hurry the job and the hull might have been compromised because of it.
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Yes, I saw that documentary – it was so interesting. And the fire in the coal store weakened it further. A fatal catalogue of errors, sadly. I saw the travelling exhibition when it came to Melbourne and, as you were when you visited the exhibition, was given the name of a passenger and found out their fate at the end. I was a third class woman travelling with her small daughter – sadly, both perished.
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Unfortunately, third class passengers were at a big disadvantage, Helen.
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They certainly were. Such an awful tragedy.
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Wow, that’s a neat one. How sad and fascinated we all are by the magnitude of that tragedy. Thank you for sharing.
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It’s a very sad remembrance, alright, Joey.
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I have come to prefer traveling Trans-Atlantic via ship….just HATE commercial flying! Every time we make the crossing, the ship’s daily log will note when we are passing near the site of Titanic’s sinking…
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I don’t like flying at all. I always feel I might have a better chance in the water than in the air, if disaster strikes. It must be very emotive knowing you’re near the same spot where so many lost their lives.
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It is emotional being near that spot, especially on an ocean liner. I of course think of the people who lost their lives, but am also quite moved by the resilience of the survivors! I have a deep respect for those folks!! I feel the same way as you about my chances of survival in a water disaster versus an air disaster… Plus, on a ship I can actually walk around, take hot showers, and eat REAL food!!!
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Best way to travel, by far! 🙂
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105 th anniversary !!! I’m just 21 but don’t know why I’m feeling old after reading this. Post is very informational for me atleast ! I’m very fascinated by titanic 😍
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The story of Titanic and her passengers touches the hearts of many people, whatever their age. I think it’s because we can picture ourselves there if we had been alive at the time.
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It’s absolutely true.. I would be there for sure 😀
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Hi, Jean. Great bit of history here in your post. I remember reading about a passenger who had a premonition of disaster and did not sleep on the voyage. So sad.
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There are some great photographs that were taken by a priest who was on board. I think it was his bishop who refused to give him permission to travel and sent word that he was to get off the ship. He must have been fuming at the time but very thankful later. His photographs are part of the exhibition at Cobh, Patti.
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Fascinating, Jean. That’s a wonderful story about the priest who was saved by his bishop.
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Wasn’t he the lucky man?
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