Day 2 in Cork

Following breakfast we walked out of the town center and up a steep hill to the Cork City Goal (pronounced Jail).  This prison was used in the late 1800's to early 1900's.  Hardened criminals were imprisoned here along with the poor who committed crimes just to get arrested. It was a crime of poverty that sent many criminals to jail. During times of great famine, people (men, women and children) would be starving but they knew that if they were in prison they would be fed, clothed and have a bed to sleep on.  Later it was used as a political prison before being closed down due to unsanitary conditions.  We listened to a well done audio tour while walking in and out of cells.

Since it was close to lunch time by the time we got back to the English Market, we bought sausages and ate them in the nearby Mutton Lane pub accompanied by a local brew. This pub claims to be the oldest in town.

It was then that we decided we had to nearly run to the train station to catch a ride to Cobh (pronounced Cove) to experience the last port-of-call for the HMS Titanic. Cobh was once named Queenstown. When the Titanic pulled into this harbor she sent  people to shore and picked us 123 souls, most Irish immigrants going to America.  Two days later she sank. The 3rd class tickets cost about $650 in today's dollars while the1st class ranged up to $150,000.  Of the 123 who boarded only 44 survived.

The town skyline is dominated by the spires of St. Colman's Cathedral but the quaint lines of colorful homes makes it feel very old world and inviting.  HMS Lusitania was torpedoed not far off these shores and a memorial is prominently displayed to honor those deaths.

We walked over 8 miles again today!