THE QUEEN Mary II, the most famous ship in service, will make a special fifth birthday call to Cobh, Co Cork, tomorrow, as part of a maiden Round the British Isles voyage, thus becoming the largest liner ever to visit Ireland.
Cunard and Cobh have shared a long and eventful history dating back to the middle of the 19th century when emigration from Europe to the United States and Canada began in earnest. Cunard Line celebrates the 170th anniversary of its founding in 2009, so this is a double celebration for the company and its flagship.
The 151,400 ton Queen Mary II will arrive in Cobh at 1pm tomorrow and will remain there until 6pm.
Cunard managing director Peter Shanks and Commodore Bernard Warner, master of the liner, will take part in a special ceremony at the Lusitania Memorial at 2.30pm tomorrow.
The Cunard liner Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk in 1915 with the loss of 1,119 lives.
Other ports on the voyage, which departed Southampton on October 15th, include South Queensferry, maiden calls to Greenock and Liverpool and a visit to Cherbourg. Great crowds are expected to welcome the Queen Mary II at each port.
Commenting on the visit to Cobh, Cunard managing director, Peter Shanks said: “In the hundred years from 1848, over six million people emigrated from Ireland to new lives in the New World and of these 2½ million departed from Cobh – many on Cunard vessels, so it is fitting for our flagship Queen Mary II to make this call during such a special voyage.”
The voyage commemorates the introduction into service of the vessel in 2004.
The Queen Mary 11 is still the largest, longest, tallest, widest, most expensive ocean liner ever built and the fastest passenger ship in the world.