Sunday 3.24, Worship and Cobh

Sunday we drove to meet with the church of Christ in Cork for worship at 10. Including us, there were 22 people there—7 of those children. 

Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We sang hymns I knew and took the Lord’s Supper; the unleavened bread was homemade. One thing Noah and I loved was when we sang "Victory in Jesus" and the congregation pronounced the "thr" sound like "tr," so when they sang the words, "through Jesus..." it sounded like, "true Jesus." The preacher’s name is Michael and he presented an excellent sermon about knowing the will of God. After the worship was over, there was a short break and then a Bible class, also led by Michael. The format invited comments and discussion, and the lesson was about dinosaurs and how they fit in to the Bible account. We met several Americans and had some great conversations after church. Noah was so excited to worship with Irish Christians and said later that he LOVED it! What a great experience for all of us.

We drove directly to Cobh after worship, where I had pre-purchased ferry tickets to Spike Island. We parked near St. Colman's Cathedral, and Noah was awed by its grandeur.

Spike Island from the shores of Cobh

We had a short amount of time to wolf down some lunch, then made it to the ferry. 

Cobh and St. Colman's Cathedral make a striking impression as you pull away, reminiscent of what so many Titanic passenges would have seen as they headed into the Atlantic on that fateful trip.

In the last 1300 years, Spike Island has been the site of a 6th century monastery, a 24-acre fortress, a huge convict depot that deported prisoners to Australia, and a prison.

We toured the 200-year-old Fort Mitchel, a star-shaped fort which was converted into a prison, an internment camp, a military base, and a prison once again. During the Irish War of Independence, three Irish volunteers made a daring escape by boat. Spike Island was also the epicenter of a famous prison riot in September 1985.

Trying to capture Noah's Mugshot

A stop for hot cocoa in the cafe

A 6" gun, one of two on the island. These are the largest surviving examples of breech loading guns in Ireland. They were never fired in hostility.

Rob Roy Bar

On our way back to the car, we wandered inside St. Colman's Cathedral.

Chris then drove us up to the Old Church Cemetery, where several mass graves hold the remains of the Lusitania tragedy victims from the German U-boat strike in 1915. It was a BEAUTIFUL and historic cemetery that paid tribute to many people's lives.

 

We drove back to Cork and went to Wabisabi, Chris' favorite Irish sushi restaurant! Noah ordered chicken fried rice but he tried some of our sushi--and liked it!

What a weekend! We were especially grateful to have Chris for our weekend experiences. It's way more fun to share the adventures with others, especially when said "others" are willing to drive! Ha!