Cobh Rebel Walking Tours

Our Story

Cobh Rebel Walking Tours

Try to imagine as you walk through this beautiful historic town of Cobh, and as you look out over its harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world, that this was once home the largest navy in the world. imagine that the island you are looking at one mile out from the town, Spike Island, was once the largest prison in the world, from where forty thousand convicts left in chains for Australia in the 19th century, most of whom were part of the starving masses during the potato famine. Imagine too, that all of this was happening during a visit in August 1849 by the British monarch Queen Victoria, resulting in the town changing its name from Cove to Queenstown, only to be reversed 71 years later in January 1920 when republican revolutionaries on the Town Council voted the change to Cobh. The town also saw millions of it fellow countrymen and women depart from this port for the new world across the Atlantic ocean. Later, many of those exiles were part of an Irish America that contributed financially and otherwise to assist in the revolutionary movement for freedom back home, and which later developed into the war for independence 1913-1922. This is the story you will learn about when you sign up to do the Cobh Rebel Walking Tour. You will visit the sites where military ambushes took place, where safe houses and underground tunnels were situated. you will also see the building which the British military and ruling classes were positioned as they fought to defend their empire. You will also encounter some of the best picture postcard views of this historic town, and will hear some personal stories of those who encountered the Titanic and Lusitania liners and their connections to this port. If you love history and stories of the underdog, this tour is a must do. sign up now!