The Birthplace of Ireland’s Steam Ship Industry
Relive the golden days of the maritime history of the lower Cork Harbour area at Passage West Maritime Museum.
The town of Passage boasts an impressive industrial heritage dating back over 300 years. Known as ‘the original port of Cork’ it was the birthplace of the first steamship built in Ireland, “The City of Cork”, which was constructed in 1815 on the site of where the Museum now stands. It was also the port from which “The Sirius”, the first ship to cross the Atlantic entirely under steam, left in 1838 under the command of local man Captain Richard Roberts. And of course, Passage West and its shipbuilding industry is probably best known through its association with the Royal Victoria Dockyard, which provided so much employment to its townspeople throughout the years.
Passage West now has a permanent home in which to store and display the wide variety of rare artefacts and archival material from various sources throughout the town itself as well as from nearby Glenbrook, Monkstown and the general lower harbour area.
The Museum’s collection extends across a range of categories such as maritime history, shipbuilding and ship repair, emigration, the US naval presence in Cork Harbour and of course the stories of the generations of seamen associated with the town. While the focus of the Museum is centered upon the story of Passage West and its relationship to the sea, future exhibitions will feature other aspects of local history such the Cork Blackrock & Passage Railway, folklife, fishing, rowing, social and political history and noted personalities from the locality.