A special commemoration will take place in Cobh tomorrow to mark 105 years to the day since the ill-fated liner Titanic set sail from her last port of call.

A Cork harbourside town has become the first in Ireland to create a specific welcome programme for Chinese visitors, which will be recognised by all tour operators in China.

Sean O’Riordan explores the arrival of American navy fleets in Cork Harbour during the First World War and their subsequent impact on the local infrastructure, economy, and society.

From Beijing to Ballycotton and Shangai to Shanagarry, East Cork tourism is gearing up for the arrival of the Chinese.

A large majority of county councillors in Cork are seeking to formally register their opposition to an incinerator project in Ringaskiddy.

Cork county councillors have lodged an 11th-hour objection to plans by Indaver to build incinerators in Cork Harbour, and a local tourist body has done the same.

The most vocal of those offended by the new statue of Sonia O’Sullivan have been urged not to judge the piece on a photo finish.

Athlete Sonia O’Sullivan is to travel from Australia to attend the unveiling of a lifesize sculpture dedicated to her in her Co Cork hometown later this month.

The chairman of a tourism organisation has been ferrying around some unusual visitors since they arrived in Ireland.

Nearly 1,500 Australians and 400 New Zealanders will be VIPs tomorrow when they land in Ireland on part of a round-the-world cruise.

A Lusitania commemoration, postponed as a mark of respect to a husband and wife who died from stab wounds in a domestic incident, will take place next month.

Cunard has announced it will host an exhibition of Lusitania memorabilia onboard a special cruise of the Queen Victoria cruise ship, which will be visiting Cobh next May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the torpedoed liner.

A lifesize bronze statute of Ireland’s most famous female athlete is to be unveiled next August in her hometown.

The Port of Cork’s new €100m Ringaskiddy terminal expansion plan has several key differences to the scheme which was shot down six years ago, the company insisted yesterday.

A special memorial garden is to be opened in the Titanic’s last port of call to commemorate the 123 people who boarded tenders onto the ill-fated liner.

Flares were fired off the Cork coast to mark the end of year-long centenary commemorations of the sinking of the Titanic.

ONE of the world’s finest harbours celebrated all it has to offer at the weekend.

THE Lusitania liner took just under 20 minutes to sink off the coast of Cork 95 years ago this month, but the memory of the devastating loss of over 1,100 people continues to live on in Cobh where remembrance wreaths were placed on mass graves at a cemetery in the town yesterday afternoon.

CORK County Council is planning to develop walkways, landing areas and information boards as part of the first phase of developing Spike Island as a major tourist destination.

PEOPLE living in Cobh, Co Cork are planning a right royal send-off to the world’s most famous cruise liner when she departs the harbour town tomorrow.

ANGER and surprise were expressed by local representatives and community leaders yesterday as they learnt that an army camp in North Cork could become the site of a €70 million prison.

THE Justice Minister confirmed yesterday that he is pressing ahead with plans to build a super-prison for Munster on Spike Island.

THE Irish Prison Service has blocked top academics from visiting Spike Island ahead of a conference on its tourism potential organised by those fighting the government’s super-prison plans for the island.