Lusitania inquest to be re-enacted

A re-enactment of the inquest into the sinking of the Lusitania, featuring descendents of the jury, will be one of a number of events planned to commemorate next year’s 100th anniversary of the sinking of the liner.

Commemorations will take place in a number of venues in Co Cork associated with the disaster of May 7, 1915, when she was sunk by German submarine, U20, with the loss of 1,198 passengers and crew.

Cobh will kick off the programme on New Year’s Day with a series of events, which will be followed by a photographic exhibition and a lecture series in the spring.

Thursday, May 7, will see a visit of two liners — the Ruby Princess and the Queen Victoria — belonging to the Cunard Line which owned the Lusitania.

Officials, crew, and passengers will participate in ceremonies at Old Church Cemetery, where many of the victims are buried, and later at the Lusitania Peace Memorial in the town centre.

The final tributes will be paid at a sunset event when a flotilla of boats, each illuminated with white lights, will sail to symbolise the return to Cobh that fateful day of the naval and fishing boats loaded with the victims and survivors from the Lusitania.

Dermot Ryan, one of the chief organisers, said it is hoped to have a museum and restored signal tower at the Old Head of Kinsale opened for the commemoration. It is also planned to have a flotilla, led by the Courtmacsherry lifeboat, go lay wreaths where the liner was torpedoed.

It is expected that Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney will attend that event, with the band of the Southern Brigade.

“Courtmacsherry will also have a special programme over that weekend with an exhibition of memorabilia and photographs, as well as contributions from families of the 1915 RNLI crew who rowed six miles to the scene of carnage,” said Mr Ryan. “It’s hoped to replicate this exploit by rowing a replica lifeboat to the scene the following weekend.”

Mr Ryan said President Michael D Higgins had also been invited to attend a number of the commemoration ceremonies.

“The Kinsale History Society has traced the direct descendants of the 14-man jury involved and the inquest will be re-enacted in the building and there will also be a memorial concert at Saint Multose Church, where some of the victims are buried,” said Mr Ryan.