Cobh ‘must try harder’ following annoyed visitor’s experience in Titanic town

Having visited Cobh today, in an effort to join in the Titanic celebrations, I am disheartened that the only words that come to mind after having spent the day there are “could try harder”.

We were lucky to have gone through the Titanic Experience exhibition early in the day because later on, when the Marco Polo liner had berthed and its passengers were being given a tour of the said exhibition, the average Joe Soap on the street was being turned away and being asked to come back later around 7pm and give it a go then.

So, let’s move on to the Queenstown Heritage Centre’s one and only restaurant — well, about 3pm a note was taped to their door, and the door was shut and would-be customers were asked to come back half an hour later as the restaurant needed to close to replenish its stock.

Now, am I missing something here?

Have they not had 100 years to prepare for the onslaught of would-be customers that were going to come their way this week of all weeks?

In another retail outlet in the same centre I witnessed a tourist trying to buy goods with a €200 note and he was told that they don’t accept these notes (how privileged for them in these recessionary times) and this was at a time when the credit card facility in the building was ‘out of order’.

After this, it was a visit to the public toilets which irked me — having gained entrance to the cubicle (20c) one would need a mask to cope with the stench and the general lack of hygiene was on a par to what I’m guessing third class steerage passengers on the Titanic had to put up with, but in 2012 one would have thought we’d have moved on.

My attention was also drawn to the handrail in the toilet for the disabled and again the handrail is so rusty and decrepit that it’s probably a health and safety issue in itself.

I guess all I’m trying to say here is that I think Cobh was being gifted a golden opportunity to showcase itself last week in all its (potential) glory and plant the seeds for future business but sadly, it fell well short of the mark and the words “could try harder” ring loud and clear for me.

Ursula Curtin

Glenquin South

Co Limerick