Heartbreak Pier: Where a million souls took their last steps on Irish soil

Between 1848 and 1950,  6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland. More than 2.5 million of those boarded ships in Cobh, and  1 million of those departed from ‘Heartbreak Pier’

Heartbreak Pier, Cobh. Between 1848 to 1950, it is estimated that 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland. A million of those walked across Heartbreak Pier. 

Emigration. A word so ingrained in the Irish psyche, it carries as many complex emotions in 2018 as it did a hundred years ago. 

Regardless of whether the decision to quit ‘the Auld Sod’ was based on opportunity or compulsion, its effects upon those left behind remains one of our most vivid cultural landmarks with deep roots in every county across the nation. Between 1848 and 1950, it is estimated that 6 million adults and children emigrated from Ireland.