Cobh - Cobh Today

Cobh Today

Leisure and commercial activities have improved in recent years:

• In February 2008 building of the new retail park in Cobh (Ticknock) took place.
• The new Coral swimming pool opened in August 2007, in January 2009 Coral Leisure group went into administration. The swimming pool was closed but a break through came in June 2009 when Coral Leisure group began to operate the pool and Leisure Centre.
• There were plans to build a new marina in front of the town, but it is unclear if this will go ahead.
• Since late 2008, when the recession began, Cobh has seen a boom in new retail, restaurants and fast food openings. Many of these were in construction or planned before the economic downturn commenced.
• Cobh has many schools including Colaiste Muire secondary school and Cobh Community College. In 2010 a planned new school development was drawn up by the Department of Education and Skills to cater for the high population and need for good education in the town.
• In the summer of 2010, tours of the famous Spike Island in the Harbour commenced. The tours leave from Kennedy Pier, near the centre of the town. Spike Island has hundreds of years of historical significance, from its early beginnings as the site of a monastery to it being the last view of "home" seen by many Irish prisoners before they were transported to Van Diemen's Land, today known as Tasmania.