Page 8 - COBH EDITION 7TH DECEMBER DIGITAL VERSION

Jackie’s Cruise News
It was so nice to be invited to the recent lunch hosted by the Port of Cork in Custom House,
I had always wanted a peak inside and it is such a beautiful
building. Mr Conor Mowlds, Port of Cork Chief Commercial Of-
ficer spoke of the success of the 2018 Cruise Season and how
grateful the Port of Cork were to the many people of Cobh and
Cork who make it possible.

He spoke about their recent visit to the US meeting all the
major cruise lines that visit our shores. He said the feedback
from the companies was extremely positive in terms of their
passenger experiences when visiting Cobh and Cork. I know
from my own experience being onboard these ships when they
are docked in Cobh both passengers and crew love the friendly
welcome they receive , the convenience to the town and of
course the sail out from Cobh is always something special.

He also spoke of a new Cruise terminal in the plans for Cobh and submissions of interest have
been sent out to develop and/or operate a new cruise berth at Lynch’s Quay.
2019 is going to be an even bigger year for Cobh with already over 100 ships planned and
some of our favourites are back like Independence of the Seas, Queen Victoria and Crown
Princess. We will also have Celebrity Reflection and Silhouette visiting amongst many other
Cruise lines.
We have just one ship left to call in 2018, the Marco Polo due on 20th Dec....Weath-
er permitting!
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Great Island Four Peaks Challenge Group 2018
The Great Island Four Peaks group which was put together again this year by Ger Burns and
consisted of a small group of eight volunteers took on the mighty challenge of climbing the
highest mountain in each of the four provinces over three days in June of this year. A number
of fundraising events which commenced in early 2018 with a table quiz at Cobh Ramblers
sports and social club, followed with bucket collections, a signed Munster Jersey raffle and
individual sponsorship cards all combined to the final total raised for the year to €7,201. This
now brings the total amount of money raised over three years for the Mercy Hospital Onchol-
ogy unit to €17,645.

The challenge which consists of Carrauntoohil in Munster, Mweelrea in Connaught, Slieve Do-
nard, Ulster and Lugnaquilla, Leinster is a tough tasking for all involved and huge congratula-
tions for those who completed this challenge.

Finally the organisers would like to thank Gary Mills who has continued to sponsor our trans-
port for the event, the Commodore Hotel for hosting events, Supervalu for sponsoring our
supplies ie water, fruit, energy bars etc, Derek Corcoran for sponsoring our T-Shirts, Alan
Geasley for his quizmaster skills, Stephen Ford for sponsoring the signed Munster Jersey and
everyone who helped with spots, donations or their personal time which all contributed in the
success of this annual venture.
The group were also honoured by the Mercy Hospital Foundation this year with a gold star
award for all their fundraising efforts over the last few years. This award is for everyone who
has contributed to the success of the venture over the last three years.

The group would like to extend huge thanks to all and wish everyone a Happy Christmas and
a peaceful New Year.