On December 20, 1891, Anna “Annie” Moore, along with her brothers Anthony and Philip, left Cork on the SS Nevada. Annie became the first person admitted to the United States of America through the immigration center on Ellis Island, on January 1, 1892.

Annie lived impoverished, with six of her eleven children passing away before the age of three. She died from heart failure at fifty, in 1924, and ended up buried in an unmarked Queens gravesite. Her body was identified in 2006 and a dedication took place a couple of years later. Some urban myths exist, with one claiming that she died in Texas, run over by a streetcar (that was a different Annie Moore, though).

Exploring Cork

Green Hills

We rented a car to see the sites in and around Cork. The scenery did not disappoint.

Horse Ride On The Beach

A local resident enjoys the beach by horseback.

Old Head

Had to ditch the car and enjoy a walk near the water in Old Head.

Irish Navy

Someone told me that the this island houses Ireland’s one and only naval base.

Kinsale

In Irish, Cionn tSáile means “head of the brine”, and in English we spell that as Kinsale. Just south of Cork, at the mouth of the River Bandon, Kinsale is home to just shy of 6,000 people. The town as a Michelin-starred restaurant, Bastion, and welcomes tourists from around the world for its food and music festivals.

The infamous pirate Anne Bonny came from Kinsale, born in 1700. With a career as a pirate of only 61 days, she sailed with Calico Jack, attacking merchant ships in the Caribbean. The entire crew captured in the summer of 1720, Bonny escaped execution by claiming that she was pregnant. Popular stories claim that Bonny lived an uneventful life after her prison release in Jamaica, until her death in 1733. Other stories claim that she died in prison in 1721. In popular culture, Bonny appears in several novels, songs, shows and films. Her character appears in the video game Assassin’s Creed IV and the television show Black Sails.

Low Tide

Kinsale harbor, at low tide.

Colored Buildings

Individual buildings from a row have distinct colors.

Shopping For Fish And Olives

Got to sample some yummy items at a local outdoor market.