109th anniversary of Lusitania sinking marked in Cork

Cork marked the 109th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania during the First World War with a series of special events and ceremonies on Monday afternoon. 

The liner was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk off the Old Head of Kinsale on May 7, 1915, killing almost 1,200 passengers and crew. 

A series of events were held in Cobh on Monday, May 6, to commemorate the 109th anniversary. 

The memorial kicked off with prayers at the Lusitania Graves in Cobh's Old Church Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. followed by musical honors performed by the Commodore Male Voice Choir. A wreath-laying service also took place at the graves, which house 167 victims in three mass graves and 20 private burial sites. 

Later on Monday, the proceedings moved to Cobh Town Centre, where representatives of the Royal Naval Association and other maritime and historical groups gathered at the Lusitania Peace Memorial in Casement Square. Monday's memorial events were organized by Cobh Tourism. 

A number of special events, including lectures on the Lusitania and special exhibits on the ocean liner at the Lusitania Museum in Kinsale, also took place on Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the sinking.

Around 10 years ago, US businessman Gregg Bemis, who owned the Lusitania shipwreck, signed the wreck over to Cork non-profit the Old Head of Kinsale Museum, which housed the world's most-detailed exhibit on the sinking of the liner. 

Cork historian Michael Martin praised the museum for working "tirelessly" to preserve the legacy of the Lusitania in a respectful way. 

Bemis, meanwhile, said he was "very impressed" with the work undertaken by the museum, adding that it is the best place to preserve the Lusitania's legacy for future generations.