As part of National Heritage Week celebrations, The Port of Cork Company has hosted an event celebrating its 250-year history at The Crawford Art Gallery in Cork.
Port of Cork also gifted a collection of maritime paintings and artefacts worth around €1 million to the art gallery in 2021.
Guests of the event were given a guided tour of the collection, which displayed the Port's history and how it has played a role in keeping Cork connected to trade for centuries.
Speaking at the event, Eoin McGettigan, Chief Executive Officer with PoCC, said:
“As a company, we are very proud of our heritage, which spans over 250 years. These unique maritime artworks, by renowned artists, offer a fascinating insight into the operations of Cork Harbour at that time and underscore The Port of Cork’s long-standing international significance for commerce and trade. Not only does the collection signify the history of our great port and harbour, but it also showcases how far the port has come, in terms of leisure, operations, scale and trade. We are delighted this collection has found such a welcoming home at The Crawford Art Gallery over the past 6 months.”
The exhibition displays a range of 17 paintings, dating back to the 1800s by a number of renowned artists, such as Cobh-born, marine painter, George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson. The collection also includes a ship’s register from The Cork Harbour Commissioners dating back to 1912 referencing both the Titanic and Lusitania, an illuminated address to Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891), and a silver Admiralty Oar from 1686.
