President Michael D Higgins has today paid tribute to those who died on the Titanic 100 years ago.
Speaking at a centenary event in Cobh, Co Cork this afternoon, Mr Higgins said the tragedy had left an "indelible mark" on the generation who heard of its sinking.
"Time may have dimmed the harrowing grief caused to the bereaved after some 1,500 people were lost to the icy waters," he said.
"One hundred years on those victims still occupy a special place in our hearts. Some of this can be explained by the fact that while we can identify with some of them who had dreams and hopes for the future, we are curious about others whom the Titanic was transporting."
"The story of Titanic, her construction, her short life and tragic loss, will be carried forward for many generations. It is because it is a very human story. It is rooted in our instinct for advancement and progress. It illustrates the limits of human endeavour and the overwhelming forces of nature which we ignore at our peril," he said.
Outdoor gala concerts which will tell the story of emigration and the Titanic’s connection with Ireland are being held in Cobh this week.
The concerts are to be hosted on the historical site where the last passengers boarded the Titanic.
When the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic in April 1912, it sank with the loss of more than 1,500 lives, including 79 of those who boarded in Cobh.
Cobh, or Queenstown as it was then known, was the RMS Titanic’s last port of call after it had departed Southampton and Cherbourg. The Harland and Wolff-built liner dropped anchor a mile off Roches Point at 11.30am on April 11th, 1912, before recommencing her maiden transatlantic voyage.
There was a big welcome in Cobh on Monday for the MS Balmoral, which is retracing the steps of the ill-fated liner. The 12-night cruise, which originated in Southampton, is carrying more than 1,300 passengers from 22 different countries.
A man was last night airlifted from the MS Balmoral after a suspected heart attack. The ship had already left Cobh and was heading out into the Atlantic.
The man (56) was treated by two doctors on board before they contacted the Irish Coast Guard for assistance. A Shannon- based helicopter made its way to the ship which was moving about 122km southwest of Dursey Head off west Cork.
The man, described by the Coast Guard as “walking and conscious”, was taken from the ship at about 6pm and flown to Tralee General Hospital.