They’re arriving in town as part of a €15,000 all inclusive ‘Round the World’ voyage.

Now 1,500 Australians will disembark the luxury cruise ship Sea Princess to a true Irish ‘Australia Day’ welcome early on Friday morning, July 27th.

Cobh Tourism is rolling out the red carpet for the Aussie and Kiwi visitors to ensure that the only Irish port on their 107 day voyage from Sydney to Sydney is a memorable stop.

They’ve christened the day’s festivities ‘Australia Day’, with a schedule of nonstop free entertainment from 11am in the town’s waterfront Promenade.

In fairness, it’s going to take some effort to entice them off their luxurious floating abode…

A Blessing of the Bonnets ceremony will be held in Cobh Heritage Centre at 6pm on the day to honour all convict women and children transported to Australia.

A bonnet installation in Cobh Heritage Centre also remembers the 240 people aboard the Neva that sailed from Cork on January 8th, 1835, destined for the prisons of Botany Bay.

As the Sea Princess sails at 10pm, Cobh Confraternity Band will perform their renowned ‘sailaway’ recital on the bandstand at 6pm.

We only wish we were sailing into the sunset with them.