The Lusitania Museum at the Old Head of Kinsale Signal Tower stands on one of the most historically charged promontories in the world — the headland closest to where RMS Lusitania was struck by a German torpedo on May 7, 1915, sinking in just 18 minutes with the loss of 1,198 lives. The wreck lies approximately 11 miles offshore, visible on clear days from the Signal Tower itself.
The museum, housed in the restored 18th-century signal tower, tells the full story of the Lusitania — her construction as a Cunard masterpiece, her record-breaking Atlantic crossings, her role in World War I, the controversial circumstances of her sinking, and the international outcry that followed. Artefacts, photographs, and personal accounts bring visitors face to face with one of the defining tragedies of the twentieth century.
As a partner of the Historic Ships Network — which marks RMS Lusitania Memorial Week each year as one of its flagship annual commemorations — the Lusitania Museum represents the most direct physical connection to this extraordinary and tragic vessel.