Built In Belfast

Having returned to my own quiet, disconnected corner of the United Kingdom it is hard to gauge how events happening on this side of the Irish Sea are relayed to Scotland, England and Wales. One story that has been attracting a lot of attention locally is the 100^th anniversary of the launch of the most famous ship that ever sailed, the RMS Titanic. Having ancestral connections to the ship building industry and the Titanic I follow all stories about her with great spur.

To observers it may come as a somewhat peculiar boast that Northern Ireland revels in such glory as the life-bringer to such a synonymous vessel of disaster: but as a local laugh goes, “She was fine when she left us!”

The Titanic was built in Harland & Wolff Ltd in Belfast, designed by Thomas Andrews (an alumni of my former school as it would happen). The ship at the time was the largest structure that has ever been created by mankind and was a testament to the workforce of Belfast who boasted that the British Empire was forged onboard ships built in Belfast.

The Glory Days of Belfast were (for the time being) the first decades of the 20^th century until the partition of Ireland. Belfast was to Dublin as Glasgow was to Edinburgh. This was the golden age of industry and Belfast was at the helm of the world with the largest shipyard and some of the largest factories including Short Bros, and Mackey’s Machine Works.

The 20^th century has been a time of great turbulence on the island of Ireland and at times it still can be in the North. In the early years of the 21^st century 100 years from the launch of the Titanic Belfast is once again experiencing a time of improving social and economic prosperity. The people of this small country look to a time when Belfast was unified and when Belfast was buoyant on a world stage. This was the time of the Titanic.

The RMS Titanic launched in Belfast Lough 31^st May 1911 is a testament to what Belfast once was and will strive over the next 100 years.