Why you should visit Titanic Belfast during your Belfast vacation
- Abigail Gaston
- Mar 2, 2019
- 3 min read
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Are you aware that the RMS Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland (UK)? I honestly can say that I was not aware of this until researching 'things to do' in Belfast, and then of course visiting Belfast and seeing with my own two eyes, all the Titanic related dedications around the city. The Titanic Belfast - an internationally award winning museum dedicated solely to the Titanic, included.
The construction of the Titanic commenced on March 31, 1909 under Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries at the Belfast Shipyard. Along with the Titanic, Harland and Wolff Industries manufactured well-known ships such as Titanic's sister ships, RMS Olympic and RMS Britanic, as well as the Royal Navy's HMS Belfast, Royal Mail Lines, and more.
It took exactly 3 years to the day for RMS Titanic to be competed (March 31, 1912). However, the revolutionary designed ships assembly was not without pain and suffering, and even loss. During the construction of the Titanic, there were 254 reported accidents in the 3 year period, and of those accidents, 8 men lost their lives.
On April 2, 1912, the Titanic departed Belfast en route to Southampton, United Kingdom. Thousands of Irish men, women, and children watched, waved, clapped, and shouted their praises and prayers as RMS Titanic sailed out from the shores of Belfast, Southampton bound. Nearly 2 days later, the Titanic reached Southampton, UK, and it rested their for 6 days before finally setting sail on its maiden voyage.
On April 10, 1912, Titanic began its maiden voyage; the planned route was:
- Southampton to Cherbourg, France
- Cherbourg, France to Queenstown, Cork
- Queenstown, Cork to New York City
As we are all aware, an interference prohibited RMS Titanic from completing its first and only voyage. The Titanic was on its way to New York City; its final destination, when it haplessly collided into an iceberg. The iceberg proved to be too much for the brand new ship to handle. The Titanic, tragically met its demise during its maiden voyage, and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The Titanic was about 375 miles from the shores of New York City.
It only took the Titanic 2 hours and 40 minutes to become completely submerged. There were 2,208 passengers (ticketed guests and staff) aboard the Titanic. Sadly, Of the 2,208, only 705 individuals lived. Even worse, the great number of lives lost during the sinking of the Titanic could have been far less than 1,503, as there were enough life-jackets for each passenger boarded. Plus, the lifeboats were designed to hold at least 64 passengers; the first boat to flee the sinking ship only carried 28 with it.
It has been discussed multiple times that the Titanic's emergency evacuation plan was ill-prepared, if prepared for at all. You could say that it did not set precedent for future voyages of passenger ships. In fact, as historically famous the Titanic is, it became equally famous for instilling better emergency evacuation plans on other ships of its kind.
It has been noted that 164 Irish were NYC bound on the Titanic in 1912, some came from Northern Ireland - Belfast and surrounding areas. Others came from Southern Ireland - County Cork. Of the 164 Irish men, women, and children who ventured across the seas, with dreams and hopes in store once they set foot on the grounds of New York City, only 54 survived the accident.
When visiting Belfast, you can see murals like the one above throughout the city. You may also opt to visit Titanic Belfast, a tribute to the construction and catastrophic voyage of the Titanic, as well as uncover Titanic and Shipyard myths. The shipping and trade industry were leading industries in Belfast for years. The economy was originally built on trade through Belfast Harbor; however, later on, shipbuilding became the leader, and you can how within this article.
Although there was much heartache and pain caused from the dangerous conditions of shipbuilding, it was a great part of Belfast's history. And, RMS Titanic was a major accomplishment turned tragedy for Ireland as a whole, but Belfast especially. Which is why exactly 100 years later, on March 31, 2012, the city opened Belfast Titanic - A Centennial remembrance.
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