Visiting Titanic Belfast 105 Years After The Titanic Sank
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In 2016 Titanic Belfast won the award for Best Museum in the World. Belfast is where the infamous RMS Titanic was built. It may seem strange to visit a museum about a ship that sank killing over a thousand people, but this museum is more than that disaster. Titanic Belfast is a museum that shows the city’s history with shipbuilding. In April I decided to book a quick trip to Belfast. Coincidentally I realized I’d be in Belfast on April 14. That’s the the same night that when the Titanic sank back in 1912.
Shipbuilding in Belfast
The Titanic Belfast Museum is in the aptly named Titanic Quarter. Titanic Belfast sits on the former shipyard for Harland & Wolff, which is the company that built the Titanic. Belfast has been a significant city in the shipbuilding industry. Titanic Belfast starts by going through what Belfast was like in the late 19th century. It focuses on the essential industries of the day including linens, textiles, and shipbuilding.
H&W started building Titanic for White Star Line in 1908. The building of the Titanic in Belfast was huge for the city. It already had strong shipbuilding roots and had been building the best ships in the world. Building the Titanic created jobs for hundreds of men. It was going to put Belfast on the map. We all know that unfortunately, Titanic did not survive her maiden voyage. As people in Belfast would later say about the Titanic, “she was fine when she left Belfast.”
On Board and After
Titanic Belfast shows how they built this massive ship. Interactive exhibits illustrate the architectural design of the Titanic. You get to see what the rooms were like for 1st class, 2nd class, and 3rd class passengers. I learned that 3rd class accommodations were affordable and very pleasant for their time. Sadly it was many 3rd class passengers who lost their lives when the Titanic sank.
Of course, Titanic Belfast also talks about the ship’s demise. It details some accounts of the lives lost. There’s a computer that will let you find victims by gender and country. It also describes the lives of those saved, like the Unsinkable Molly Brown. There are theories on what caused the sinking. There’s a section on how safety standards on ships have changed since the Titanic. Much of this is in regards to the number of lifeboats required onboard.
Titanic Belfast then goes into the discovery of the Titanic wreckage. There is also information about what happened to The RMS Olympic and The HMHS Britannic. Both ships were used in WW1. The Britannic was used as a hospital ship. It sank on Nov 21, 1916 off the coast of Kea, Greece killing 30 people. The sinking was due to an explosion from an underground mine [correction: a commenter below pointed out it was from an underwater mine, not an underground mine]. The Olympic was used as a transport ship. It was decommissioned in 1935 and then demolished. Had the Titanic not sank she would have likely been used in WW1 as well.
A Night to Remember
Being at Titanic Belfast on April 14 this is year also happened to coincide with Good Friday. Being a holiday (and one where the pubs close for a good part of the day) meant Titanic Belfast was very busy. Luckily I booked a ticket for a special event that evening called “A Night to Remember.” This unique tour was offered after hours to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic. It only happens once a year on April 14. Costumed interpreters were there and talked about the Titanic. Their stories were true to life stories about Titanic from the book A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.
The Band
There’s one part of the museum that addresses the sinking. The room you enter is dark, except tiny lights above to symbolize the stars in the night sky. You can hear the beeps of Morse code that the ship was sending out, a distress call for help. During The Night to Remember event a live quartet was playing the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee.” On the Titanic, the band went down with the ship, playing that song over and over. For those that died, it was the last song they ever heard. Years later survivors of The Titanic were interviewed about their experience. Many remembered hearing that song as they watched the ship sink. It was pretty moving, and not only because the band playing was fantastic.
The Story of Survivors
At the end of the tour, a local pastor accounted a few more stories of those who survived. My favourite was about Charles Joughin a chef on board Titanic. When he realized the ship was sinking, he decided to get drunk, like really drunk. He survived being in the frigid cold waters of the Atlantic for several hours. Some believe it’s because the alcohol kept him warm. Likely there was another factor at play in his survival, but the alcohol angle makes for a better story. Also disclaimer I don’t condone or endorse drinking copious amounts of alcohol to keep warm in cold climates. It should be said that’s not safe. Mr. Joughin was pretty damn lucky to survive. After the stories, a candlelight vigil was held in remembrance of the victims.
Should You Visit Titanic Belfast?
Titanic Belfast is a museum that has so much history. It goes into details about the ship and Belfast I didn’t know about. It shows some of the history of this city and its shipbuilding industry. It tells the stories of that tragic maiden voyage. Everyone who survived the Titanic sinking has long passed away. Titanic Belfast will make sure people will always know their stories and the history of the Titanic. If you’re visiting Belfast it’s worth visiting Titanic Belfast. I only regret I didn’t get to spend more time here (and that I didn’t upgrade for an audio guide). Next time I’m in Belfast I’d like to revisit Titanic Belfast. Although I’d advise not going on a national holiday as I did. It was much busier than usual.
Things To Know
Titanic Belfast is in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast. Map here. Standard adult admission is £18 and audio guides (available to rent in several languages) are £3. There is a reduced admission rate of £9 valid for the last hour the museum is open. Hours of operation vary 14throughout the year. Tickets can be purchased online, which I’d recommend as it’ll save you time from waiting in queues for tickets. Titanic Belfast offered me a complimentary ticket to Titanic Belfast, which I am very grateful for. I paid for my ticket for the A Night to Remember event. All opinions here are my own.
While in Belfast I stayed at the Belfast International Youth Hostel. The hostel has a fun vibe and is a short walk to the centre of Belfast. If you’re not on a budget there are plenty of hotels in Belfast you can book here.
Would you visit Titanic Belfast?
Oh wow, that looks like such an awesome museum. I visited a temporary Titanic museum in Las Vegas – I wonder if they’re part of the same company. In any case, it’s been a few years since I went, and I learned a lot about the ship. Definitely wouldn’t mind going again.
Hi Alouise…
Don’t you just hate it when somebody goes to all the trouble of pointing out some tiny little error in one of your articles that amounts to nothing. That’s why I am writing to you today. HMHS Britannic struck an underwater mine in November 1916, not an underground mine as your blog claims.
Actually girl, I am writing to say how much I am enjoying your Take Me To The World blog. I am also a travel writer. I am back at The Toronto Star as a freelancer. I was a staff writer/photographer there for nearly 40 years before jumping at their early retirement option. I started the next day as a Star freelancer. Then my old boss at The Star – Lou Clancy – was made editor-in-chief at Postmedia Network and invited me to write freelance travel pieces for his chain across Canada. Lou has since retired, so I am back at The Star. My son Dean worked as bartender at the Danny Mann Pub in Killarney for two years and when I went to Ireland to visit him we roamed the island together and ended up in Belfast on Good Friday 1998 – the day the Good Friday Agreement was signed to end “the troubles” in Northern Ireland. The city was packed, particularly of heavily-armed British soldiers in armoured jeeps, as officials expected trouble from the hot heads on both sides. We managed to get a room at the Europa Hotel – Europe’s most bombed hotel. The room was about the size of a closet and we’re two big guys. Elton John was playing that night at the Good Friday Agreement celebrations.About 10 years later I was in Cobh, Ireland – the Titanic’s last port of call before heading for New York. The rickey old dock where third-class passengers had to wait for the tenders to take them out to the anchored Titanic install there, but you wouldn’t dare step onto it. The White Star’s first-class passenger terminal beside the old dock is now a luxury restaurant. Have you been to the Fairview Cemetery in Halifax? There are 121 Titanic victims buried there.
OK, back to more Alouise stories.