’s Heritage Harland AND When RMS Titanic sailed away on her maiden voyage on April 10th, 1912, she was hailed as ‘the new wonder of the world’. A remarkable feat of engineering, she was the largest and most luxuriously wolff appointed ship ever seen and, despite her tragic sinking five days THE WORLD’S later, she remains a source of enduring pride in the City where she was built – Belfast. GREATEST SHIPBUILDERS HARLAND & WOLFF

The names ‘Titanic’ and ‘Harland & Wolff’ symbolise the great era of This guide will take you back to the source of the legend, the history of shipbuilding in Belfast, and in particular, the story of the firm Belfast shipbuilding. which built Titanic, . You can learn about Titanic Behind that itself, from the visionaries who conceived her, to the men who designed and built her, to her ill-fated maiden voyage. Finally, we remarkable success will take you around the many locations in Belfast associated with story is a fascinating the world’s most famous ship from the magnificent history that takes us to the impressive cranes – Samson and Goliath. back to the earliest So come back in time with us and relive the enthralling Titanic story days of Belfast. in the City of her birth.

Titanic departing Belfast, By this time, Queen’s Island had been linked to east Belfast, making access easier for the increasing numbers of workers at the firm. As the yard expanded it became like a small city, with thousands of men employed in the many different roles, from riveter to master craftsman, it Edward Harland Gustav Wolff Lord Pirrie now took to build the great liners. Working conditions were arduous and injuries were not uncommon but generations of workers, acknowledged widely for their skill and dedication, took a fierce pride in their work.

William James Pirrie

Crucial to the success of Harland and Wolff was the man who became a partner in 1874, William James Pirrie. Charismatic and charming, Pirrie was a visionary whose growing influence on the firm was crucial to its expansion. Following the death of Edward Harland in 1895, Pirrie, who had joined the firm as a 15-year-old ‘gentleman’s apprentice’, was his natural successor as Chairman.

By this time, Harland and Wolff was recognised as the world’s greatest shipbuilders, responsible for the In 1909, when work began on the ship that magnificent flagships of the , such as the Teutonic and Majestic, delivered in 1889 and 1890 HARLAND & WOLFF would become the most famous in the respectively. The growing emphasis on the scale of world, the RMS Titanic, Belfast was one the liners being built around the world led to a huge expansion of the facilities at Harland and Wolff, including of the world’s greatest ports and a world the construction of the gigantic Arrol gantry, 840ft long leader in many industries, including and 240ft wide. In 1904 work began on the Thompson Graving Dock, the largest in the world. This would be shipbuilding. necessary for the building of the most ambitious projects yet undertaken by a shipbuilding firm - the Olympic, Titanic and Britannic, the biggest ships yet built. Queen’s Island

The City’s first major shipbuilding company was established in 1791, with the arrival of William Ritchie from Scotland. His first ship, the Hibernia, was launched in 1792; thus beginning a flourishing shipbuilding empire.

Attractively laid out with tree-lined walkways, Queen’s Island’s first claim to fame was as a popular pleasure park, with a modest 112ft long glass, iron and wood building inspired by London’s Crystal Palace being constructed there in 1851. The island hosted a number of fetes and became a popular attraction for the public. A zoo, aquarium and aviary were added later before the building was destroyed by fire in 1864. By then, the island was already becoming known for another reason - the growth of a Belfast shipbuilding firm capable of challenging the pre-eminence of its major UK competitors.

That story begins in 1854, with the arrival in Belfast of Edward Harland, a young English engineer, to manage the Queen’s Island shipbuilding yard. Ambitious, dynamic and a strict disciplinarian, Harland’s talent in engineering design would be complemented by the salesmanship of the man he took on as his personal assistant in 1857, the German-born Gustav Wolff. A year later Harland bought his employer out for £5,000 and started his own shipyard. In 1861 Wolff became his partner and, in 1862, the new company officially became known as Harland and Wolff.

White Star Line

Harland and Wolff built the first White Star vessel, the Oceanic, which was launched in 1870. Striking in its size and speed, it was considered remarkable too for its luxurious accommodation. Over the next few decades, Harland and Wolff would build over 70 ships for White Star, the most famous being Titanic.

Queen’s Road , May 1911 The tragic sinking of Titanic in 1912 had a profound effect on Belfast, but it was by no means the end of Harland and Wolff’s success. William (now Viscount) Pirrie continued his plans for the expansion of the firm until his death in 1924. The Second World War, during which the yard suffered terrible damage from bombing raids, saw a dramatic but short-lived rise in production. But the growing popularity of aircraft travel triggered a sharp drop in demand for passenger ships, the last

built by Harland and Wolff being the Titanic RMS Canberra in 1960. Today Harland and Wolff are world leaders in ship repair, design and structural engineering.

The Future

During the period Titanic was built Harland and Wolff typified the enterprise, innovation and ambition that made Belfast a world leader in many industries. A century later, as modern Belfast’s remarkable renaissance gathers pace, it is fitting that one of the most spectacular new waterfront developments in Europe should be sited on 185 acres of the old Harland and Wolff shipyard. The first phase of the £1 billion development, the Science Park, a world-class centre of excellence for information technology, has already opened. Over the next 15 years, a new urban quarter of bars, shops, restaurants, marinas, homes and offices will emerge. At the heart of the new development will be a magnificent multi-million pound Titanic

ODYSSEY COMPLEX With her visitor attraction based around the former Harland and Wolff Headquarters Building unprecedented size and Drawing Offices, one of the largest listed buildings in Northern Ireland. and luxury combined

ABERCORN BASIN with the tragedy of her sinking, no ship HAMILTON DOCK since has gripped the world’s imagination

H&W DRAWING OFFICES like RMS Titanic. Her remarkable story begins in Belfast. Titanic BIRTH OF A LEGEND TITANIC SLIPWAY OLYMPIC SLIPWAY

Titanic Quarter Planned Development Thompson Graving Dock Titanic t Of RMS Olympic, Thompson Graving Dock better rooms, largely on the lower decks, than they would have found in other ships. have its two 15-ton anchors, which needed teams of 20 horses poorer passengers had saved up the $36.25 cost of a third enjoyed passengers class third the Even promenade. private ship offered a pleasant social outing, while many of the own their and bath private a bedrooms, two included suites to deliver. Hundreds of skilled craftsmen now made their huge a beneath staircase magnificent a Versailles; of style the range of society, to board. For the wealthy, the maiden First class passengers discovered a grand lounge decorated in decorated lounge grand a discovered passengers class First contribution contribution building and decorating the cabins and rooms. America. of finding a better life in class ticket in the hope Pirrie even employed leading artists to reproduce great It was time for the first passengers, representing a broad and gymnasium. The first class staterooms or the parlour works works of art around the ship. After successful sea trials on , for off set world’ the of wonder new ‘the watch April 4th. on where she arrived waiters and the novel sight of an onboard swimming pool glass and wrought iron dome; a Parisian café with French gigantic, from the vast steam engines and propellers to voyage to New York on board the world’s most talked about talked most world’s the board on York New to voyage Titanic and Olympic Titanic and Olympic 88 be over would long with a 46,328 gross tonnage This was no simple task. Everything about Titanic was The Golden Age of Travel The Golden Age April 2nd, 1912, thousands lined to proudly Rivet gang working on the Britannic Star’s Star’s great rivals on the lucrative North Atlantic route, Cunard, named the Gigantic, would be ordered in 1911). Their names On July 31st, 1908 the two companies agreed to the construction man-made objects on earth, their length comfortably exceeded the objects on earth, their length comfortably exceeded man-made most famous ship was designed, built and launched. designed, most famous ship was Their names reflected their awesome size . . . . height of the tallest buildings of the time. height of the tallest buildings of the time. had launched the Lusitania and the Mauretania, whose size, speed size, whose Mauretania, the and Lusitania the launched had superstructure were added. superstructure were seen, a truly remarkable feat of shipbuilding. Despite the deeply legend. It now was that the great boilers and engines, funnels and the detail and vision of its design were in the hands of its chief the subject of enduring pride in Belfast - the City where the world’s world’s the where City the - Belfast in pride enduring of subject the forever. forever. felt impact of her tragic sinking just five days later Titanic remains Titanic later days five just sinking tragic her of impact felt reflected their awesome size – Titanic and Olympic would be of ten thousand onlookers. Titanic was now towed to the new original designer was Alexander Carlisle, Pirrie’s brother-in-law, of two new ships, Olympic and Titanic (the Britannic, originally over 880ft long with a 46,328 gross tonnage. The largest moveable Joseph Bruce Ismay, Chairman of the White Star Line and William Joseph Bruce Ismay, It is believed that Pirrie, who had no children of his own, was If the charismatic Lord Pirrie the was driving force behind Titanic, Pirrie, Chairman of Harland and Wolff. The previous year White How could White Star restore their pre-eminence? The solution arrived arrived at by the two men would transform the world of shipping and elegance heralded a new age in ocean liners. and elegance heralded designer, designer, working in the elegant Drawing Office No.1. The with Pirrie’s nephew, , succeeding him in 1910. grooming the talented Andrews, much loved by the Harland and virtually empty vessel was transformed into the floating palace of Wolff workforce, to be his successor. to workforce, Wolff When RMS Titanic set out on her maiden voyage on April 10th Thompson Outfitting Wharf and Graving Dock where the Titanic was launched on May 31st, 1911 before a cheering crowd Titanic was conceived in 1907, following a discussion between 1912, she was the largest and most lavishly appointed ship ever Titanic Thomas Andrews Soon after midnight the first wireless barely half the crew and passengers boarded. Ninety minutes Titanic later, number of lifeboats proposed by Designer Thomas Andrews had to miles to the south, were received on By transmitted. were help for messages has been claimed that they now sang a sang now they that claimed been has hull below the waterline, buckling iceberg was spotted ahead but, though but, ahead spotted was iceberg it in several places and opening passengers were being guided to the in the ship’s much vaunted series of in early evening. Here, ferried by in 2006), a further 247 passengers lifeboats and 30 minutes later the first lifeboat was lowered into the freezing the second and third funnels broke to sink beneath the waves. the evening of April 14th. At 11.30 an the steering wheel was spun tight, it there were only 28 on board. As the White Star tenders Traffic and the south coast of Ireland from where, final hymn, “Nearer My God to Thee”. face the unthinkable, calculating that requirements, they, and the four of the lifeboats became more hectic, Carlisle. While Titanic’s 20 lifeboats Nomadic (which returned to Belfast New York. could not be avoided. At 11.40pm compartments. The ship was fatally collapsible boats, provided space for away. At away. 2.20am Titanic finally began actually exceeded Board of Trade aboard. The company put great faith for out set she 11th, April on 1.30pm at deck. The lights finally went out and damaged. distress rockets lit the air, the loading decision, dramatically reducing the departed for Queenstown (Cobh) on washed washed off the forward end of the when the first warning of icebergs, five five icebergs, of warning first the when water channels into six watertight people, 65 for designed Though waters. with desperate efforts being made to watertight bulkhead. watertight get women and children aboard first. White White Star had made one fateful 20 Lifeboats, 2228 Passengers 20 Lifeboats, Titanic struck the iceberg scraping its Titanic was to sink within two hours. Titanic’s Titanic’s original designer, Alexander April on Southampton departed Titanic The ship had made over 1,500 miles 12.15am the first confused and terrified and confused first the 12.15am 10th, dropping anchor at Cherbourg At 2.10am the band stopped playing; it playing; stopped band the 2.10am At As the boat sank faster, people were

Titanic’s gym Titanic’s

Olympic and Titanic

Titanic and the Arrol Gantry Titanic At 11.30pm on the evening Aprilof 14th an iceberg was spotted Trail

Titanic Officers’ Quarters

Of the 2228 passengers and crew there were only 705 survivors, picked up by the SS Carpathia, which had been en route to New York when it was diverted. Belfast was a City in mourning, not only for family and friends who had been lost, but also for the magnificent ship it had produced. William Pirrie had missed the voyage due to ill health. It is said that his hair turned white after the tragedy, while Joseph Bruce Ismay, who was hounded by journalists searching for reasons for the sinking, became a recluse. However, over the years, the tremendous pride felt in Belfast for Titanic has been renewed. Around the world the legend of Titanic, bolstered by books and films, including Roy Ward Baker’s ‘A Night to Remember’ starring Kenneth More and James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, has grown hugely over the decades. Today, there are hundreds of museums and attractions around the world dedicated to Titanic but only in Belfast can you find the true birthplace of the world’s most famous ship.

TITANIC TRAIL Throughout Belfast there are many buildings and monuments with associations to RMS Titanic, not least in the shipyard where she was designed, built and launched.

Former Harland and Wolff Drawing Office Trail

Pirrie was Chairman of Harland and Wolff from 1896 to his death in 1924. The plinth Belfast Welcome Centre was formerly the headstone of Lord and Donegall Place Lady Pirrie’s grave in Belfast City Cemetery. A one-stop tourist information centre for Belfast – find information City Hall is an important venue on Belfast accommodation, tours, for the ‘Titanic – Made in Belfast’ events, ticket booking, souvenirs and festival which is held every year. gifts as well as an Internet Café.

Linen Hall Library 4 Robinson & Cleavers 1 Donegall Sq. North Donegall Sq. North The last public subscription library in Opened in 1888 as Robinson & Cleaver’s Ireland, the Linen Hall Library has been a Royal Irish Linen Warehouse it was central part of Belfast’s cultural life since Belfast’s most popular, and grandest, it was founded in 1788. It is renowned department store at the time Titanic was for its Irish, local studies and Troubles being built. Thomas Andrews and his wife collections. An excellent source for research Helen shopped here as would many of the on Belfast, it holds 90 books on Titanic. wealthier Harland and Wolff employees. The memorial erected to Titanic after her sinking was erected in the middle of the YMCA 5 road outside the building in 1920. It was Wellington Place moved to the grounds of City Hall in Albert George Ervine, the youngest 1959, as it had become a traffic hazard. member of the Titanic engine room staff, attended bible classes there. He sailed on Titanic to monitor its performance; May St Presbyterian Church 2 Ervine helped keep Titanic’s lights blazing May Street until just moments before she sank. Built as a vehicle for the fierce and very popular preacher Reverend Henry Cooke in 1859, it was, like many Robinson’s Saloon 6 churches in Belfast in 1912, the location Great Victoria Street of a memorial service for Titanic. Robinson’s Saloon holds Titanic memora- bilia. Each unique item has its own story to tell, adding greatly to the human side of the Belfast City Hall 3 disaster. The brass nameplate of Lifeboat No Donegall Sq. North 12 brings to mind those who were saved in Opened in 1906 the magnificent Classical it. There are letters and postcards, written Renaissance City Hall, designed by Sir on board the ship and posted at her last port Alfred Brumwell Thomas, reflected the of call, Queenstown, now Cobh, in Co Cork. great ambition and optimism of Belfast One very poignant item is ‘Philomena’. at that time. In fact the Lord Mayor This doll was recovered from the wreck when City Hall was opened, Sir Daniel site, in the weeks following the sinking. Dixon, credited William Pirrie, the man who created Titanic, as having ‘the big ideas’ for City Hall. Pirrie, Lord Mayor Royal Belfast Academical 7 in 1896/7, is said to have referred to it as Institution (Inst.) ‘the stone Titanic’. Its connections with College Square East Titanic are many. In its grounds, the Designed by Sir John Soane in 1807, Titanic Memorial, sculpted by Thomas the elegant Royal Belfast Academical Brock, pays tribute to 22 men who lost Institution was attended by William their lives on the ship. Another statue Pirrie from the age of 11 to 15, when he by Brock depicts Sir Edward Harland, enrolled as an apprentice at Harland and ship’s plan in hand, who was Lord Mayor Wolff. His uncle, John Carlisle, was head in 1885/6. Thanks to Pirrie’s influence, of the English Department at the time. the Lord Mayor’s Suite is also known as Carlisle’s son, Alexander, was the original ‘the Titanic Rooms’ as craftsmen who designer of Titanic. Thomas Andrews, worked on them went on to work on the who succeeded Carlisle as designer, was famous liner. Portraits of Lord and Lady also educated here from the age of 11 to Pirrie hang in the Reception Room. 16, when he too enrolled as an apprentice at Harland and Wolff. Next door, the On May 31st, 2006, on the 150th anniver- Municipal Technical Institute, now the sary of his birth (and the 95th anniversary Belfast Institute, opened in 1907 to provide of Titanic’s launch), a special plinth was suitably trained employees for Belfast’s erected to William Pirrie in the grounds leading industrial and manufacturing of City Hall. Described as ‘the greatest companies, including Harland and Wolff. shipbuilder the world has ever known’, Trail

interest of seamen frequenting the Ulster Reform Club 8 port of Belfast’. Shipyard workers, Royal Avenue dockers and sailors at the time of Lord Pirrie, Thomas Andrews and the Titanic would have felt at home head of the White Star Line, Joseph in its ship-like interior, with its Bruce Ismay, were among a number pulpit shaped as a ship’s prow of people connected to Harland and flanked by navigation lights, Wolff who enjoyed the good food and ship’s binnacle font and the bell of fine wines of this elegant club, which HMS Hood calling worshippers is still running over 120 years after to service. Open to the public its founding. (No access to public) every Wednesday afternoon.

15 Castle Junction 9 Castle Place Commissioners Office Near the site of Sir Arthur Chichester’s Corporation Square Belfast Castle, which burnt down The headquarters of the Harbour in the early 18th century, it was the Commissioners, responsible for overseeing centre of Belfast’s tramway system the development and running of Belfast while Titanic was being built. Port, has on show the magnificent captain’s table and chairs which Gilbert Logan designed for Titanic, but which were Rosemary St First 10 delivered just too late (it is said they were Presbyterian Church subsequently shipped to Southampton, just in time to see Titanic disappear Rosemary Street Thomas Andrew, who attended this on the horizon). Lord Pirrie, himself a delightful church with his wife Helen, Harbour Commissioner, would have been must have loved its boat-like interior and a frequent, and persuasive, presence in beautiful woodwork. Dating from 1781, the boardroom. Nearby, are two restored it is Belfast’s oldest place of worship. graving docks used by William Ritchie, Belfast’s first major shipbuilder.

Central Library 11 Lagan Weir 16 Royal Avenue Situated on Royal Avenue, Belfast’s main Donegall Quay shopping thoroughfare, this is a good Situated at the confluence of the place to research local history, while its Farset (which now runs underground) extensive newspaper collections contain and Lagan rivers, where Belfast’s several contemporary articles on Titanic. shipbuilding history began, the weir was constructed in 1994 to control the tidal nature of the Lagan. In the Titanic St Anne’s Cathedral 12 era many craft would still dock at the quay here. Boat tours depart from here Donegall Street The Neo-Romanesque Cathedral, famous (see back of guide for information) for its beautiful stained glass windows, held a memorial service for those who 17 lost their lives on Titanic soon after the Queen’s Bridge sinking. The packed congregation included Many Harland and Wolff workers would members of Thomas Andrews’ family. have hastened over Queen’s Bridge in the early morning, perhaps rushing to make a dawn start on Titanic or Olympic. Albert Memorial Clock 13 Custom House Square 18 Until a recent renovation corrected its Odyssey list, this was Belfast’s answer to Pisa’s Queen’s Quay leaning tower. Built in Gothic style in The award-winning honour of Queen Victoria’s consort, is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest Prince Albert, it was tall enough, at 113ft, tourist attractions. It hosts a world-class to offer an excellent vantage point for interactive discovery centre – W5, a at least one enterprising sightseer to get state-of-the-art bowling alley, a six-storey a birds-eye view of Titanic’s launch. Imax screen, a cinema complex and a range of restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs. Adjacent is the 10,000-seater Odyssey Arena, which stages large-scale Sinclair Seamen’s 14 entertainments and concerts featuring Presbyterian Church the world’s major music acts, as Corporation Square well as ice hockey and other indoor Designed in the 1850s by Belfast’s sports. Overlooking the old Harland most influential architect, Sir Charles and Wolff shipyard, it comprises Lanyon, this remarkable church was the southern border of the £1 billion built to ‘watch over the spiritual Titanic Quarter development. Trail

19 Abercorn Basin The building was constructed in stages Queen’s Road between 1900 and 1919 and it is thought Even as Harland and Wolff was in its the oldest sections include the two infancy, it was clear the new shipyard beautiful Drawing Offices on the ground would need to expand and, by 1867, two floor (there are several other drawing vital new developments were completed. rooms too, such as the Admiralty The Abercorn Basin was created out Drawing Office). It was in the cathedral- of 12 acres of open water which faced like atmosphere of Drawing Office the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding No. 1, surrounded by teams of expert berths, providing a service basin for the draughtsmen, that first Alexander Carlisle new Hamilton Graving Dock. As well and then Thomas Andrews supervised the as shipbuilding, the basin also served concept, design and detailed construction Northern Ireland’s coal trade, with ships drawings for Titanic and Olympic. unloading their vital cargo through the night. The famous engine works where The atmospheric Grade B2 listed Titanic’s vast and hugely powerful engines headquarters has been used as a were built and tested was based here until location for several films, including 2000. Abercorn Basin will be the location Neil Jordan’s Breakfast on Pluto, for the first phase of modern apartments, as starring local actor Liam Neeson. well as restaurants, shops and bars, in the forthcoming Titanic Quarter development. Olympic & Titanic Slipways 22 Queen’s Road Hamilton Graving Dock 20 It was the most spectacular sight ever Queen’s Road seen in the world of shipbuilding Building started on the 450 ft long - workers clambering high over the Hamilton Dock in 1863, following some Arrol gantry, more than twice the controversy over its location. Completed height of St Paul’s Cathedral, to work in 1867, it was the first graving dock built on the two greatest ships yet known on the County Down side of the River to man, Olympic and Titanic. Beneath Lagan, though its site had been bitterly the ships, which for a period stood side opposed by the Belfast Shipwrights by side, were the slipways specially Society. They cited the life-threatening constructed to launch the ships into risk to shipyard workers, ‘owing to the adjacent waterways in the Victoria crossing the river, often in crowded boats, Channel. They were still in use until the before and after daylight’. Harland and 1960s and have now been preserved. Wolff held firm, insisting trade would be encouraged by building the dock adjacent to their works. The Harbour Steam Cranes 23 Commissioners eventually won over the Queen’s Road shipwrights by agreeing to build what Like a series of soldier ants, billowing would become the Dufferin and Spencer steam from their funnels, a network Docks on the Co Antrim side of the Lagan. of 50 steam cranes, pulling objects far greater in size or weight than The last remaining vessel with a link to themselves, scuttled around Queen’s Titanic, and the only White Star ship still Island’s dedicated rail network. They afloat, the Nomadic was fitted out in the were used at all stages of construction, Hamilton Graving Dock and launched including servicing the outfitting of in April 1911, just weeks before Titanic. Titanic at the Thompson Graving Dock.

21 Former Harland & Wolff Alexandra Graving Dock 24 Headquarters Building Queen’s Road and Drawing Offices The expansion of Harland and Wolff Queen’s Road in the last quarter of the 19th century The ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Titanic increased constant pressure to update Quarter development, this three-storey facilities. As a result the company sandstone and brick building was the petitioned the Harbour Commissioners hub of the world’s greatest shipbuilders for additional fitting out facilities and the birthplace of RMS Titanic. The in 1881. A site at the north end of building was not just the shipyard’s Queen’s Island was chosen and in 1885, centre of administration, looking after Princess Alexandra, after whom the a workforce, but also housed the offices new dock was named, cut the first sod. of the senior figures in the shipyard, The dock opened four years later. such as Lord Pirrie, Alexander Carlisle and Thomas Andrews. The autocratic However, even it would soon prove Pirrie, who kept a hawkish eye on the too small for the huge scale of ship that yard, often beginning his inspections William Pirrie envisaged for the future. at 7am, retained an apartment here. Trail

Thompson Pump House 27 Queen’s Road The original part of the building was constructed in the 1880s to serve the Alexandra Graving Dock. It was extended significantly to cater for the massive new Thompson Graving Dock, which opened in 1911. Long and HMS Caroline 25 rectangular, designed in late Victorian Queen’s Road eclectic style, the building featured Today, Alexandra Dock is occupied by the most advanced state-of-the-art HMS Caroline, built in Birkenhead in 1914. engineering of its day. Its hugely She was the lead ship of a class of six light powerful pumping engines, housed cruisers and is believed to be the only deep in the building, could drain a survivor of the infamous Battle of Jutland full dock of 23 millions gallons of in 1916. She came to Belfast in 1924 to serve water in 110 minutes. A series of as the headquarters of what is now the underground tunnels leading from Royal Navy Reserve, and was converted at near the pumps, could take workers Harland and Wolff for this purpose. Still beneath both docks. The Pump House, retaining many of her original features, which still operates, is now, like the she is now on the National Historic Thompson Graving Dock, part of Ships Register. At approximately half the the Northern Ireland Science Park. length of Titanic, HMS Caroline gives a clear illustration of why a new dock was needed for the Olympic-class liners.

Thompson Outfitting Wharf 26 & Graving Dock Queen’s Road Without the Arrol gantry and the Thompson Graving Dock, both the biggest in the world when they were constructed, neither Titanic nor her sister ships, Olympic and Britannic could have been built or Harland & Wolff Cranes 28 fitted. The Harbour Commissioners Samson and Goliath decided to build the new graving dock Queen’s Island in 1902, with no little encouragement The two great yellow-painted gantry from their fellow commissioner, William cranes Samson and Goliath have Pirrie, Harland and Wolff’s persuasive become icons of Belfast, dominating Chairman, who had a clear vision of not just Queen’s Island but the entire the scale future ships would take. city skyline. Constructed to service the vast new graving dock at Harland Work began in 1904 on the 880 ft long dock, and Wolff, Goliath (the smaller at whose walls were 18.5 ft thick and which 315 ft) began work in 1969, the 348 ft had 332 massive keel-blocks of cast iron Samson five years later. Each of the to support the weight of the great liners Krupp-Ardelt designed cranes can it would hold. At the same time a large lift loads of up to 840 tons. Harland outfitting wharf was constructed nearby and Wolff were still one of the world’s and the surrounding water was dredged great shipbuilders at the time and the to a depth of 32 ft. Despite its size, the building of the two cranes, during a dock still had to be extended so its first difficult period for shipbuilding in ship, Olympic, could enter in April 1911. Belfast, was seen as a sign of faith It would be in the Thompson Outfitting in the future. Now much beloved Wharf and Graving Dock that the ships’ Belfast landmarks, their own future engines, boilers and superstructure would was assured in 2003 when they be added and work completed on their were scheduled for preservation. luxurious cabins and rooms. In October 1911, Titanic had to be moved from the dock to the wharf to allow repairs to be completed on Olympic, which had been involved in a collision. The delay pushed back the date of Titanic’s maiden voyage nearly three weeks. Had she sailed on time, it is very doubtful the world’s most famous ship would have encountered the fateful iceberg. y Dock r

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HERDMAN L E N N L Belfast Welcome Centre A H C 1. Robinson & Cleavers IA ANNE R O CH T 2. May St Presbyterian Church C I 3. Belfast City Hall V 4. Linen Hall Library MUSGRAVE FURTHER 5. YMCA 6. Robinson’s Saloon 7. Royal Belfast Academical Institution (Inst.) INFORMATION 8. Ulster Reform Club TOURS 9. Castle Junction BOAT 10. Rosemary St First Presbyterian Church TITANIC 11. Central Library 27 12. St Anne’s Cathedral 13. Albert Memorial Clock 26 14. Sinclair Seamen’s Presbyterian Church 15. Belfast Harbour Commissioners Office Northern Ireland Science Park 16. Lagan Weir K C O D Dock 17. Queen’s Bridge K ry C 25 O a D L L 18. Odyssey O xandr P rf Belfast Welcome Centre le ha 19. Abercorn Basin A

a W A one-stop tourist information centre for Belfast, 20. Hamilton Graving Dock xandr 24 BARNETT DOCK you can find information here on the City’s 21. Former Harland & Wolff Headquarters Ale 23 many links with RMS Titanic, including bus, and Drawing Offices 22. Olympic & Titanic Slipways f boat, walking and self-guided Titanic tours, as r well as information on the ‘Titanic – Made in 23. Steam Cranes oria Wha 24. Alexandra Graving Dock STREET ct Belfast’ festival and other festivals and exhibitions Vi 25. HMS Caroline UEEN Q related to Titanic. You will find a range of Titanic 26. Thompson Outfitting Wharf & Graving Dock DOCK ORTH 22 memorabilia in the gift shop. 27. Thompson Dock Pump House N YORK 28. Harland & Wolff Cranes Samson ROAD

ROAD and Goliath YORK Belfast Welcome Centre Queen's Island

47 Donegall Place QUEEN'S Belfast WESTLINK STREET BT1 5AD 21 Tel: +44 (0)28 9024 6609

CLIFTON Titanic Quarter Web: www.gotobelfast.com CORPORATION 28

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HILL LAGAN Abercorn Basin SHANKILL C o n n ' s W a t e r Ulster Folk and Transport Museum ROAD RIVER The Transport Museum, one of the finest in Europe, CARRICK 18 19 PETERS TOURS displays Ireland’s largest and most comprehensive The Odyssey Complex HILL DUNBAR BOAT transport collection, which includes the history 11 M IC 3 M O of shipbuilding. It holds a permanent Titanic 12 LINK T TITAN O WRITERS' R W SQ A exhibition which includes items such as original Y Titanic material, vintage photographs, newsreels, DONEGALL ESTLINK

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AVE ST 13 16 The Transport Museum also holds an image archive DIVIS STREET 10 – a significant local source of historical images from 8

STEET the 1860’s to the present day. The archive today CASTLE HIGH MIDDLEPATH STREET STREE QUEEN ELIZABETH BRIDGE contains over 300,000 still images representing T Laganside Bus Centre CAS the way of life of the people of Northern Ireland, TLE PLACE 9 ANN STREET 17 QUEEN'S BRIDGE ST

aspects of the history of transport and the Harland ANN VICTORIA

OXFORD OXFORD COLLEGE & Wolff Collection, covering shipbuilding and CASTLE LANE NEWTOWNARDS R

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Tel: +44 (0)28 9042 8428 6 BEDFORD EA ST BRID GE STR EET Web: www.uftm.org.uk Europa Bus Centre Titanic Trail Map

STREET Central Station Great Victoria St Train Station

GREAT Equal to Ten Minutes Walk

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STREET WHOLE OF TITANIC TRAIL ON FOOT ORM

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Botanic Station

BRADBURY Image Zoo design 028 90 200 420

Tours The Lagan Boat Company offer guided tours of the Harland and Wolff shipyards from the River. Take a guided Titanic Tour Tel: +44 (0)28 33 0844 Web: www.laganboatcompany.com

There are also bus tours of the City which take in Queen’s Island and the Titanic Quarter. For further information contact the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Festival A Titanic Festival’ is held every year in the City. It includes talks, films, exhibitions and tours to the City every April. For further information contact the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Titanic Interactive Trail Produced by Another way to explore Belfast’s Titanic Story is through the self guided ‘Titanic Interactive Trail’. Tourism Development Unit This state of the art handheld digital device will Development Department take you on an interactive multi-media tour of the Belfast City Council key Titanic sites and transport you back in time to 4-10 Linenhall Street walk alongside the shipyard workers and gaze in Belfast awe as the vision of the Titanic rises up before your BT2 8BP very eyes. The console is available to hire from the Belfast Welcome Centre. Tel: +44 (0)28 9032 0202 www.belfastcity.gov.uk

Acknowledgements

The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Titanic Quarter Ltd. Una Reilly. NOAA, Institute for Exploration, « « « TRAIL MAP University of Rhode Island www.goto belfast.com