Discovering the true story of the Titanic at Belfast

The instrumental version of My Heart Will Go On, plays softly as I walk around 'Myths and Legends', the eighth of the nine galleries in Titanic Belfast. This visitor attraction sits on the site where RMS Titanic was designed and built. “The way the films have presented Titanic's last hours has shaped how we think and feel about what may have happened on board,” reads the plaque on the wall covered with movie posters and quotes. Today, the Titanic is a story of heroes and villains, the contrast between wealth and happy-go-lucky poverty, and above all romance. But what is the history of the Titanic?

Myths and Legends Gallery (Pic: Avril-Ann Braganza)

Located in the Titanic Quarter, Titanic Belfast can hold over 3,547 visitors, the same as the capacity of Titanic. I quickly walk through 'Boomtown Belfast, which informs visitors about the thriving industries and design innovations leading to the creation of the Titanic. 

In 1908, two new giant slipways were built and the 6,000-ton steel Arrol Gantry was erected by Sir William Arrol & Company to prepare for the construction of the largest ships in the world: Olympic and Titanic. It could be seen from anywhere in Belfast. I move on through the original Harland & Wolff shipyard gates and soon I'm comfortably seated and ready for the slow Shipyard Ride in the dark that uses special effects, animation and full-scale reconstructions to recreate the reality of shipbuilding in the early 1900s. Building of the Titanic began on 31st March 1909, when the keel (backbone) of the Titanic was laid in slipway No. 3 underneath the Arrol Gantry. This was followed by framing, plating and riveting. 

I disembark and enter the next gallery dedicated to the The Launch of Titanic. On 31st May 1911, approximately 100,000 people turned out to watch the launch of this great ship. In the gallery, a large window looks down on the actual slipways on which both the Titanic and Olympic once rested. The window is fitted with state-of-the-art glass that displays a superimposed image of Titanic on the slipways. Within an hour of the launch, Titanic was towed by tugs to the deep water wharf for 'fitting out' with passenger accommodation, engines, boilers, funnels or propellers. 

It was the 'Ship of Dreams'; the most luxurious and prestigious ocean liner with furnishings, fittings and food to rival the finest hotels in the world. The 'Fit Out' exhibits replicas of the first, second and third class cabins. I feel the samples of the carpets and imagine first class passengers eating from the fine tableware on display. You can see here the skill and craftsmanship that went into the completion of Titanic, from the fitting of the enormous boilers and engines to its sanitary fittings and fine upholstery work.

Peering at the first-class cabin at the 'Fit Out' gallery (Pic: Titanic Belfast CC BY 2.0)

On 2nd April 1912, Titanic left Belfast for England, France and Ireland before heading to America. 'Maiden Voyage' tells stories of passengers, like John Jacob Astor IV (the wealthiest on the Titanic and one of USA's richest men); life aboard the ship and her near collision in Southampton. On display are photographs taken by Francis Browne, an Irish theological student. One photograph shows Titanic departing Queenstown shortly after 1:55 pm on 11th April, the last photograph of the ship. 

I walk through the last few galleries—in 'The Sinking', the heroism and horror of Titanic's last hours on 14th April 1912 are conveyed through the SOS messages sent out, stories of the survivors and the millionaires who died, as well as details of Carpathia: the first ship to reach the scene of disaster. The British-built and American-owned ship's sinking was investigated by both sides.

 'The Aftermath' provides details of the inquiries and news reports using recordings and exhibits. 'Myths and Reality' puts together the movies, books, songs, legends and fantasies surrounding Titanic's story. In the last section, I am reminded of the beginning of the film as I watch Dr. Robert Ballard's footage of the wreck on a huge projection screen. The American oceanographer and French diving engineer Jean-Louis Michel discovered the sunk ship nearly 4,000 m below sea level, in 1985. I swipe through the interactive learning pods to explore the debris of the wreck—shoes, china, the cast-iron part of a bench, a captain's bath, a mattress, etc.

Before you leave the Titanic Quarter, don't forget to visit SS Nomadic just across from Titanic Belfast. The tender vessel transferred passengers from Cherbourg Harbour to RMS Titanic which, due to its size, had to anchor well off shore.