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titanic-lovers’ guide to belfast
By Robert La Bua.
Published in the January-March 2012 issue.
Near, far, wherever you are – in 2012, expect to hear a lot more about Northern Ireland’s most legendary export as commemorations for the Titanic approach.
You’ve heard by now what the Irish say about the ill-fated Titanic: “It was just fine when it left.” When it left Belfast, that is – the place where the legendary ship was built, and the focus of this year’s commemoration of the vessel’s demise a century ago on April 15. A hundred years may have passed but the truths and myths surrounding the RMS Titanic and its sinking still captivate our imaginations.
Unlike the ship, Belfast has resurfaced on the tourism sea as an appealing destination offering a surprising diversity of attractions. The city centre is easy to navigate and the newly reinvigorated Titanic Quarter is packed with things to do and see, including a spectacular museum with displays and presentations on all things Titanic.
What to Do
Ever determined to educate herself to a standard befitting a millionaire’s wife, Titanic passenger Margaret Brown – better known to the world today as “the unsinkable Molly Brown” – would be happy to see so many cultural experiences on offer in Belfast. In anticipation of the upcoming centennial commemorations, the old Harland and Wolff Shipyard and its vicinity have been cleaned up and renamed the Titanic Quarter. The simple slipway from which Titanic was launched at first seems unimpressive – just a very large slab of concrete flecked with yellow. Oh, wait – those aren’t specks, they’re life-sized statues of men, meant to illustrate just how deep, how massive in scale the slipway is.
Nearby, housed in an extraordinary building scheduled to open just days before the anniversary of the ship’s sinking, the Titanic Belfast museum will showcase a huge array of memorabilia. The museum is the culmination of an ongoing makeover to this part of the city. For step-by-step insights, book yourself on one of Titanic Walking Tours’ excursions – they offer a myriad of interesting tidbits about the history of the ship.
Not all Belfast’s appeal is related to the Titanic. On the city’s northern edge sits Belfast Castle, a fine building occupying beautiful gardens with water views. On its southern fringe are the impressive grounds of Queen’s University, the main venue for the annual Belfast Festival at Queen’s, Ireland’s largest arts festival. In between are many appealing places to visit, including the Linen Hall Library. Opposite the historic corridors of Belfast City Hall, the library is a great place to take in some culture: the latest art exhibitions, readings and other events, most of them free.
Despite the melancholy reasons for their existence, the poignant political murals in the city’s Shankill district are not to be missed. Arguably one of the city’s most moving attractions, the murals adorn the walls of residential and commercial buildings on several streets in the neighbourhood.
The most comfortable and convenient way to check them out is on a private tour with the debonair Hamilton Lowe of Spectrum Cars, who offers city tours all around Belfast as well as day trips to County Antrim’s gorgeous Causeway Coast to see the Giant’s Causeway – a series of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns and a UNESCO World Heritage site – or farther afield to Derry to visit Ireland’s only remaining fully intact walled city – one of the best preserved of its kind in Europe.
For evenings out, there is no shortage of entertainment. The Irish are ardent supporters of live theatre and other performing arts. The recently refurbished Ulster Hall is Belfast’s premier venue for small-scale recitals, concerts and shows, while the Grand Opera House is the venue for larger performances. In the Titanic Quarter, the eye-catching Odyssey Arena hosts regular rock and pop concerts and sports matches, is home to a popular pavilion for eating, drinking and clubbing, and is also the site of the outstanding W5 science centre.
Where to Sleep
Titanic’s first-class passengers, including real estate magnate John Jacob Astor, would have enjoyed The Merchant Hotel’s opulent interiors and attentive service. The Merchant, occupying the ornate former headquarters of Ulster Bank, offers lavish guestrooms, rich in architectural detail; a recent addition provides more contemporary accommodations, also with five-star service. The Merchant’s Rolls-Royce Phantom is available for airport transfers and city tours. Even if you’re not staying here, come for dinner under The Great Room’s ornate dome.
Less than 11 kilometres from the centre of Belfast, in the leafy Holywood neighbourhood facing Belfast Lough, is the impressive Culloden Estate & Spa. The former manor of the Bishops of Down, the palatial residence sits atop a small hill, giving it commanding views over nearly five hectares of rolling lawns and gardens to the atmospheric Cultra Inn restaurant, at the other end of the property.
Belfast Malmaison offers rooms in self-proclaimed “bordello style” and does a roaring trade with London hens and bucks in town for weekend parties. After all, how many three-star hotels offer a suite with a billiard table of its own? A convenient city-centre location puts most Belfast attractions within walking distance – handy for getting home after a night out eating, drinking and partying.
The Fitzwilliam’s location on the west side of Belfast puts it on the same block as the Grand Opera House. The property epitomises modern city living, bringing a pared-down urban sophistication to the city’s hotel scene in the form of functional, comfortable rooms done up in stylish colours with a touch of design whimsy.
Where to Eat
Following the lead of major cities across northern Europe, Belfast’s dining scene has undergone an extraordinary transformation in recent years. With several successful establishments, Michael Deane has built quite the culinary empire for himself in the Northern Irish capital – his citywide establishments include Deanes Seafood Bar, Simply Deanes and Deanes at Queens. His restaurant on Howard Street, simply named Deanes, has a Michelin star and serves up fare focused on local ingredients including Kettyle Irish lamb, Strangford scallops and Sainte-Maure goats’ cheese.
Craving fish and chips? Head to Mourne Seafood Bar, a well-loved eatery serving fish dishes in a traditional bistro atmosphere, suitably upscaled for today’s restaurant patrons. There’s seafood chowder and pan-fried crab claws as well as all manner of oysters, best enjoyed in the new Oyster Bar.
Despite the fame of the Titanic’s wealthy passengers, the vast majority of guests on the ship were travelling in second and third class; among them was the only Australian woman to survive the disaster, a ship stewardess named Evelyn Marsden. Even back in Marsden’s day, business was brisk at St George’s Market – Belfast’s biggest food hall – overflowing with stalls selling fresh bread, cheeses and other deli-style goods. Equally casual is the Bobbin Coffee Shop in Belfast City Hall, which offers free exhibits with its café lattes and scones.
Where to Shop
As it has done with accommodation and cuisine, Belfast has raised the bar on shopping experiences in recent years. Even Titanic survivor Lady Lucy Duff-Gordon, a leading fashion designer at the beginning of the 20th century, would be pleased to have her expensive creations sold in today’s upscale Belfast boutiques, including Envoy of Belfast, stocked with clothes from hard-to-find couturiers, and British stalwart the House of Fraser department store, located in the Victoria Square shopping centre. Homewares hounds will enjoy browsing the merchandise at Equinox, one of the best stores of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Custom jewellery makes a somewhat unexpected souvenir, and goes well beyond the traditional Claddagh ring; The Steensons take their decades of jewellery-design experience and create beautiful bespoke pieces. The Steensons’ city location on Bedford Street is just behind Belfast City Hall, but their workshop is in picturesque Glenarm in County Antrim, a leisurely drive from the city. Emeralds from the Emerald Isle, or perhaps a replica of famed blue diamond necklace the Heart of the Ocean?
Though the Heart of the Ocean in 1997’s film Titanic was fictional, its basis is not: among the passengers on the ill-fated ship was successful married businessman Samuel Morley, who was travelling with his new paramour, Kate Florence Phillips. Allegedly, Morley presented Philips with a blue sapphire necklace as a gift of love, and it was this romance that served as the inspiration for the blockbuster film’s love story.
Let’s face it: who wouldn’t want a replica as a Belfast souvenir? •
Photography by Robert La Bua and courtesy of Donal McCann Photography for Titanic Belfast.
TRAVEL FACTS
getting there
Emirates has just added Dublin to its flight network, offering travellers from Australia a one-stop service to Dublin Airport. Belfast is approximately two hours’ drive north of Dublin and regular buses travel direct from the airport to Belfast city centre. 1300-303-777; emirates.com
getting around
Walking is a pleasure in Belfast’s compact city centre. Titanic Walking Tours offers insightful excursions with a Titanic theme. 44-75/4648-9875; titanicwalk.com
Spectrum Cars is the leading private transport operator in Belfast. The company provides luxury airport transfers (including from Dublin) as well as transport and tours around Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland. 44-28/9336-7151; spectrum-cars.com
Globus organises guided tours around Ireland, including Belfast. 1300-130-134; globus.com.au
when to go
Despite the allure of long days over the Irish summer, the other seasons offer plenty of attractions, with many cultural, sporting and culinary events taking place throughout the year. The city will host a number of special events in 2012 to commemorate the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic including Mayo Titanic Cultural Week, a range of events set to take place from April 8.
where to stay
• Belfast Malmaison, 44-28/9022-0200; malmaison.com/hotels/belfast
• Culloden Estate & Spa. 44-28/9042-1066; hastingshotels.com/culloden-estate-and-spa
• The Fitzwilliam, 44-28/9044-2080; fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com
• The Merchant Hotel. 44-28/9023-4888; themerchanthotel.com
where to eat
• Deanes. 36-40 Howard St.; 44-28/9033-1134; michaeldeane.co.uk
• The Great Room Restaurant. 16 Skipper St.; 44-28/9023-4888; themerchanthotel.com
• St George’s Market, 12-20 East Bridge St.; 44-28/9043-5704; belfastcity.gov.uk/stgeorgesmarket
• Mourne Seafood Bar Belfast. 34-36 Bank St.; 44-28/9024-8544; mourneseafood.com
where to shop
• Envoy of Belfast. 4 Wellington St.; 44-28/9031-1110; envoyofbelfast.com
• Equinox. 32 Howard St.; 44-28/9023-0089; equinoxshop.com
• House of Fraser. Victoria Square; 44/844-800-3705; houseoffraser.co.uk/belfast
• The Steensons. Bedford St.; 44-28/9024-8269; thesteensons.com
further information
For additional tips on visiting Ireland, contact:
• Tourism Ireland. 61-2/9964-6900; discoverireland.com.au
• Northern Ireland Tourist Board. 44-28/9023-1221; discovernorthernireland.com
• Diageo Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau. 44-28/9024-6609; gotobelfast.com
• Titanic Belfast. 44-28/9076-6399; titanicbelfast.com
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