Belfast: a Titanic Struggle

Belfast Port

WE HAD been to Belfast twice in prior years; by land in 2014, and as a Cruise Stop on the Celebrity Reflection in 2019. We didn't spend any real time in the city on either occasion. The 2019 trip was only a drive-through on our way to another destination associated with our "Life of Brian Boru" tour. In 2019, we took a tour of the north coast and aside from a quick stop at the Titanic drydock and drive through one of the "Game of Thrones" movie sets, we spent no time in the city. We did stop and sign the peace wall on our way back to our cruise ship on that trip.

Tour Guides awaiting Apex passengers - Belfast Port

HAVING HEARD and read a bit about "The Troubles," I really wanted to see the city, and more importantly, take a tour focusing on The Troubles. We also wanted to see the Titanic Exhibit, which wasn't open when we were there in 2019. Our morning was taken up by one of the well-publicized "Black Taxi" tours of the city, and the afternoon by a trip through the Titanic Museum.

"Peace" Wall - Falls Road - Belfast, Northern Ireland

WE FOUND the meeting spot for our taxi tour and away we went. There are/were peace walls in several sections of the city, the main wall that is popular for tourism, is pretty much centrally located in Belfast. The city was split roughly East and West by Falls Road. The Peace Wall we have visited and now signed twice, is on Falls Road, pictured above. To understand why I put quotation marks around the word, "peace," you really have to dig into the meaning and purpose of the walls, and how they fit in with "The Troubles." The conflict is a bit like the American Civil War: way more complicated than our common preconceptions about it. But suffice it to say that a combination of religion (in reality a small part of things), resentment, history of the settlement and conquest of Ireland, and other factors are all in the mix. The walls were ostensibly to separate the violent factions that divided all of Ireland (but primarily in the north and dominated by Belfast). It was to keep them apart, particularly after daily commerce closed. Anything more detailed here goes well beyond the scope of this blog. I go into a little more detail in my LightCentricPhotography blog here. But neither blog (one focusing on Photography and the other, Cruising) is equipped to really delve into things like this and it really behooves you to do some of your own digging, if this subject interests you.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

DURING THE morning, we learned about some of the very violent clashes between the factions and visited a couple memorials to some of the particularly violent incidents. While there are certainly philosophical, political, and religious implications, the who thing also reminds me a lot of the gang mentality we deal with on many parts of the world today.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

THOUGH "PEACE" of a sort exists in Belfast today, there are still sporadic and isolated acts of violence, and there are certainly still some very strong feelings among factions. I suspect that - much like racism in the U.S. - it will never completely be extinguished. The walls still mainly stand, and the gates are still closed and locked at night. Our driver drove us by one of the gates. As historically interesting as it is, it is also a very strange and still foreboding sight to see.

Gates on the Peace Wall - Falls Road - Belfast, Northern Ireland

AS WE drove through the neighborhoods, in spite of the world perception that "The Troubles" are mostly behind them, there were constant reminders of the conflict.

A quiet residential neighborhood in Belfast, separated by a wall

FOLLOWING A pretty intense morning, our driver/guide agreed to drop us off at a restaurant for lunch where we could get authentic local food. Many will recall that Ireland has not long been known for its gourmet cuisine. We really wanted some good fish & chips and a fresh Guiness on tap. He thought our best bet was the Victoria Square Shopping Mall and a restaurant that was adjacent. It was modern, and for all we know was a chain and/or a tourist trap. The food was good and the Guiness smooth. A plus was that it was just a few blocks from the Belfast waterfront, and our next destination: "The Titanic Experience."

Bar on Victoria Street - Belfast, Northern Ireland

AFTER LUNCH, we headed down Victoria Street toward the Titanic Wharf. I thought it was a cool city, and I like the mix - like we have seen in other places in Europe - of old vs. new architecture.

Albert Memorial Clock - Belfast, Ireland

AT THE Albert Memorial Clock, we turned onto High Street and walked to the quay on the west side of the river, past "The Big Fish" sculpture before again turning to cross The Queen's Bridge to the wharf area.

The Big Fish Sculpture - Belfast, Northern Ireland

ONCE A major ship-building facility and commercial wharf, the area has gentrified, and is dotted with small bars, restaurants and shops. It looks like it would be a fun spot to enjoy in the evening for drinks and dinner. We didn't spend any time there, but the walk by was interesting and enjoyable. And there were some sights along the way, including the locally famous "big fish" sculpture (just before we crossed the bridge), and the old, dry-docked tender to the Titanic (and other White Star ships), The SS Nomadic.

SS Nomadic dry-dock - Belfast, Northern Ireland

AS WE walked along the River Lagan (which eventually leads out into the Atlantic and the Irish Sea), we could see the modern structure of the Titanic Experience Museum in front of us.

The Titanic Experience - Belfast, Northern Ireland

THE TITANIC Experience is, to my way of thinking, a very modern museum, which makes substantial use of modern, digital projection technology. It has a rather dark ambiance inside and was really not my "cup of tea." We had learned back in 2019 that the Titanic was built and launched in Belfast, and that its final stop before sinking was in Cobh. We have now been to the museums in both of these Irish cities. We saw the actual drydock in 2019 and were able to walk around very close to the ship basin, as well as the building containing the pumps and flooding operations. Today, as part of the "experience," you can opt to ride a little "train" out along the basin and back. I opted out, while the others did it. I hear that I didn't miss much, as it is just a drive-by now. I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen it up close.

Titanic Drydock and Pump Building - Belfast, Northern Ireland - 2019

I WENT through the new museum rather quickly. Back outdoors, I found a nice, shady bench and waited on the others. We headed back to the ship; Bruce and I to smoke a late afternoon cigar on the first warm, sunny day we had since we left Rotterdam, and enjoy the Sunset Bar smoking area for the first time all week. We pulled away from Belfast Harbor, bound for Liverpool, England, just a short hop across the ocean.

Dry dock in Belfast Port, Northern Ireland