As April 15th 2012 hits shortly, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic will be marked in various different ways. Dubbed ‘unsinkable’ the liner set off on it’s maiden voyage on April 10th. However, only four days into the crossing, it collided with an iceberg at 11.40pm on April 14th.
The sinking of the Titanic has arguably been the most tragic and well known maritime diaster in recent times. For this reason, it has always been well documented with various TV shows and documentatries showcasing the disaster. Across the world the award winning 1997 blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will be re-shown in theaters in 3D format. Ireland in particular has a special place in Titanic’s history and to commemorate, there will be plenty of events to mark the occasion up and down the country.
It is not too hard to understand why Ireland plays a large part in the history of the Titanic. The ship was built between 1909–11 by the Harland and Wolff shipyard company who were based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The ship was built in order to hold a capacity of 2,224 people. The passengers on the ship included many Irish emigrants hoping to start a new life in America. Most of the Irish passengers came aboard when the Titanic made her last stop before the sinking in Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Co. Cork. Today you will find a memorial in the centre of the town of Cobh to remember the devastating loss.
Last year on May 31st, a single flare was fired over Belfast’s docklands in commemoration. All boats in the area around the Harland and Wolff shipyard then sounded their horns as people applauded for 62 seconds. This was the time it took to lower the ship down the slipway in 1911.
In 2012, consider Ireland vacations where you can take in the true Titanic experience as events up and down the country take place to mark the occasion.