Today, William Harland, aged 13 whose great, great, great, great uncle was owner of the Harland and Wolff Shipyard that built the RMS Titanic, travelled to Northern Ireland to visit the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, Titanic Belfast.
William arrived in Belfast and was greeted by the signature ‘H&W’ yellow cranes, abbreviated for his family’s surname, Harland and Wolff, or as locals joke ‘Hello and Welcome’. He visited the attraction, which recently crowned the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction, to learn more about not not only Titanic but the city and people that built her, including his great uncle. The 13 year old’s great uncle, Edward Harland, was one of the main men behind the RMS Titanic and Belfast’s strong industrial heritage. His name is synonymous with Belfast and his legacy lasts to this day. The staff at Titanic Belfast were able to help him discover more about his great uncle.
Faye Harland, William’s mother, commented, “William loves everything to do with Titanic and wanted to learn more about his family’s heritage and legacy – where better to do this than Belfast. It was great for him to see and learn first-hand about its shipbuilding and industrial heritage and his family’s role in it.”
Tim Husbands MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, said, “At Titanic Belfast, we not only tell the story of how the world’s most famous ship was built, designed and launched, but also the story of Belfast and the personal stories behind it. There are literally thousands of fascinating connections to Titanic but to have one of the Harland family with us is an honour. Over the years we have welcomed guests including Her Majesty the Queen but our staff equally loved having William to visit and teaching him about the work of his family and what the Harland and Wolff Shipyard meant to Belfast, under the Harland and Wolff cranes, which still to this day are synonymous with Belfast skyline.”
Titanic Belfast and its world-class galleries tell the story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through to her construction and launch, to her famous maiden voyage and tragic end. The iconic attraction has now welcomed almost 3.5 million visitors and was also recently named the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction in the prestigious World Travel Awards. It is easily accessible from both George Best Belfast City Airport, Belfast International Airport and only 90 minutes from Dublin. To delve deeper, visit www.titanicbelfast.com.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Photo Caption: Titanic Belfast’s Chief Executive welcomes 13 year old William Harland whose great, great, great uncle was owner of the Harland and Wolff Shipyard that built the RMS Titanic, to world’s largest Titanic visitor experience.
About Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast is an iconic six-floor building featuring nine interpretive and interactive galleries that explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Titanic, as well as the City and people which made her. It is the World’s Largest Titanic exhibition and was recently crowned the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the prestigious World Travel Awards.
The building houses temporary exhibits, a banqueting suite, education and community facilities, catering and retail space, and a basement car park. Visitors learn about the construction of RMS Titanic and the wide and rich story of Northern Ireland’s industrial and maritime heritage.
Supported by the Northern Ireland Executive, Titanic Belfast is a unique public/private partnership funded by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour and Titanic Quarter Ltd. It is operated by Titanic Belfast Ltd and owned by the Titanic Foundation Ltd.
For information on Titanic Belfast please contact:
Sarah Hamilton-Cardy, PR and Communications Executive, Titanic Belfast
Tel: +4428 9076 6380
E: sarahhamiltoncardy@titanicbelfast.com
W: www.titanicbelfast.com
T: @titanicbelfast
FB: www.facebook.com/titanicbelfast