Theme Celtic – Belfast, Northern Ireland

 

The bus trip to Belfast from Dublin was quite pleasant and scenic, much more so than the trip east from Galway to Dublin. The further north we go, the greener and mountainous the landscape gets. Since we are officially moving to another country (Northern Ireland being a part of the UK), I was a little curious about how the border transition would occur. Here in Canada, any travellers heading to the USA from Toronto are reminded (several times) to have their passports at hand, and no such warning occurred at the Dublin bus station. In the end, I got my answer from The Rough Guide to Ireland: “border crossings [in Ireland] are now open and unstaffed. Permanent checkpoints have been removed and ramps levelled”. Thus, the only overt indication that you have that you’ve crossed from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland is the changing of the street signs.

To my tourist eyes, Belfast is a “light” version of Dublin. Although it is the capital of Northern Ireland, tourism as a strong economic force is still in its developing stages, and with reason. I would imagine that most lightweights of Irish history, like me, would attach two prominent tourist attractions to Belfast: political instability and the tragedy of the Titanic, where there is in fact at least a little bit more. We didn’t stay very long, only hitting 3 main areas of town: downtown, the Ulster Museum and Botanical Gardens and finally the docks. Also, the weather got really ugly when we were there!

It is only in the recent years that Belfast has started to really use the tragedy of the Titanic, and its continued historical interest, as a way to developing tourism. What impressed me the most about the museum of the Titanic Quarter (Titanic Belfast), is that it takes care to stay away from sensationalism. The 5-storey walk-through museum talks about the history of the docklands, economic and social details of the time period, shipbuilding starting from the early 19^th century and offers a virtual tour of the Titanic. It mostly leaves the melodrama of the actual sinking to the numerous movies and books that have been written on the topic. In other words it remains faithful to the objectives of a museum: “stick to the facts, and let them speak for themselves”. Titanic Belfast is definitely worth the detour, although it is recommended to buy entrance tickets beforehand.

Although fictional (and often dramatized) stories give us an idea of what travelling at the turn of the 19^th and 20^th century could be like, non-fictional, sometimes testimonial, books are often the ones that give you the best details.

The arguments behind my choice in reading SS Atlantic: The White Star Line’s First Disaster at Sea (2009) by Greg Cochkanoff and Bob Chaulk, are two-fold. Firstly, the book is Canadian; Canadiana is something I try to stay in touch with as much as possible, at least in terms of history. Secondly, it deals with what I like to call the “forgotten history”. Yes, the Titanic sank in 1912, yes Céline Dion sang the theme for the movie, and yes the story has been told over and over, but look (!) others ships from the famous White Star Line have sunk, with passengers on board, trying to reach the promise land! Let’s hear a little about them.

The author assumes quite a bit about the naval technical and geographical knowledge of the reader, maps for example being quite sparse. However the precise and ample descriptions of a wide variety of ship conditions draw a very clear picture of 19^th century cross-Atlantic travel, the grisly deaths that could await an unlucky emigrant and the challenges that might be involved with rescue operations. This modern illustrated account of this 1873 disaster provides the perfect mix of technical and personal details, focusing on following the paths of specific key actors in the event, to give a human feel.

Enjoy-alikes to this book are The Perfect Storm (2000) visually illustrating, perhaps a bit dramatically, how hazardous the Eastern North Atlantic really can be and The Reef (1998) by Nora Roberts. Although The Reef takes place in the Caribbean, the discovery of priceless treasures and personal effects with a thousand possible stories, is the main reason behind modern marine archaeology, a goal which compelled the author Greg Cochkanoff to explore The SS Atlantic for as long and as consistently as he did. This passion for discovery is one of the main storylines developed in The Reef.

On our last day in Belfast, we (appropriately) ferried across the Irish Sea to Scotland aboard Stena Line’s Stena Superfast (VII or VIII, I don’t remember). This 10+ deck, luxurious, superferry had more than any person would need for a 2-hour journey, including wi-fi, cabins (if you REALLY want your privacy), snack-bars, a Nordic Spa (!), free movies and a really cool children’s area including 3 Xboxes which can be played without remotes! All in all, it’s nice to see that Belfast retains its reputation to creating luxurious naval vessels, even into the 21^st century. And it’s certainly a step up, in terms of security, from sea travellers from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Although I do remember an incident recently about a cruise ship out of Italy, running aground in the Mediterranean…

Next stop Glasgow!