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Titanic-linked SS Nomadic returns to Belfast birthplace
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
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The historic SS Nomadic, a tender that ferried passengers to the doomed Titanic, has been moved back to the place where she was built almost 100 years ago.
Led by Belfast Harbour and Titanic Quarter, the process has been more than 12 months in planning and paves the way for the start of the ship’s restoration work.
The move to Hamilton Dock in Titanic Quarter, a 142-year-old dry dock, involved major planning.
This included a detailed docking plan to map out how Nomadic would be supported once in dry dock, the use of a 500-ton crane to move the dock gate, three tugs to tow the ship across to Abercorn Basin, four pumps to drain the dock and the assistance of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service’s HVP (High Volume Pumping) unit.
“Nomadic’s arrival into Hamilton Dock marks the next significant milestone in this project and it’s a fantastic achievement to successfully reach this point,” Denis Rooney, chairman of the Nomadic Charitable Trust, said.
Roy Adair, CEO of Belfast Harbour, added: “Apart from her connections with Titanic, the Hamilton Dry Dock is an important piece of Belfast’s maritime heritage in its own right.
“It was the first dry dock to be built by the Harbour Commissioners on the Co Down side of the port and was required to service the increasingly large ships being built by Edward Harland’s yard. Countless ships were fitted out in the dock, which at 140m long, 25m wide and 6.7m deep was a marvel of early Victorian engineering.”
Mike Smith, CEO of Titanic Quarter, said: “Nowhere else in the world can tell the authentic story of the Titanic and her sister ships.
“Belfast’s Titanic legacy — the Thompson Dry Dock, the drawing offices, the slipways, Nomadic and now Hamilton Dock are being brought back to life.
“Belfast’s maritime history is a tremendous asset which can and should be used to market not just Titanic Quarter, but Northern Ireland as a whole.”
Hamilton Dry Dock took over four years to construct between 1863 and 1867.
Nomadic’s arrival in Hamilton Dock also facilitates the temporary opening of the ship to coincide with the Tall Ships Maritime Festival.
Nomadic will open for a two-week period from next Monday (August 10) to Sunday August 23 giving the public a special opportunity to board her before restoration starts.
For more information log onto www.nomadicbelfast.com .
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Regarding Tourism First of all you have to have assets. Then you have to go out and market them. This means that Belfast has to compete with the rest of Northern Ireland for the tourit euro. I am sure that Belfast has many such assets but how do the tourism authorities make tourists stay for more than one day. I recently Visited Darling Hrbour in Sydney. This is an outstanding example of how a redundant dock has been re-developed for local people and tourists. Other similar projects that spring to mind re the Dockland complexe in Melbourne and London Darling Hrbourcompetes well with other Sydney Icons like the harbour bridge. It would be a good prototype for the development of the Titanic Quarter. So come on you Belfast folk. Tell the rest of the world about your great city.
Posted by Charles | 04.08.09, 20:47 GMT
This is part of our heritage and history and should therefore be preserved. Why are we so against preserving things like this when any other part of the world would be proud. Great news
Posted by Sean | 04.08.09, 19:09 GMT
Agree this is totally over the top
This was a tender boat that delivered people from the dockside to the vessel
It wasn't built specifically to work for the titanic so it is a case of right place right time
I am not against the old shipbuilding and the titanic playing it's part in the overall NI tourism but it is not in my opinion the be all and end all that some people want it to be lets face facts the Titanic sank with a huge loss of life and the shipbuilder Harland and Wolff is no longer a major manufacturer or employer and even when it was it drained millions of pounds from the economy in subsidies
Belfast Harbour commissioners make huge profits and could fund this directly themselves
As regards the comment about people being here only because at the moment it is cheap compared to ROI frankly I don't care why they are here I am just glad they are here spending thier money and helping to shield some of the population from the recession they are suffering at present
Posted by Robert | 04.08.09, 18:36 GMT
Dear Charles, my grandmother has survived for a hundred years dosen't mean the rates payers should fork out to have her done up like new.
With regards to Belfst's proud shipbuilding heritage - Belfast's ship building has much to be ashamed of as opposed to proud of. At its peak when some 35000 workers were employed only around 1% were Catholic. What a great legacy; discrimination and a sunken boat! I guess the pathetic Nomadic is fitting after all.
Posted by John | 04.08.09, 16:14 GMT
The nomadic's connection with the Titanic may be tenuous but that is not really the point.
She has survived for a hundred years. Having done so she is worthy of hhaving some TLC and cash lavished on her as an exmple of an earl 20t/h century working vessle.
One cnnot allow heritage industrial artifcts to be lost just because of monetary considrtions. The docks complex will be good home for the Nomadic and a fitting reminder of Belfst's proud shipbuilding heritage. Congratulatins to all concerned
Posted by Charles | 04.08.09, 14:44 GMT
Mistercee, couldn't agree more but you should actually check the latest tourism figures posted by the Tourist Board. With the single exception of the ROI market they are down across the board. Strange how this is not being broadcast to the public? The reason being that the public would view this news as contrary to the wasteful spending of tax/ratepayers' money on idiotic projects, like the Belfast Titanic Project.
Perhaps the BT can do some investigative reporting on this subject, instead of their normal verbatim printing of press releases?
Posted by Bemused | 04.08.09, 14:24 GMT
When will I finally hear and end to this Titanic business? The barge Nomadic was used to ferry passengers to the Tiatnic so in other words it's connection with the Titanic spanned a day or two at most. The hype we continually hear about it is as pathetic as it's like to the sunken boat
Posted by John | 04.08.09, 14:00 GMT
What an utter waste of money. The link between the Nomadic and the Titanic is so tenuous as to be almost non-existent. The whole Titanic thing is a non-starter anyway. It'll fail in the end because there is not the tourist market here to support the proposition. Tourists come to Belfast for a day before heading on to other parts of Ireland. The latest 'tourism' figures are no more than an influx of shoppers coming across the border to take advantage of currently cheaper prices.
Posted by mistercee | 04.08.09, 12:05 GMT