A Titanic Centennial

This Thursday is the 100th anniversary of Titanic's first trans-atlantic voyage and, as we all know, it's last.   The incredibly long film has been re-released in 3D to coincide with the anniversary and Belfast has gone a little titanic-crazy in commemoration of what was essentially a failure.

Lots of details about the money that has been spent on the occasion have been leaked in recent weeks and one has to wonder, am I missing something because I don't think a fancy new building, over-priced museum and string of expensive events is money well spent considering the nature of the anniversary and our current economic situation. Surely a more modest memorial of sorts would be more appropriate? We don't have pop concerts and light shows and fireworks to celebrate other worldly tragedies, so why this one?

Now the Titanic was a structure completely worthy of it's name, and Belfast should be proud of the irish business and irish workers that made the questionable design a reality. It definitely is not their fault that the design was so flawed and the chosen captain even more so. But I think it is important to also remember and note that at the time the titanic was being built, Harland and Wolff was a shipyard that wouldn't allow catholic irish men to work, or made it very difficult for them to do so at the very least. This was common practice at the time and is now a dark mark on Northern Irish history, which is probably why it is rarely highlighted.

I like to see Belfast in the spotlight. I like to see and hear people who are proud to be from Belfast. The story of the Titanic is incredibly interesting, one of the few I can actually remember from history lessons in school. But I don't like to see so much attention focused on unnecessary extravagances and so little on the vast number of lives that were lost 100 years ago. The story of the Titanic is a tragedy, not a happy ending. So is it so strange that I find it so odd to be celebrating it like a success?