Titanic Slipways: the name given to the Titanic’s former slipways. Located in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter near the shipyard, they have been restored to their original condition and feature a memorial inscribed with the names of those who perished during the sinking of the infamous Titanic. A place steeped in history, where you can learn all about how the supposedly unsinkable liner was launched!
In Belfast, we’re proud of the historic slipways that were used to launch the Titanic. For it was here, in the heart of Belfast, that the Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard, at the request of the White Star Line.
The “Titanic Slipways” is therefore the precise spot where the Titanic was built and launched for the first time. A place steeped in history, to be discovered as you descend the slipway to imagine the original size of the liner.
You can imagine the dimensions of the upper deck, the width and length of the Titanic… An opportunity to see just how big the designers of the time had thought!
The slipways were also an opportunity for Belfast to demonstrate its naval industrial genius of the time: the city was considered a pioneer in liner construction. The Titanic project mobilized over 14,000 men, most of them Irish. At the time, the boat’s size and innovations made the locals proud!
Today, the slipways are home to a small memorial garden: 4 stretches of lawn alternate with wooden flooring. This is where the names of the victims of the shipwreck are inscribed on glass walls. The memorial has a serious, emotionally-charged charm.
A visit to the Belfast slipways will help you understand the history of the city, and of the supposedly unsinkable liner. In the evening, the slipways are illuminated by LEDs over an impressive distance, bringing a touch of modernity to the site… while preserving its attachment to its history!
If you’d like to continue your discovery of Titanic history, then be sure to visit the Titanic Belfast Experience, Titanic’s Dock and Pump-House, or the SS Nomadic. These 3 tourist attractions are located 2 steps from the coves, in the same neighborhood! And believe us: it’s worth it!