Shipwreck city

Lately it occurs to me that two of the great stories woven into Belfast’s cultural tapestry are both of shipwrecks. The loss of the Titanic in 1912 has been commemorated in the city of its construction since way back in 1920 at least – which is when the memorial (above and below) at the city hall was erected.

Less familiar is the wreck of the Girona, one of the great galleas ships of the Spanish Armada, which was lost off the Antrim coast in 1588. There are (at least) 2 wonderful British TV documentaries about the mission to find and salvage its treasures in 1967. Me, I like to go to the Ulster Museum when I’m home on holiday, like I am today, and gaze at the lovingly conserved artefacts, gold from a quite literally golden age.




Or maybe just pick up a local tenner and look at the picture…

