The Titanic is the most famous oceanliner in history. RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service, it was 882 feet 9 inches long with a maximum breadth of 92 feet 6 inches. It’s total height was 104 feet.
The Titanic voyage was much anticipated at the time with 1,317 passengers setting sail to New York City from Southampton. The ship also carried 905 crew on board.
The RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912 after the ship struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage. Over 1,500 passengers and crew died, making it one of modern history’s deadliest peacetime commercial marine disasters.
The Titanic is tied to Ireland for a multitude of reasons. The ship was built by Harland And Wolff, a Belfast industrial company from 1909 – 1911. On May 31st, 1911 the ship made its way down into the River Lagan, Belfast. More than 100,000 people attended the launching, which just took over a minute!
Queenstown, Co. Cork, now known as Cobh, Co. Cork, was the third stop on the Titanic’s maiden voyage. With many Irish joining the passage as third class passengers, raising the number of third class passengers to 709, exceeding the other two classes combined.
The Titanic is still a popular historical event, with a second class passenger list fetching $56,250 at an auction in New York on the 25th June 2008 and over 5 million people visiting the Titanic Belfast.
Come and see the details of RMS Titanic for yourself at An Poitin.
