Belfast City Hall - The Lord Pirrie Memorial Plinth
31 May 2006
Belfast this afternoon is paying tribute to one of its most famous and accomplished shipbuilders, businessmen and entrepreneurs – a man who placed the city very firmly on the world stage.
As part of the Celebrate Belfast 2006 programme of events, a special memorial this afternoon is being unveiled to William James Pirrie, First Viscount of Belfast and first Chairman of the Harland and Wolff Shipyard. Today marks the anniversary not only of Pirrie’s birth but also the launch of his most famous creation, the ‘Titanic’.
The memorial is a plinth which formerly was the headstone of Lord and Lady Pirrie`s grave in the City Cemetery, which has now been renovated and relocated to the grounds of the City Hall. The bronze plinth, complete with a bust of Lord Pirrie, has been installed on a base of Portland stone – matching that used in City Hall, in the building of which the great man played such a pivotal role.
Born in Quebec, in what is now Canada, on May 31 1847, Pirrie rose to the top of the shipbuilding industry. Indeed, the famous Victorian writer and political activist, William Stead – who himself died on `Titanic’ – described him as “the greatest shipbuilder that the world has ever known”, who has “built more ships and bigger ships than any man since the days of Noah”.
While he was still a baby, Pirrie`s father, James Alexander, died and his mother returned to their native Ireland. William James went on to be educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, but soon decided that academia was not for him and, at the age of 15, enrolled as an apprentice at Harland and Wolff.
Sir Edward Harland almost immediately saw Pirrie`s potential and took the teenager under his wing: as a result, young William`s rise through the company was meteoric. By the time the White Star Line commissioned the `Oceanic’ – the first of its liners to be built at Queen`s Island - in 1869, Pirrie was chief draughtsman, at the tender age of just 22. Five years later, he was made a partner in the company, and in a few years he became the first Chairman of the board.
Under his energetic, but often dictatorial, control, the shipyard boomed – and alongside it, so did the city of Belfast. Pirrie became Lord Mayor in 1896 and played a key role in the drawing up of the plans for the magnificent new City Hall: work began two years later and the building was completed in 1906 – shortly before Pirrie and his expanding shipyard embarked on some of their most ambitious projects.
First came the `Laurentic’ in 1908, in which Pirrie revolutionized the design of ocean liners by first fitting marine turbines, and then the shipyard`s biggest and most famous project – the three sister ships of the `Olympic’ class. However, the shipyard’s crowning achievement was soon followed by its moment of infamy – the sinking of the mighty `Titanic’ less than one short year later.
In common with other prominent businessmen of his time, Pirrie also had a keen interest in politics, and was elected to the new Northern Ireland Senate in 1922. However, this latter political career was short-lived: while on a business tour of South America with his wife, Margaret, he took suddenly ill and died of bronchial pneumonia on June 7, 1924 – just one week after his 77th birthday.
Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1896 and 1897, William James Pirrie was the first person to be named an Honorary Freeman of the City of Belfast, on January 1 1898 – the same year in which work started on the building of the new City Hall. Pirrie was created a baron in 1906, a Knight of St. Patrick in 1908 and became the first Viscount of Belfast in 1921.
The Lord Pirrie Memorial Plinth will be unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Wallace Browne, at 3pm, in the presence of members of the Pirrie family. The plinth is located on the eastern side of the City Hall, almost exactly halfway between the statue of Sir Edward Harland and the Titanic Memorial.
The unveiling will be preceded by a short reception in the City Hall, commencing at 2.30pm, during which Councillor Tom Hartley will give a short presentation on the life of Lord and Lady Pirrie and their importance in the life of Belfast at the turn of the 20th century.
Today marks the 159th anniversary of the birth of William James Pirrie, First Viscount of Belfast, and the 95th anniversary of the launch of `Titanic`.
Earlier in the day, the launch of `Titanic` will be commemorated at a short ceremony, conducted by the Belfast Titanic Society, at the end of No. 3 slipway at Harland and Wolff. At 12.15pm, 95 years to the very minute after ‘Titanic’ slipped into the water for the first time, a whistle will be blown. There then will be a minute’s silence, to remember all those who worked on the construction of ‘Titanic’ – and those who subsequently lost their lives less than one short year later.
ENDS
Belfast City Hall - The Lord Pirrie Memorial Plinth
31 May 2006
Belfast this afternoon is paying tribute to one of its most famous and accomplished shipbuilders, businessmen and entrepreneurs – a man who placed the city very firmly on the world stage.
As part of the Celebrate Belfast 2006 programme of events, a special memorial this afternoon is being unveiled to William James Pirrie, First Viscount of Belfast and first Chairman of the Harland and Wolff Shipyard. Today marks the anniversary not only of Pirrie’s birth but also the launch of his most famous creation, the ‘Titanic’.
The memorial is a plinth which formerly was the headstone of Lord and Lady Pirrie`s grave in the City Cemetery, which has now been renovated and relocated to the grounds of the City Hall. The bronze plinth, complete with a bust of Lord Pirrie, has been installed on a base of Portland stone – matching that used in City Hall, in the building of which the great man played such a pivotal role.
Born in Quebec, in what is now Canada, on May 31 1847, Pirrie rose to the top of the shipbuilding industry. Indeed, the famous Victorian writer and political activist, William Stead – who himself died on `Titanic’ – described him as “the greatest shipbuilder that the world has ever known”, who has “built more ships and bigger ships than any man since the days of Noah”.
While he was still a baby, Pirrie`s father, James Alexander, died and his mother returned to their native Ireland. William James went on to be educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, but soon decided that academia was not for him and, at the age of 15, enrolled as an apprentice at Harland and Wolff.
Sir Edward Harland almost immediately saw Pirrie`s potential and took the teenager under his wing: as a result, young William`s rise through the company was meteoric. By the time the White Star Line commissioned the `Oceanic’ – the first of its liners to be built at Queen`s Island - in 1869, Pirrie was chief draughtsman, at the tender age of just 22. Five years later, he was made a partner in the company, and in a few years he became the first Chairman of the board.
Under his energetic, but often dictatorial, control, the shipyard boomed – and alongside it, so did the city of Belfast. Pirrie became Lord Mayor in 1896 and played a key role in the drawing up of the plans for the magnificent new City Hall: work began two years later and the building was completed in 1906 – shortly before Pirrie and his expanding shipyard embarked on some of their most ambitious projects.
First came the `Laurentic’ in 1908, in which Pirrie revolutionized the design of ocean liners by first fitting marine turbines, and then the shipyard`s biggest and most famous project – the three sister ships of the `Olympic’ class. However, the shipyard’s crowning achievement was soon followed by its moment of infamy – the sinking of the mighty `Titanic’ less than one short year later.
In common with other prominent businessmen of his time, Pirrie also had a keen interest in politics, and was elected to the new Northern Ireland Senate in 1922. However, this latter political career was short-lived: while on a business tour of South America with his wife, Margaret, he took suddenly ill and died of bronchial pneumonia on June 7, 1924 – just one week after his 77th birthday.
Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1896 and 1897, William James Pirrie was the first person to be named an Honorary Freeman of the City of Belfast, on January 1 1898 – the same year in which work started on the building of the new City Hall. Pirrie was created a baron in 1906, a Knight of St. Patrick in 1908 and became the first Viscount of Belfast in 1921.
The Lord Pirrie Memorial Plinth will be unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Wallace Browne, at 3pm, in the presence of members of the Pirrie family. The plinth is located on the eastern side of the City Hall, almost exactly halfway between the statue of Sir Edward Harland and the Titanic Memorial.
The unveiling will be preceded by a short reception in the City Hall, commencing at 2.30pm, during which Councillor Tom Hartley will give a short presentation on the life of Lord and Lady Pirrie and their importance in the life of Belfast at the turn of the 20th century.
Today marks the 159th anniversary of the birth of William James Pirrie, First Viscount of Belfast, and the 95th anniversary of the launch of `Titanic`.
Earlier in the day, the launch of `Titanic` will be commemorated at a short ceremony, conducted by the Belfast Titanic Society, at the end of No. 3 slipway at Harland and Wolff. At 12.15pm, 95 years to the very minute after ‘Titanic’ slipped into the water for the first time, a whistle will be blown. There then will be a minute’s silence, to remember all those who worked on the construction of ‘Titanic’ – and those who subsequently lost their lives less than one short year later.
ENDS