Titanic Trash !



It would seem that at long last the madness that satirised the media and the people of Northern Ireland is finally coming to an end. With all the hype and the hysteria propagated by the television and the newspapers over the last three weeks one might be forgiven for thinking, what on earth was the point of it all and what useful purpose did it actually serve.

The grand structure that dominates the Titanic Quarter in the old "Yard", is finally open. It is a glorious sight, so I am told, yet I will reserve judgement until I actually visit the so called masterpiece. I am not convinced that it was worth the millions it cost to build it. Is it more profitable to the people of Northern Ireland that a man should die on a hospital trolley in the Royal Victoria Hospital, (part of a litany of problems within the NHS in NI), or to have this beautiful building that is simply a delight to the senses?

On Sunday last we had the pleasure of watching the so called great and good of Belfast City Council unveil the "new" Titanic Memorial Garden. What was wrong with the old one is beyond me, but frankly it must have been very important to flutter Belfast Rate Payers money away on this, rather than deal with the social housing shortage in the city. Oh it twas a grand affair, I daresay Ismay, Captain Smith, Thomas Andrews and the faithful departed would have been proud to have Brian Kennedy sing "You raise me up" in the hallowed hours of a Sabbath Morning. I am not a member of the Lord's Day Observance Society, but if I would join if they are against Brian Kennedy singing on a Sunday morning.

Then we had the delightful Noel Thompson, of BBC Newsline fame, prancing about on stage, his last "Hurrah" I suspect before he is replaced by a younger model, although Mark Cruthers hardly qualifies.

A simple affair would have sufficed, not this mockery that we had to endure on Sunday. I use the term mockery for that is what it was. Memories of tragic events are often kept deep within the soul and that is were they should stay. Rather than using it as the "flagship" to advance the image of Northern Ireland World Wide. Perhaps in another 100 years we will have commemorations of the bombings and shootings of the conflict, indeed they could host the MTV Music awards in the Bogside on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday !

It's not all doom and gloom, a load of Titanic Enthusiasts or should that be sycophants went to the grid coordinates of the sinking. How charming. How repulsive. Hopefully this is the end of the end of the matter and we can all get on with the rest of our lives.