GREAT LIGHT

Last May I was surprised to discover the Titanic Walkway in Belfast and to me it was much more interesting than Titanic Belfast.

Belfast’s offering as a maritime heritage destination has been given a major boost as two iconic attractions – the Great Light and Titanic Walkway – officially opened to the public in Titanic Quarter [March 2018].

The opening event was also selected to launch The European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 in Northern Ireland.

The Great Light gave Mew Island Lighthouse on the Copeland Islands its traditional revolving light and guided mariners to and from Belfast Lough until 2014. It is the world’s first and largest hyper-radial Fresnel lighthouse lens, installed in Tory Island Lighthouse in 1887 then reconfigured and moved to Mew Island in 1928.

The optic was removed from Mew Island in 2014 as the lighthouse was modernised and converted to solar power.

The Great Light project from Titanic Foundation, the charity committed to preserving Belfast’s maritime and industrial heritage, in partnership with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, will see the optic given a new role bringing to life the story of lighthouses, their technological developments, their light-keepers and their role in the maritime and industrial history of Belfast and beyond.

From Friday, 9 March, visitors will be able to walk the new 500 metre Titanic Walkway on Victoria Wharf, which connects the Titanic Slipways to HMS Caroline and the Thompson Dock, learning about the maritime and industrial heritage of the area on their way to the Great Light. This iconic waterfront walkway has been delivered by Titanic Quarter Limited.

The projects have been funded by Tourism NI, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Belfast City Council, Ulster Garden Villages and the Commissioners of Irish Lights.