Former MLA claims crane victory

Ulster Unionist Billy Armstrong is claiming victory in the first round of the battle to save one of Belfast’s most famous landmarks – the giant cranes Samson and Goliath which dominate what remains of Harland and Wolff shipyard.

The former Mid Ulster MLA has received an assurance from the Department of Environment’s Environment and Heritage Service that every effort will be made to ensure the huge structures are preserved.

Last month Mr Armstrong called on the DoE to list the famous gantry cranes as well as the shipyard’s dry docks because of their significant historic interest.

Welcoming the news, Mr Armstrong said: “Samson and Goliath have become historic landmarks for everyone who has lived or visited Belfast over the years.

“They signify the excellence of the shipbuilding industry in Northern Ireland, the expertise of the workers in this home industry and the huge employment that it provided, around 35,000 in its heyday in the 1920s.

“Shipbuilding has given us something to be proud of and it is only fitting that the shipbuilding industry should be remembered in such a way.”

The Mid-Ulster councillor is now calling on Belfast City Council to get behind the initiative to protect the cranes. “It is vital that all avenues of potential funding are explored by the council to incorporate the cranes in any plans for future development of the shipyard site," he concluded.

(MB)