Relatives of the victims of some of the 1,517 who died in the Titanic disaster gathered at Belfast City Hall today to mark the 98th anniversary of the sinking.
The ship, which was built in Belfast by Harland Wolff before meeting an icy grave on its maiden voyage on April 15th, 1912.
Two wreaths were laid today at the statue marking the deaths and a minute’s silence was held.
The Rev Ian Gilpin, chaplain to the Belfast Titanic Society, led the prayers and paid tribute to the victims.
“We remember those whose names are heroism inscribed (on the memorial). When disaster struck they thought not of themselves but of others. Their conduct was selfless not selfish, without exception,” he said.
“They gave their lives that others might be saved without exception, each was heroic onto death,” he added. “There is a sense of (relatives’) pride, a pride born of a realisation of how nobly their forebears conducted themselves as their lives drew to a close.”
Marjorie Wilson, whose grandfather William McQuillan was a stoker of the boiler, said he had agreed to take a colleague’s place at the last minute. Mr McQuillan is buried in Halifax, Canada.
“I come to the memorial service every year,” she said.