End of an era for Harland & Wolff

The last vessel likely to be built at the Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff was officially named today.

The 22,000 tonne Anvil Point, the second of two roll-on roll-off ferries built at the yard for an English shipping consortium, Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd, was named by Mrs Wendy Parker, wife of consortium member Mr Michael Parker in a champagne ceremony in Belfast.

The completion of the Anvil Point, ship number 1,742 in the order book, represents the end of a long association between Belfast and its once renowned shipbuilding industry, which built the legendary Titanic.

Harland and Wolff chief executive Bill Alexander said: “Today is full of mixed emotion for all of us as it is likely to be the last new-build ship delivered from Harland and Wolff in the immediate future.

“But it also marks a new chapter in the company’s history as we adapt to new markets and reposition ourselves as a successful engineering services company.”

Paying tribute to the company’s employees, Mr Alexander said they deserved praise for remaining focused “despite many being faced with uncertain futures”.

The company’s role as a leading shipbuilder effectively came to an end last year when the workforce was slashed to little more than 100. Its order book is now empty and there is little prospect of any more vessels being commissioned.

The once great yard has been haemorrhaging workers for decades. It hit its peak during the Second World War when it employed 35,000 people.

The DUP’s Sammy Wilson said the news marked the end of an era for Belfast.

“An industry which has dominated the skyline of the city and has been an important part of the social and economic fabric of Belfast is sadly coming to an end,” he said.

“We can only hope that the land will be put to productive use so that the area will once again become a central economic hub for Belfast, employing the tens of thousands who once were engaged in the singular activity of building ships.”

(AMcE)