Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition commemorated the Centennial of RMS Titanic’s launch and eventual sinking Tuesday, April 10 with a special candlelit vigil at Luxor Hotel and Casino. A Titanic descendant and 185 Griffith Elementary School students took part in the ceremony dedicated to remembering those who lost their lives on RMS Titanic.

Recently studying the Ship of Dreams and its ill-fated voyage across the Atlantic, the students explored the Exhibition, reliving the story of Titanic through more than 300 authentic artifacts. The students also wrote an essay to explain why the story continues to resonate with people around the world today based on Irish philosopher Jack Foster’s quote, “We are all passengers on Titanic.” One student was selected to share her essay during the ceremony.

Following the reading, students heard the tale of Titanic retold by Tom Goldsmith, descendant of survivorFrank John William Goldsmith. Tom spoke about his grandfather’s journey and experience aboard Titanic.

“RMS Titanic and Premier Exhibitions have provided the world with a window into the past. They have paid the utmost attention to detail both in the recovery of items and their preservation and display. As a descendent of a survivor, I enjoy visiting as many of them as I can because I feel closer to my grandfather and the stories he told me,” says Goldsmith.

In addition, Alexandra Klingelhofer, Vice President of Collections for Premier Exhibitions and RMS Titanic, Inc., spoke about the conservation and preservation efforts of Titanic so that people can see and experience the majesty and tragedy 100 years after its sinking and beyond. The ceremony ended with a candlelit vigil and a shared moment of silence to honor those who suffered or were lost aboard Titanic.

“The centennial of Titanic’s sinking is a chance for people all over the world to come together and remember those who were lost on April 15, 1912,” states Klingelhofer. “It’s important for Titanic’s legacy to live on throughout generations, which is why we are excited to have Griffith Elementary School join us for the candlelit vigil.”

Image Courtesy of   Titanic The Artifact Exhibition

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On March 27, USA TODAY and National Geographic Channel kick off an editorial partnership with a series of jointly-produced reports to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. A cover story in USA TODAY looks at why we are still obsessed with Titanic, 100 years later.

A special USA TODAY/National Geographic Channel tabloid edition, ‘Titanic – 100 Years Later’, hit newsstands Monday. The special edition can also be ordered online at http://service.usatoday.com/specialeditions. The tabloid edition includes:

• Our Titanic obsession – Little stories from the sinking of the world’s largest ship 100 years ago make up the grand legend that continues to hold interest for the public today.
• Remembering April 15, 1912 – From museum exhibits to re-creations of the last meal served onboard to commemorative teddy bears based on one that survived, the Titanic anniversary will be marked in many ways.
• Titanic timeline – A graphic look at Titanic’s only voyage, its shortage of lifeboats, and treasures that were recovered from its final resting place.
• How Titanic became an epic – A look at the 1997 movie, being re-released in 3-D on April 4th, including stories on the stars of the movie and its signature song, My Heart Will Go On.
• Plotting the wreck’s future – National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Robert Ballard, who found Titanic’s resting place, is calling for efforts to preserve not only Titanic but other historic areas.

Additional USA TODAY coverage the week of April 2nd will include:

• A Life section cover story on Titanic in 3-D, featuring an interview with director James Cameron. A trailer of the movie will accompany the story on USATODAY.com.
• A cover story that looks at whether we should raise the Titanic, featuring an interview with Robert Ballard. A video interview will accompany the story on USATODAY.com.
• An interactive graphic on USATODAY.com that will poll readers on whether the Titanic and its contents should remain at the bottom of the ocean or be raised and salvaged for museum collections.

National Geographic Channel marks the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic with a two-night world premiere event April 8-9. Details below:

• In ‘Titanic: The Final Word’ with James Cameron, premiering Sunday, April 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the Oscar-winning filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence leads the ultimate cold-case investigation into the tragedy. In 1997, Cameron brought the iconic ship to life in his blockbuster feature film “Titanic,” which fueled not only the world’s fascination with the shipwreck, but also his own:  ”I wanted to dive the wreck more than I wanted to make the movie,” he explains. ”Diving the wreck was my way into the story.”
• Then, the next night, on Monday, April 9, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the man who discovered the ship’s final resting place more than 25 years ago is on a new quest: protect Titanic’s massive underwater graveyard. In ‘Save the Titanic’ with Bob Ballard, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Robert Ballard retraces Titanic’s beginnings and examines the ship’s original plans — never before filmed— to reveal untold stories of Titanic’s heroes and the unwritten story of Titanic’s future.

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The hotly-anticipated miniseries from the mind of Julian Fellowes (‘Downton Abbey’) was expected to be one of the highlights of the centennial anniversary of the RMS Titanic’s sinking, however, a bloated cast, flawed set-up and overload of social commentary amounted to one massive disappointment.

‘Titanic’ is a 4-part miniseries which will document the experiences of various passengers aboard the infamous ship which sank on its maiden voyage on April 12 1912. The ship’s sinking has been depicted onscreen many times before, most successfully with the eponymous 1997 theatrical release grossing almost $2 billion, and soon to be re-released into cinemas in 3D. But this miniseries, penned by the same man who turned ‘Downton Abbey’ into a worldwide hit, does not seem likely to follow in the footsteps of Fellowes’ award-winning series.

For starters, there are too many characters. Plain and simple. Featuring 89 main characters in total, each episode will focus on a select group before ending with their efforts to escape from the sinking ship. Episode 4 will presumably tie all of the storylines together and then show which of the characters managed to survive.

Unfortunately, Fellowes has tried to do too much with too many characters, barely giving the audience a chance to learn their names or backstories before one is suddenly thrust onto the deck where hundreds of inter-changeable characters are running around, spewing out stock dialogue of  a dozen other disaster dramas.

Clearly trying to emulate the appeal of ‘Downton Abbey’, Fellowes depicts the servants and the first-class passengers, and every other group in between. However, unlike ‘Downton Abbey’, Fellowes does not have 7 episodes to tease out the nuances of their relationships, nor is there the opportunity to create compelling or surprising encounters between characters of different social status. Certainly, a variety of characters do interact in this first episode, but it is to no dramatic pay-off.

The most glaring and irritating aspect of the first episode is undoubtedly the inclusion of a social issue in every other line of dialogue. The very first scene, which lasted no more than 60 seconds, referenced: the judicial system, political protests, women’s right to vote, class bias, and even an allusion to homosexuality.

Moving beyond that, not an act break could go by without one nationality criticising another, with one American character awkwardly commenting, “I can’t see the English wanting to drop the class system anytime soon. It’s woven into their heritage.” Excuse me, but what was this character’s name? Who was he addressing?

Why should the audience care? The most laughable, and again awkward, piece of dialogue had to be when an upper-class American character told a man from an opposing political party that he could sit next to him – all while outside on the deck hundreds of passengers were clamouring onto lifeboats. It was ridiculous, and simply ineffective on any thematic level.

All in all, Fellowes is clearly eager to explore class, sex, politics, nationality, and countless other hot-topic issues. And who could blame him? The RMS Titanic was a melting pot of different cultures and classes, with the accounts of survivors offering up various threads for a story-teller to pursue in this type of series.

It must have been incredibly tempting to produce a big-budget series, guaranteed to be given a massive promotional push, scheduled in the exact same time-slot as ‘Downton Abbey’, and sure to attract interest from the U.S. and beyond. But all those lavish production values amount to nothing when you have bland characters, forced dialogue, predictable interactions, and an badly-executed premise made all the more frustrating by the possibilities for provocative storylines which it had to offer in the first place.

With three episodes still to go, one can only hope that things improve. If not, Fellowes won’t be worried. After all, ‘Downton Abbey’ isn’t going anywhere.

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Belfast’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade drew thousands to City Hall, as organisers incorporated the upcoming Titanic centennial and the success of local golfer Rory McIlroy into the festivities.

This year’s parade kicked off at 12pm and lasted a full half hour, during which the thousands of spectators were treated to sights including: aerial acrobatics from two machine-operated figures; a float bearing the likeness of current World Number One golfer Rory McIlroy, who hails from Northern Ireland; a special Titanic display to commemorate the upcoming centennial anniversary of the ship’s infamous sinking, as well as to publicise the launch of the new Titanic quarter opening in Belfast; and a 20-ft high float depicting an Olympic athlete carrying the Olympic torch, in honour of this summer’s Games which will take place in London and hopefully by extension attract tourists to Northern Ireland.

The parade was, and has always been, a family-friendly event, with attendees ranging in age from 6 to 60, and almost everybody wearing some sort of themed-clothing. The most popular piece of apparel was undoubtedly the shamrock, which could be seen on lapels, hats, t-shirts and even sunglasses. By the time that the parade had ended, shamrock flags littered Donegall Square.

In other parts of the city, people were treated to a free open-air concert at Custom House Square headlined by Scottish bagpiping act ‘Red Hot Chili Pipers’ and 2011 X Factor contestant Sophia Habibis. Habibis made it to the live finals of the popular British talent show, but was controversially eliminated in the fourth week of the competition. Also at the concert, which maintained the family-friendly feel by being an all-ages affair, were folk band Ashelin and The Royal Tara School of Irish Dance.

It was a day of full-on promotional moves by the city’s most popular bars, with Black Box in particular offering free entry and pints of Guinness for just £2.50, in the hopes of attracting some of the tourists who travel to Belfast and Dublin every year to soak up the ‘Irishnesss’ of the day.

But without question, the place to be was in Fibber Magees Pub in the heart of the city. From 2pm to 2am, local musicians performed Irish music and entertained the packed house, with the establishment’s proximity to Belfast’s popular Europa Hotel making it the number one stop for any and all tourists making their way into Belfast for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

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Northern Ireland’s capital city Belfast is about to be on the receiving end of a £150 million investment from Belfast City Council, to be carried out over the next three years. This comes just three months after the city hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards. Belfast’s new piece of good fortune is the result of the council agreed to investing into the improvement of the city’s facilities, appearance, community care and environmental state.

According to BBC News, the city’s economic development will be boosted thanks to a pledge of £34m by the council while approximately £29m will be targeted at maintaining and instigating community development initiatives. One third of this money is said to be coming from Europe, “but largely it’s rate-payers’ cash.”

It is thought to be a further commitment to advancing the city from its reputation of being a place of political unrest and civil disobedience, as fifty per cent of the proposed financing will be focused exclusively on renovating the Waterfront Hall, a popular concert and convention venue in the heart of the city. Councillor Robin Newton made the following statement:

We all know that we have come out of a period of turmoil, terrorism on the streets, bombs in the streets of Belfast. I suppose you look at it and say that we are to some extent learning from our colleagues in the Assembly of this initiative.

Residential communities have also been promised significant improvements, with renovation projects already planned for areas in the North and South of the city which have been subjected to extensive vandalism due to graffiti and abandoned homes which have not been kept up to code.

This revamp comes at a time during which Belfast has several high-profile events in the works, the first of which is the much-anticipated opening of The MAC (The Metropolitan Arts Centre) on April 22. This facility was again funded by the council, as well as by the Lottery Fund and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, among others.

Joining this in April will be the Titanic Quarter, an area of the city that will be the centre of attention during the centennial commemoration of the ship’s fateful sinking in 1912. The Titanic Quarter was designed with the goal of being:

a high profile European waterfront development firmly rooted in the history and character of Belfast … [with] a range of investment opportunities including: over 7,500 apartments, 900,000 sq. m. of business, education, office and research and development floor space together with hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and other leisure uses … Titanic Quarter is bringing new life to a part of the city that is rich in both history and potential … expected to create at least 25,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.

As for the latest financial investment in the city, it remains to be seen when exactly certain proposed initiatives will be put into place.

Image Courtesy of  https://www.facebook.com/titanicbelfast

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Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has a surprising relationship with the ill-fated RMS Titanic, as will be revealed in an upcoming documentary.

It has been said that Sarah Clooney, a distant relative from County Laois, was the person responsible for making the carpets which lined the ship, and that Clooney will learn more about her story when he makes a visit to Ireland later this in year. His familial link will be detailed in Gabriel Murray’s documentary “George Clooney’s Irish Roots — The Real Descendants”, a pun on his latest film release.

The Belfast Telegraph first reported on this story, explaining that:

Sarah Clooney worked in the carpet factory in Abbeyleix owned by Ivo de Vesci. She had originally come from Dunamaggin, Co Kilkenny but moved to Abbeyleix after her family were evicted from their land.

Sarah kept in contact with the famous actor’s aunt, Rosemary Clooney, and the pair shared correspondence over many years.

It is worth noting that several members of Clooney’s family have achieved notoriety in their own right. Aside from his aforementioned aunt who won both an Emmy and a Grammy award during her career, his father Nick Clooney has run for Congress while his cousin Miguel Ferrer has starred in such films as Robocop and Mulan.

As for Clooney’s Irish ancestors, the documentary, which is expected to finish production in the coming months, will provide further insight into those who have lived – and who still do – in Ireland. Alleged “parish records” have been discovered, in which full details of Clooney’s ancestry are noted, however, the exact extent of this information will not be revealed until Murray’s documentary airs later this year.

Incidentally, Clooney had told The Irish Examiner as recently as last October that he had plans of partaking in a bike tour across Ireland at some point in 2012, on the recommendation of U2 frontman Bono. Clooney said:

It’s finally happening … I ran into Bono here in Toronto, who was in town for the documentary about U2 and he’s as much of a bike nut as I am. He started telling me about lots of cool places I should check out, so I’ve committed to going there in April.

In the meantime, Clooney has plenty of professional business to keep him occupied as he attempts to win his second Oscar for Best Actor with the critically-acclaimed film The Descendants. Clooney has already won a Golden Globe and a Critic’s Choice Award this year for his role in the film as a man in the midst of his family’s collapse, and so it would seem fitting that he will dive right into his own personal family story once Hollywood’s 2012 awards season is at an end.

cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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Beckoning visitors to “journey to new depths of discovery,” Sea Research Foundation, operator of Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, has announced a major new exhibit – ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ – at Mystic Aquarium’s Ocean Exploration Center exhibit hall.

The exhibit, opening on April 12, marks the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage and sinking of the celebrated ocean liner. It is the product of a collaboration between famed oceanographic explorer, Dr. Robert Ballard, president of Sea Research Foundation’s Institute for Exploration, who led the 1985 expedition that first located the sunken Titanic, and Tim Delaney, the former Walt Disney Imagineering designer and head of Tim J. Delaney Design.

The Ocean Exploration Center renovation and its inaugural ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ exhibit are sponsored by United Technologies Corporation. Sea Research Foundation President & CEO, Dr. Stephen Coan, has called the project “a unique and important collaboration that will give people a chance to experience the Titanic through the eyes of the person who found her, someone recognized as one of the world’s greatest explorers, and through the imagination of a world-renowned exhibit designer.”

Tim Delaney described the exhibit as “a very different approach to the Titanic experience, one that taps directly into the excitement of exploration and discovery. We’ve created something that both adults and children will find thrilling, immersive, interactive, experiential, and memorable. ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ takes you there.”

Bringing the legendary vessel’s timeless history to life, ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ captivates minds with a glowing iceberg that is cold to the touch, a bi-level adventure area inspired by Titanic’s engine room, hands-on experiences that unfold Titanic‘s lingering mysteries, and modern deep-sea technology that led to the discovery.

“The Titanic sinking is, of course, one of the greatest dramas of the last century,” said Dr. Ballard. “Everything about her conception, construction, launch, passage, passengers, loss, and legend is fascinating. I believe that the excitement of discovery is transferrable and can inspire future generations of explorers and discoverers. That’s what ‘Titanic – 12,450 Feet Below’ is all about.”

The exhibit opens to the public on April 12 at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/mysticaquarium

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