WILLIAM Pirrie was remembered today as the “greatest shipbuilder since Noah”, at a special ceremony on the hundredth anniversary of his death.
Members of the Pirrie and Andrews families gathered at Belfast City Cemetery on Friday morning to commemorate the life of the man who became chairman of Harland & Wolff during the company’s great shipbuilding days. He would also later champion Home Rule for Ireland.
Born in Quebec to Irish parents in 1847, the young William returned to Belfast two years later after his father's death, where he was taken under the wing of his grandfather Captain William Pirrie, who was the city's Harbour Commissioner.
Speaking at his graveside this morning, historian Mark Doherty recollected that by 1862 William Pirrie, aged 15, had become the first gentleman apprentice at the newly formed Harland & Wolff.
William Pirrie, left, with Edward Harland. Both men are buried in the City Cemetery
“His rise was rapid,” he said. "By 1869 he was chief shipyard designer. In 1874 he became a partner at the yard and consequently led the development of the company.
“In 1875 after the death of Edward Harland, William became the shipyard's chairman. Not content with controlling this enormous company he became a Harbour Commissioner like his grandfather before him.”
In 1896 and 1897 William Pirrie served as the first Liberal Lord Mayor of Belfast and in 1898 he was the first person to receive the Freedom of the City of Belfast, an honour which was later bestowed on his wife Margaret.
Mark continued: “Margaret had lost a brother, James Carlisle in an accident in the shipyard in 1880 and he was the first person to be laid in this grave. Perhaps this tragedy was a factor when the Pirries built the Royal Victoria Hospital which they presented debt free as a gift to the city of Belfast.
Historian Mark Doherty spoke at Friday's commemoration
“During his time as Lord Mayor, William chaired the committee that built City Hall. His ambition is reflected in this grand building which opened in 1906 becoming the centre of the modern city of Belfast.”
Mark said that William and his wife Margaret missed the maiden voyage of Titanic as William was unwell. The subsequent sinking of the liner on April 15 1912 took their nephew Thomas Andrews to his death.
Unlike most Protestant industrialists at the time, William Pirrie supported Home Rule for Ireland.
“A political pragmatist, he saw Home Rule as inevitable and worked with David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, John Redmond and Joe Devlin to convince the Unionists of Ireland of his viewpoint," said Mark. "This liberal instinct was a family trait."
He added: "William Pirrie – Ireland’s leading industrialist – is the lead signatory of the now forgotten Alternative Ulster Covenant.”
Mark said that by the end of the Great War Britain’s merchant fleet was in dire straits after its destruction by German U-boats. For his achievement in rebuilding the merchant fleet William was made a Viscount in 1921, three years before his death.
Flowers were led at his grave this morning and prayers were also said. The bust of William Pirrie, which once adorned the family plot, now resides in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. The family hope that a fitting memorial will one day be erected on his grave in the City Cemetery, as recognition of a man who left behind such a rich legacy that is still evident in the industrial and civic fabric of Belfast today.
