Extramural Activity

“Overlooked by the iconic Harland and Wolff cranes, Samson and Goliath, The Yardmen is a bronze sculpture depicting three shipyard workers returning home to East Belfast.” “At its peak 30,000 people were employed in the shipbuilding industry in Belfast. A high proportion of them lived in the terraced streets off the Newtownards Road. Not far away is one of the best preserved terraces of workers’ houses in Belfast – McMaster Street, begun in 1898. Most of the workforce was drawn from the countryside around Belfast, though many skilled workers were recruited in Britain. While shipbuilding was harsh and often dangerous work, the standard of living for workers was generally higher than that of shipyard employees in other British cities.”