Rory’s links to the place everyone is talking about

Rory’s links to the place everyone is talking about

9 May 2012 - by David Telford

THE breathtaking new Titanic visitor attraction which pushes its way effortlessly up into the Belfast skyline has opened to wide acclaim.

The near £100m building is simply stunning and among the army of people who worked on the architectural masterpiece was Crossgar man Rory Miskelly who specialises in project management.

The 42 year-old who also worked on the refurbishment and extension of The Grand Opera House, the new Lyric Theatre and countless new school and shopping centre developments, including Forestside, admits his four-year association with the Titanic centre was both “challenging and tremendously rewarding.”

The pride and sense of achievement he feels while walking around the completed centre is palpable and Rory is delighted Belfast “has at last reclaimed the Titanic story.”

And while the Crossgar man is now focused on the redevelopment of Ulster Rugby’s Ravenhill ground, he admits his very own Titanic experience will never leave him.

The former St. Patrick’s Grammar School and Down College of Further Education College student went on to study quantity surveying at the University of Ulster’s Jordanstown campus and said it was this that led him into the path of project management.

“I was involved in the Titanic project from the outset,” explained Rory, in a room surrounded by memorabilia of the ship that sank on its maiden voyage. “I helped check the proposal submitted to government and confirmed it would deliver before moving to a project management role and administering the building contract.”

Rory made the decision to base himself on site as he began work on Northern Ireland’s single biggest ever tourism project. He said it was a “one off job” with the collective pride of everyone involved extending from the men on site right down the supply chain.

He continued: “People’s pride in this project was evident from day one, during meetings, walking around the site and talking to sub-contractors. There was a fixed end date so everyone was clearly focused and there was no plan B. We had been given the opening date and there was a fantastic team effort to deliver the centre on time and within budget.

“Everyone knew this was going to be an iconic project. As the structure and shell rose out of the ground, it’s scale became evident and the momentum started to build.”

Rory admits that during his four-year association with the project, which included 12 months before a single worker went on site, he was living and breathing Titanic.

“A key part of our brief was to deliver not only the building, but the exhibition and its content. We had to ensure the exhibition was valid, authentic and told the true story, not glossing over any facts.

“To that end it involved setting up expert panels and story line working groups to make sure everything was factually correct. We had to make sure we respected history and ensure we didn’t perpetuate any existing myths or misunderstandings,” he said.

Rory explained the design brief was to put Belfast’s architecture on the world stage and has no doubt that has been achieved. He said the Titanic centre is on a par with other landmark buildings across the world.

The Crossgar man added: “This was the most challenging project I have worked on in terms of scale, complexity and the sheer number of parties involved. There was also a tremendous spirit of co-operation and trust between everyone involved and this was a key part of the project’s success.

“I’m immensely proud to have played a role in helping deliver a landmark project which has opened to such universal acclaim. I will never again be privileged or that lucky to be involved in a project like this in my life.”