The proposed restoration of shipbuilding gantry cranes on Belfast’s Queen’s Island has put the city’s shipbuilding past in focus.
Harland and Wolff, famous for building the Titanic more than a century ago, plans to spend £3.1 million refurbishing Samson and Goliath, Belfast’s iconic yellow cranes that loom large over the city and dominate the Belfast skyline. The 315-foot-tall Goliath was completed in July 1969, while the 348-foot-tall Samson was completed in 1974.
The work, part of a £98.5 million investment by the shipyard’s Spanish owner, Navantia, includes engine overhauls and replacement of key mechanical, electrical and hydraulic components.
“We know that the city is proud of them, and this major mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and fabric maintenance project will restore them to their absolute best,” Carlos Lopez Carregado, general manager at Harland & Wolff, told the BBC, saying the cranes would be treated “with utmost respect.”
According to the BBC, Navantia, which acquired Harland and Wolff in January 2025, has already invested in upgrades, including expanding the fabrication hall and installing new plasma-cutting equipment. The shipyard will serve as the final assembly and integration site for three Royal Navy Fleet Solid Support ships.
Components for the vessels are being built at Navantia facilities in Spain and Devon, then transported to Belfast by barge for assembly. The first ship in the program, RFA Resurgent, is scheduled to have its first construction blocks arrive in Belfast in early 2027.
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