James Cameron was in Belfast to launch a special exhibition at the city's Titanic Belfast visitor centre which also saw the director donate some of his own personal collection of the famous ship's artefacts to the showpiece. Whilst there, Cameron took time to pay tribute to the shipbuilders of Belfast, who built the ill-fated luxury cruise liner.

"I believe firmly that they are the unsung heroes of Titanic, that kept that ship upright, the stately image that we all think of when we think of Titanic sinking" Cameron said, according to The Press Associaton. "It is important for us to continue to look back at history. There are still lessons to be learned, there were heroes on board the ship that we did not even realise how important they were... and they were Belfast men."

Cameron was also full of praise for the Titanic Belfast building itself, with the Titanic director saying "It is a magnificent, dramatic building, the largest Titanic exhibition in the world, not only how it (shows) the history and legacy of Titanic itself and Belfast's part in the creation of the ship, but it is also such a celebration of Belfast's contribution to the building of so many fine ships, hundreds of ships, at a point where it was coming into its own as a major industrial power. It is a celebration of the city and the people."