TITANICa: The Exhibition is to launch at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, County Down, at the end of May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the launch of the Titanic.

Located in the Holywood attraction's transport galleries, the exhibition is to be unveiled at the same time as TITANICa: The People's Story - located in the outdoor Folk Museum.

Belfast-based Patton Group, in partnership with Haley Sharpe Design, has worked on the design and fit-out of the new exhibition, which draws on National Museum Ireland's (NMI) collections.

More than 500 original artefacts will go on display, with the exhibition exploring why both the Titanic and sister ship Olympic were built in Belfast.

A trail will link the TITANICa: The Exhibition with TITANICa: The People's Story and is to allow visitors to explore a "living history experience" of the ill-fated liner.

Northern Ireland culture and arts minister Nelson McCausland said: "The funding provided by the Stormont Executive towards this exhibition, close to £1m, reflects the significance of this centenary.

"The exhibition will provide a welcome boost for the tourism offering in Northern Ireland at this challenging time and it will also provide real opportunities to display the rich variety of artefacts held by the museum."

Image: Nelson McCausland (left) and NMI head of human history William Blair with an original ticket for the Titanic