PORTLAND — The year 2012 marks the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, the legendary “unsinkable” ship built in Belfast, Northern Ireland. One of the survivors was Marshall Drew, an 8-year-old, second-class passenger from Westerly, R.I.

In 1986, Drew was again in the news. With the discovery of a shipwreck of an ocean liner on the sea floor, he was able to look at photographs taken by a robotic submersible device and identify the luxurious interiors of the Titanic from his indelible childhood memories.

Six weeks before his death, Drew spoke at length with Dr. Karen M. Lemke, now a professor of education at St. Joseph’s College.

On Sunday, Jan. 29, as part of the Maine Irish Heritage Center’s series of Duchas (Heritage) talks, Lemke will recount Drew’s story — a human tale of great resilience, told in the voice of an Edwardian lad.

Drawing on this interview, she will look at the Titanic tragedy as a metaphor for changing times at the beginning of the 20th century, focusing on labor issues, matters of maritime safety and the roles that simple greed and arrogance played in the loss of more than 1,500 lives.

Lemke will share “The Titanic Centenary: A Survivor’s Story” at 2 p.m. at the Maine Irish Heritage Center, at State and Gray streets. Admission is free.