The Ill-fated Titanic and the Barnaderg connection

Margaret “Mary” Mannion

Miss Margaret “Mary” Mannion boarded the Titanic on that ill-fated journey in 1912. She was born in the townland of Loughanboy, Caltra, Co. Galway on 1st November, 1883 and was the daughter of Lawrence Mannion and Margaret Small, who hailed from Barnaderg.

Her companions on the journey

Margaret bought her ticket at Ryan’s  travel agents in Ballygar and set off for America with Martin Gallagher, Thomas Kilgannon, Thomas Smyth and her friend Ellen Mockler. Martin Gallagher was visiting his family in Ireland after living in the U.S. for several years. Once they had settled in America, Margaret was to marry Martin.

The journey to Queenstown (Cobh)

She was accompanied to the train station in Athlone by her father Lawrence. They made the journey there by horse and cart and the journey took five hours approximately. Margaret boarded the boat in Queenstown (Cobh) as a third class passenger (ticket no. 36866 for £7. 14s 9d).

Collision with Iceberg

After the Titanic collided with an iceberg Margaret and her friend Ellen were brought to the deck by Martin Gallagher and Tom Kilgannon and placed in lifeboat 16. Luckily they were rescued and Margaret joined her sister Mary who was already living in New York. She spent seven years working as a domestic servant.

Return home

In 1919, she returned home to Ireland for a visit and married Martin Hopkins here. With the exception of the last 11 years of her life, she spent the remainder of her life in Ahascragh. The last years of her life were spent in Laurencetown where she died on 15th May, 1970.