Mary Costello was born in Balbriggan, County Dublin, Ireland, on the 18th March 1883, one of twelve children in the family of Philip and Maria Costello (née Richardson). Her father’s occupation was as a marine dealer, which was a common term in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for a rag and bone merchant and also, for a scrap metal dealer. He later operated a horse-drawn hackney cab, and when he died in 1900, Mary’s mother and older brothers continued this business.
On the 23rd May 1907, Mary arrived in New York City on board the Teutonic, having boarded at Queenstown seven days earlier. She had a number of relatives residing in New York City, including at least one brother and a cousin named Johnny Richardson.
It is not known for how long she remained in the United States of America, and whether or not she stayed in New York City, but she had returned to her home in Balbriggan by 1911.
On the 12th October 1912, Mary again set sail for New York City, on this occasion boarding the
Laconia in Liverpool, and on arrival stated that she was travelling to a friend in Jersey City, New Jersey. Some reports state that she found employment as a laboratory assistant, but this cannot be confirmed.
In April 1915, Mary received a letter informing her that her mother was gravely ill and close to death, therefore she sought passage on the first available vessel home. The earliest passage she could find was not sailing for a couple of weeks, but at this point fate intervened. Her cousin, Johnny Richardson, had planned a trip back to Ireland himself, and had possession of a ticket for the 1st May sailing of the
Lusitania. As Mary’s need was more urgent than his, he offered his ticket to her. Thus, on the morning of 1st May 1915, Mary Costello arrived at Pier 54 and boarded the
Lusitania as a second cabin passenger.
She arrived there in time for the sailing, only to find that the liner’s departure was delayed until the afternoon as she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work at the end of April.
The Lusitania finally left the port just after mid-day and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20 off the coast of southern Ireland, only 250 miles away from her Liverpool destination.
Mary Costello was killed as a result of the torpedoing and as her body was never recovered and identified, she has no known grave. She was aged 32 years, although at the time of boarding the
Lusitania she stated that she was aged 27 years!
Due to the nature of Mary’s sudden departure from New York, her family in Dublin had no idea that she was on board the ill-fated liner, and were not aware of her fate until Johnny Richardson arrived home three weeks later and broke the news to them. Incidentally, it transpired that Mary’s mother was not as ill as was first believed, recovering to live a further six and a half years, dying in 1921.
Although Mary’s body was never recovered, her name is inscribed on a headstone over her family’s grave at Balscadden cemetery, close to Balbriggan. The headstone itself was purchased and erected by Mary in 1900 on the death of her father.
Ireland Civil Registration Births Index 1864 – 1958, Ireland Catholic Parish Registers 1655 – 1915, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, White Star Journal Vol. 13, No. 1, Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.