Michael Doyle was born in Dromoughty, Kenmare, County Kerry, on the 20th July 1883, the son of Patrick and Kate Doyle (née Murphy). His family were farmers.
As a teenager, Michael went to Castletownberehaven, County Cork, where he began his apprenticeship as a harness maker. After learning his trade, he returned to his native town, and it was there, on the 23rd April 1910, he married Bridget O’Neill, and the couple set up home in Market Street in the town, before later moving to Main Street. They had a son, Patrick, born in 1911.
On 1st June 1913, he had arrived in New York on board the Caronia, in search of work. He left his wife and family behind him and settled in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. But by the spring of 1915, he had decided to return to Kenmare, and as a consequence, he booked third class passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania. With ticket number 85081, he boarded her at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915.
In keeping with all the other passengers and crew, he then had to wait until 12.27 p.m. before the liner actually sailed as she had to take on board passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Lines ship the S.S. Cameronia which the British Admiralty unexpectedly requisitioned as a troop ship.
Then, six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Cunarder was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20. When the liner had been struck, Michael Doyle climbed her rigging until the ship was about to founder and then he sprang into the sea. After swimming around for some two hours, he was spotted in the water by First Class Waiter Vernon Livermore, Steward's Boy Cornelius Horrigan, and Fireman Francis Toner, who were sitting on top of an overturned lifeboat.
They were able to drag him on top with them and eventually, they were all rescued from this precarious perch by the Royal Naval craft H.M.S. Heron and landed at Kinsale, just around the headland from where the Lusitania had gone down. Also landed at Kinsale from the Heron, were second cabin passengers Stanley Critchison, John Preston Smith and Mrs. Julia Sullivan, third class passengers Fred Bottomley and Joseph Thompson and First Class Waiter Charles Hotchkiss, Second Class Waiter Harold Rowbotham. Five dead bodies were also landed there, three passengers and two crew.
Second cabin passenger John Preston Smith later related to a reporter of the South Wales newspaper The Western Mail concerning Michael Doyle: -
They also pulled out an Irishman named Doyle, who was singing Irish songs in the water. He had gone quite daft.
On 10th May 1915, Doyle was called to an inquest at Kinsale by Coroner John J. Horgan, into the five bodies landed there and especially that of Lieutenant Robert Matthews formerly of the Canadian Army. His deposition stated: -
I was a passenger (third class) on board the Lusitania. I was at the starboard side with the Master at Arms, who is the ship’s policeman.
He said “Here comes the submarine - as sure as hell she’ll get us.” I saw the track on the water as he said it and almost immediately, I heard an explosion.
I ran to my bunk but could not get there but got a life belt from another bunk. I helped another passenger to put on his life belt and he helped me to put on mine. I was up in third class forward. I remained on deck ‘till she went over and fell from the rigging into the sea as she went down.
About two hours afterwards, I was picked up. I was unconscious when picked up by the tug boat. I kept swimming all the time, about two hours.
The Master at Arms was Peter Smith, who came from Liverpool. Mr. Horgan commented that Michael Doyle must have been a strong man to survive so long in the sea, before he was rescued!
Shortly after the inquest, Michael Doyle applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund for financial help to make up for some of the losses he had sustained by the sinking. The fund was administered principally by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and local dignitaries, to give financial assistance to those second and third class passengers who had suffered financial loss as a result of the disaster and needed further support. The awards committee did not consider that Michael Doyle met any of their criteria, however and ruled that he was not entitled to any help!
Michael Doyle returned to his native Kenmare where he lived out his days as a harness maker. He died in the local District Hospital on the 23rd February 1957, aged 73 years, and was buried in Old Kenmare Graveyard.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Weekly Irish Times, Cork Free Press, Cornish Echo, Western Mail, Imperial War Museum, Liverpool Record Office, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.