Robert Joseph Molloy was born on his family farm in the townland of Carrick, near Curraghboy, County Roscommon, on the 12th July 1884, the son of Danial and Rose Molloy (née Beirne).
In 1906, he joined the Royal Irish Constabulary and was stationed in Killashandra, County Cavan. It is not known how long he served before resigning and returning to farm labouring.
In October 1913, he arrived in Quebec, Canada, on board the Ausonia. He went to Stafford, Ontario, for a time, before travelling to Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, in January 1914, where his sister, Mrs. Mary Burns, and his aunt, Miss Nellie Byrne, were living.
He lived with his aunt, who had a boarding house at 125. Center Street, Boston, and began the process of becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in April 1914. His health
began failing, and he was unable to work, which might have been the reason he left Canada and turned to his kin in Boston. It is unclear whether he decided to return to Ireland himself, or if he was ordered to be deported by the authorities, but when he was to leave, his aunt, Miss Nellie Byrne, decided to accompany him.
As he was in bad health, unable to work, unable to pay for his medical treatment, and not pay for his food and lodgings, it is likely that he was ordered to leave the United States of America. As a result, he accompanied his aunt, or he was put on board the Lusitania at her berth at Pier 54 in New York, probably on the morning of 1st May 1915, almost certainly by the local authorities, and at public expense, as a third class passenger.
The sailing, which should have happened at 10.00 a.m. on that morning, was delayed until just after mid-day, because the Lusitania had to wait to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the liner Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship.
Then, six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, ‘The Greyhound of the Seas’ was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, she was only about fourteen hours sailing time away from her Liverpool destination.
Over 240 third class passengers were killed as a result of this action and Robert Molloy and his aunt, Miss Nellie Byrne, were two of them. He was aged 30 years.
As neither of their bodies were ever recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, they have no known graves.
On the 25th May 1915, Robert’s sister, Miss Margaret Molloy, Curraghboy, County Roscommon, wrote a letter to The Cork Examiner newspaper, which was published on the 27th May 1915. She wrote: -
INFORMATION WANTED
Sir, - May I beg to ask, through your esteemed paper if any reader could give even the least information re Robert Molloy and Ellen M. Byrne, supposed to have been passengers on the ill-starred Lusitania, their destination being Curraghboy, Athlone, Co. Roscommon? The former a brother of mine, about 28 years of age, about 5ft. 9in. in height, medium build, hair somewhat dark, complexion rather fair, inclined to ruddy; the latter an elderly lady (aunt of mine), being on list of survivors. Even the smallest scrap of information will be gratefully received by their afflicted relative
Despite what Margaret Molloy wrote about her aunt’s name being on the list of survivors, this was not the case, and it is unlikely she received any information about either of them.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, U.S. Border Crossings from Canada to U.S. 1895 – 1960, Massachusetts U.S. State and Federal Naturalization Records 1798 – 1950, Cunard Records, Ireland The Royal Irish Constabulary 1816 – 1921, Boston Sunday Globe, Cork Examiner,
Sunday Herald, 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.