Patrick J. McLoughlin was born on the family farm at Knocknageeha, Ballintogher, County Sligo, Ireland, on the 27th August 1879, the son of John and Bridget “Beesy” McLoughlin (née Glancy). His father, as well as being a farmer, later became a county councillor and Justice of the Peace.
His father had married Mary Bird in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, on the 15th May 1873, however, Mary died on the 19th April 1874, and he married Patrick’s mother, Bridget Glancy, in Ballintogher, County Sligo, on the 12th September 1875. His parents had four children – John J., Michael, Patrick J., and Beesy.
In late 1881 or early 1882, his mother died and his father married for a third time on the 27th May 1882. Three boys and a girl resulted from this marriage.
In 1900, Patrick McLoughlin went to the United States of America and settled in New York City, where he found employment as a waiter in the Astor Hotel. His two older brothers had earlier gone to New York City and all three worked as waiters at the Astor Hotel, and later at Delmonico’s restaurant.
On the 16th June 1904, he married another Irish immigrant, Theresa Mitchell, in Manhattan, New York City, and their first child, Thomas, was born there the following year.
In late 1905, or early 1906, Patrick, his wife, and their young son, left New York City and returned to Ireland. Patrick took over a farm at Tully, Calry, County Sligo, and also operated a grocery shop. He and his wife had four more children – Bridget, John, Patrick Jnr., and Mary, known as ‘Molly’, who were all born in County Sligo.
Patrick McLoughlin appears to have returned to the United States of America periodically, working for a spell, and then returning to his family in Ireland.
In the spring of 1915, he had been working as a waiter at the Hotel Bond in Hartford, Connecticut, residing at 90. Church Street, and when he decided to return home, he booked a third class passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. He booked his ticket with W.W. Jacobs & Company, a travel agency in Hartford.
Having travelled to New York City on the 19th April 1915, he arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 there on the morning of 1st May 1915 in time for the liner’s scheduled 10.00 a.m. sailing, but having boarded, he had to wait until 12.27 p.m. before the liner actually began what was to be her last voyage. This was because she had to take on board passengers, cargo and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship.
Then, six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20, and sank just eighteen minutes later. At that stage of her voyage, she was only 250 miles from the safety of her home port.
Patrick McLoughlin managed to survive this action however and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he made his way to his family in County Sligo by rail!
Patrick McLoughlin’s “marvellous escape” was reported by the Irish Independent on Tuesday, 11th May 1915: -
HANGING BY THE ROPES
Mr. P.L. McLoughlin, son of Mr. John McLoughlin, JP, Tully, Calry, Co. Sligo, had a marvellous escape. His attention was directed to a ‘ripple in the water’, and a couple of minutes later the torpedo struck the ship. A coal trimmer ran on deck exclaiming; ‘It is all up with us now’. The vessel, when struck, trembled all over, and began to list to starboard.
As it was thought the watertight compartments would keep the liner afloat until help could be received, no boat was lowered. When the second torpedo struck, the vessel began to list over more and more. Mr. McLoughlin went to the stern.
Patrick McLoughlin was another of the survivors who mistakenly claimed that two torpedoes had struck the vessel. Continuing: -
When the boats were lowered he saw some of them topple over, and they were dashed to pieces against the side of the Lusitania. People were clutching and hanging by the ropes. A Sligo lady whom he knew appealed to Mr. McLoughlin to save her. He got her a lifebelt and went for one himself, but when he returned she had disappeared.
He could then see no one on the ship and he jumped into the water. Another man jumped on the top of him. He was stunned and driven under the water. Rising to the top he found the surface covered with dead bodies. He got such ‘a knock’ through the suction that he remembered nothing for a considerable time. He recalled an explosion which drove him away from the side of the ship.
Coming to an upturned boat, he managed to crawl on top. While there he succeeded in rescuing a lady whom he took up beside him. About an hour
afterwards, he and his companions saw the smoke of a steamer in the distance, but they were disappointed that she passed away instead of coming towards them. Later about five vessels came up and by 7.30 all who were alive were rescued.
Patrick McLoughlin continued to cross from Ireland to the United States of America for many years after his ordeal on the Lusitania, dividing his working time between both countries, until at least 1926.
According to family sources, around 1918, Patrick bought “The Thatch” pub in the seaside village of Rosses Point, County Sligo, and resided with his family on the property. They grew their own fruit and vegetables and also kept hens and cows, selling the produce in the shop they ran within the pub.
After retiring from business, his daughter ran the pub and then, on the 27th March 1962, Patrick McLoughlin died in Sligo County Hospital, Sligo, aged 81 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Ireland Select Births and Baptisms 1620 – 1911, New York U.S. Extracted Marriage Index 1866 – 1937, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1905 New York State Census, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Hartford Courant, Irish Independent, New York Times, Sligo Champion, Graham Maddocks, Mary Lehane, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.