Philip Keating was born in Crossreagh, Mullagh, Bailieboro, County Cavan, Ireland, on the 20th September 1881, the son of Philip and Annie Keating (née Garrigan). He was the eldest of eleven children, and his family were farmers.
Philip grew up on the family farm before immigrating to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where he worked as a casual labourer in many areas, including as a fireman in the Mercantile Marine.
In 1915, he lodged at 42. Church Street, Bootle, Liverpool.
He engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, at a monthly rate of pay was £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.), £1-0s.-0d. of which was advanced to him at the time. He reported for duty at 8 a.m. on the 17th April 1915 in time for the liner’s last
ever voyage out of the River Mersey.
Three weeks later, he was dead, killed after the liner was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the Irish coast and only hours away from her Liverpool destination. As his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 33 years.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 3rd February 2024.