Although it appears that his birth was not officially registered, Thomas Kearney was born at “Spink”, Tawnyshane, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland, in 1893, the son of Peter and Mary Kearney (née Corcoran). He was one of seven children, and his family were farmers.
After leaving school, he immigrated to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where he presumably found work as a labourer before joining the Mercantile Marine as a trimmer and fireman on steam ships operating out of Liverpool.
He was unmarried, and in 1915, he was lodging at 15, Walmsley Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, Lancashire.
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 22 years.
Trimmer Patrick Kearney who was also lost in the sinking of the Lusitania, also lodged at 15. Walmsley Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, and was also from Castlebar, County Mayo. It is likely that the two men were cousins.
1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, 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 – 2nd February 2024.