I have included everything that is currently known about Maggie Madigan. I have contacted the researcher and he thinks that my grandfather, who was born in County Kerry, is not related to Maggie’s family. I am still working on researching this. Maggie was born on August 11, 1890 and was from a town called Askeaton in county Lymerick, Ireland. She was 21 and traveling in 3rd class with Bertha and Daniel Moran and also a gentleman by the name of Patrick Ryan. I don’t know the ages of the Moran’s or Patrick. The Moran’s had already been to New York and Daniel was a police officer there. They were visiting Ireland and convinced Maggie to come back with them. All we know is that Patrick and Daniel got Bertha and Maggie up on deck at about 1:30 AM and we think they got into Lifeboat 15. Daniel and Patrick of course stayed aboard and died. Maggie settled in Troy, New York There is a writer name of Craig Faris who is writing a book, “The Speed of Light”. One of the characters in the book is Maggie. He wrote to me: “that’s what my book is filled with, the little footnotes of history. The book is called “The Speed Of Light” and only one third of it deals with Mattie and what happen in 1911/1912. When researching the novel (this is my first and perhaps my last) I was looking for a young woman (around 21) from Ireland or Scotland that got on-board at Queenstown and was initially reported as dead. Well, Maggie Madigan fit all of that criteria, but I couldn’t find anything about her until I was several chapters into writing the book. When I met Robert Bracken in 1996, I asked him to read the chapters I had written and he suggested that I leave my fictional character as is because it worked so well into the story. That’s when I decided to include what I had learned about the real Maggie into the story as well as an additional character that Mattie befriends. You see Mattie is suppose to be from Glasgow, Scotland, but she lives and works in Belfast, Ireland when she meets Adam David Conrad (Connie) who is a steel worker at Harland & Wolff. Mattie and Connie are fictious, but everyone else is real. (Story line of fictional character details edited out, by Author’s request Craig Faris) So, that’s how I got interested is this young woman from Ireland! ” I never met my grandfather. He was kick in the shoulder and died. Maggie is from Ireland, and survived. I am looking for my roots. That is what I know. Frank W. Madigan
Later From: Craig Faris — I have discovered a few more details about Maggie Madigan, but it’s not much. She had a sister, named Mary who came over to America later. Apparently Maggie married once she arrived in Troy, NY and had at least one child. But both her husband and her child apparently died very early. This may have been a result of the great flu epidemic in 1918 and would go along way toward explaining both deaths. But, we have no way of knowing that for sure since we don’t have her husband’s last name. There is evidence that Maggie raised Mary’s children for her. At least that’s what Bob Bracken was told by Maggie’s niece when he visited her in Ireland in 1996. Oh, by the way, Daniel Moran was 27 and was the brother of Bertha Moran 32. Patrick Ryan was also 32 and may have come along because of Bertha or Maggie. We just don’t know!
Thanks for info. My great grandfather’s tomb where my father is buried says great grandpa JohnMadigan was born in Askeaton, Co Limerick. I have photos, of course.
I also wrote the song “Maggie Madigan-Titanic Survivor” before I knew this about my great grandfather. Truth can be stranger than fiction. Have you seen or heard my song? It’s more about meeting Karen Thomas through an email and our “ponderings” at the time about the elusive Maggie Madigan who survived the Titanic.
But Karen met Bob Bracken and they placed a grave marker on Maggie’s grave. We weren’t allowed to put a tombstone (long story).
But I am happy to say I will be visiting Askeaton mybe this summer or next. My brother Dan Madigan visited a couple of years ago and met a man who resembled my father Leo and Uncle Kev together. Both are deceased now. My brother Dan introduced himself & told the man his name and the man said, “Welcome home, Dan,…I’m Terrence Madigan.” Terrence lived with his 95 yr old mother at the time!
Keep up the good work…let me know what you find out about Patrick Ryan, agood man no doubt!
Cheers~~mike_madigan@yahoo.com
Patrick Ryan was my grand uncle. He was a cattle dealer from Toomdeely Askeaton co limerick. Patricks parents took a case against the White Starline and won and this was used as a test case for the rest of the passengers of the tragic Titanic.
One of my brother’s name is Franklin and another’s middle name is William. Both family names. It just was a little strange to see Frank Madigan written here. My dad always said we were Dutch Irish but I don’t know a lot about that side of my family.
I have some additional information about Patrick Ryan, gleaned from my genealogical research and from information given to me by one of his grandnephews who married my second cousin.
Patrick Ryan was the son of Thomas and Ellen (Donohue) Ryan of Tomdeely North, Askeaton, Co. Limerick, Ireland. He sailed with Daniel and Bertha Bridget Moran and Margaret “Maggie” Madigan. After the Titanic hit the iceberg, it took some time for the four of them to find each other and even longer for them to be allowed up on deck. It was immediately obvious that there was not enough room on the lifeboats for all of them, but the two men struggled to get the women on board thus saving their lives. However, the men perished in the disaster.
According to information received from one of the surviving women, Patrick Ryan was wearing an Aran sweater, known for warmth and weather resistance. Once he and Daniel got the women into the lifeboat, Patrick took off his sweater and tossed it to one of them, calling, “You take this. I won’t be needing it any more.” Those were the last words they heard him say.
On November 13, 1912, Patrick’s older brother Michael and his sister-in-law Teresa (Nunan/Noonan) Ryan had a son. If they had followed Irish custom, the child would have been named Thomas after his paternal grandfather, but they made an exception and had him baptized Patrick.
Patrick Ryan was definitely a good man!
There was also a boat built in 1912 and its called the St Patrick after Patrick Ryan, the man who built it served his time in Harland and Wolff but ended up living in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry. This boat has recently been refurbished and will be put bak in use in Askeaton by Patricks grandnephew.
my most recent discovery is that Patrick had 4 sisters in America at the time and they were waiting in NewYork for him to arrive on Titanic. When Carpathia arrived and Patrick was not on board they were naturally devasted…Patrick was a very very brave man indeed as was his elderly father, Thomas, who took on the might and power of the White Star Line, the biggest shipping company in the world at that time and he won his case..this case the start of the change in consumer laws and safer travelling conditions..
Only three of Patrick Ryan’s sisters were living in New York in 1912.
Elizabeth married to an O’Shea from Kenmare. Her daughter Marguerite was still living in the Bronx in 1978.
Minnie married to a Nash from Kilbreedy, Co. Limerick.
Ciss married to M. Webber.
A fourth sister, Margaret, contracted consumption and returned to Askeaton to die in 1898.
Patrick also had a brother , Jack, who was in the nypd . I presume he emigrated some time in the 1890’s as he is not listed in the Ireland census of 1901.
Patrick Ryan had three sisters living in New York in 1912.
Elizabeth married to an O’Shea from Kenmare, Co Kerry. Her daughter Marguerite was still living in the Bronx in 1978.
Minnie married to Nash from Kilbreedy, Co Limerick.
Ciss married to M Webber.
A fourth sister, Margaret, contracted TB and returned to Askeaton to die in 1898.
He also had a brother, Jack, who was in the NYPD. Jack seems to have emigrated sometime in the 1890’s as he is not in the Ireland Census for 1901.
Mike Lawlor! My Grandmother, Marguerite O’Shea White is the daughter of Elizabeth Ryan O’shea! She lived on 175th Street NY (Washington Heights) while she was married.