Mary McGovern

June 7th, 1891 - August 24th, 1957

She is a Gemini.

Mary McGovern was born in Clarbally, Templeport, Co Cavan, Ireland to a Roman Catholic family. She was the daughter of John McGovern (born 1838), a farmer, and Bridget McManus (December 14th, 1866), Cavan natives from Corlough and Ardomoeen respectively who had married in February 13th, 1888 in Ballinamore, Co Letrim. She was the 2nd of 7 children and her siblings were: Patrick (February 3rd, 1890), John (March 23rd, 1893), Thomas (December 10th, 1895), Francis (October 12th, 1898), Philip (May 23rd, 1901), and Bridget (September 3rd, 1905). 2 of her siblings reportedly died in childbirth. May first appears on the 1901 census residing with her family at Clarbally, by the time of the 1911 census the family were residing at Clarbally but Mary isn't listed at the address md her whereabouts at the time were uncertain.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
Mary was leaving Ireland to find work in New York where she already had family, including her brother Patrick who had migrated aboard the Dominion in August of 1911. She boarded the RMS Titanic had Queenstown, Co Cork on April 11th, 1912 as a 3rd class passenger, having travelled to Queenstown by train from Ballinamore, Co Letrim. Carrying with her, besides her few belongings was a small parcel of soil from the church of Saint Mogue, given to her by her mother to safeguard her journey. Whilst aboard her cabin mates were fellow Cavan girls Kate Connelly and Julia Smyth and another girl, Mary Agatha Glynn from Co Clare.

On the night of the sinking Mary had been in bed in her cabin with her friends. Following the collision, Mary reported that she didn't feel any alarm or fear as everything for a short time remained silent. Soon the noise and commotion outside their cabin prompted the girls to get up and get dressed, fighting their way up to the communal decks only to be told to go and fetch their lifebelts. Upon their return journey to their cabin, Mary reported seeing seawater creeping slowly up a corridor (perhaps she met Scotland Road). Luckily they reached the cabin, found said life preservers stored above the door and once again commenced their ascent through dense crowds back to the upper decks, presumably the aft well deck. Once arriving on either the boat deck or A-deck promenade, Mary recalled how many of the boats were already full or being lowered and that the boat she eventually left in was amongst the last to leave.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Upon arriving in New York Mary was described as a 20-year-old unmarried domestic; her relatives were stated as her parents and her destination address was her cousin, Mrs. Greaves of West 56th Street, New York. Before travelling there Mary was taken with other survivors to St Vincent's Hospital where she recuperated and also assisted financially to the tune of $100 by the American Red Cross. What Mary did after the next few years in New York isn't certain but she didn't remain there and returned to Ireland before the close of the decade. Her elderly brother died following heart failure in September 10th, 1918 and Mary perhaps returned home around the same time, returning to her family in Cork Cavan where she would remain for the rest of her life.

In Co Corlough Parish Church on April 11th, 1921 just weeks before the partition of Ireland, Mary was married to Peter McGovern (June 6th, 1889); he hailed from nearby Tullytrasna, Co Cavan and was the son of Hugh McGovern and the former Bridget McAuley. Mary and Peter made their lifelong home on their farm in Tullytrasna, which lay only a few short miles from fhe newly-installed political border, they went on to have 1 son and 1 daughter, Hugh (born 1923) and Mary Kate (born 1925). For the rest of her life Mary kept the small parcel of Saint Mogue's earth that has accompanied her on Titanic. Following a battle with stomach cancer, Mary died at the age of 66 on August 24th, 1957 in a hospital in her native Co Cavan. She was survived by her husband and 2 children.

Well-regarded I'm her community as a kind and charitable lady, upon her death local media reported that her funeral attracted a large turnout. She was buried in Corlough Cemetery, eventually being joined by her husband and son. Her headstone reads:

IN
LOVING MEMORY OF
HUGH MCGOVERN
TULLYTRASNA
DIED 14 MAY 1983
HIS MOTHER MARY
DIED 24 AUGUST 1957
HIS FATHER PETER
DIED 29 MARCH 1974

Her daughter Mary later became Mrs. Tommie McHugh and she lived in Tempo, Co Fermanagh. She was still alive as of the late 1990's but her final whereabouts aren't known.  

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Mary McGovern.

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