People on board

O’BRIEN, Philip

Philip O’Brien, (sometimes Brien),  was born on the 10th of September 1895 at Monroe, near Fethard, Co Tipperary to Philip O’Brien and Winifred Donohue. He was the second youngest of eight children, all of whom were alive in 1911. Philip Snr. was a Labourer, later a Herdsman, and the family lived at various locations around Fethard. They were settled in Tullamaine by 1901 and remained there until the death of Philip Snr. in 1932.

Philip Jun. joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in late 1915 and was with the 8th Battalion at the Battle of the Somme. He was injured there in early August with a ‘Gunshot Wound to the Scalp’. He was released on leave on the 12th of September 1916 and at some subsequent stage was attached to the 6th Battalion. He was presumably returning from leave at home in Fethard when he travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th of October 1918.

Philip O’Brien did not survive the sinking but his body was recovered near Stranraer in Scotland, along with several others. His Scottish death certificate states that his “body was found on seashore about 9.30 am at Leswalt” on the 9th of November 1918. He was buried in nearby Portpatrick.