People on board

COUGHLAN, James

It is not certain that the family information given below relates to the man who was on RMS Leinster

James Coughlan, or Coghlan, was born on the 29th March 1897 in Dublin to James Coughlan and Mary Moran. He was the youngest of their four children and the only son. James Snr was a Car Driver and Vanman and all the family was born in Dublin City. They lived in the Coombe area of south Dublin City, at Ardee Row and Brabazon Street, where James was born.

They were in Ardee Row in the 1901 census, but James Snr was not present and has not been located in that census. He may have been working in England, as many were obliged to do at that time. In 1911 James, Mary and son James, aged thirteen, were living in Kill, Co Kildare but by 1915 James Snr was listed on the Electoral Register as living in 61 Bridgefoot Street in the Liberties area of Dublin. The record shows that they occupied “two pair front room”.

James Coughlan’s original military records are not available but indexed records show a James Coughlan, Service Number 6988, as being with the Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers and then transferring to the Labour Corps, Service Number 444496. In October 1916 he is listed as being ‘Wounded – Shock Shell’, his unit being the Royal Irish Rifles, where he was Lance Corporal. A later entry in November 1917 showed that he was suffering from Otitis Media, an ear infection, was treated at No 3 Casualty Clearing Station, then at Grevillers in the Pas de Calais, and was then sent to No 6 Convalescent Camp in Étaples. This document states that he was with the Labour Corps, attached to the Royal Engineers.

In October 1918 James Coughlan was with the Western Command Labour Corps which was separate from the Labour Corps in Ireland. He was probably returning from leave in Dublin when he travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th of October. He did not survive the sinking nor was his body recovered. His name is recorded on the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton.