People on board

McBRIEN, Patrick

Patrick McBrien was born on the 27th of March 1878 in Corglass, Moyne, Co Longford to Patrick McBrien and Mary Corrigan, the eldest of their three children. Patrick Snr was a Farmer and in 1901 the family was living in a two roomed third-class house. Another McBrien family was living in the next house. Patrick Jnr, then aged twenty-three, was not at home for the census but has not been found elsewhere. He may have already emigrated to England where, in 1909, he married Elizabeth Martin in Darlington, Co Durham.

Two boys were born in Darlington, Philip in 1909 and Martin in 1911. In the census of that year they were living in Japan Street and Patrick gave his occupation as ‘General Labourer at Cemetery’. Two girls were subsequently born, Mary in 1915 and Elizabeth in 1917. In August 1914 he enlisted in the Prince of Wales Own (West Yorkshire Regiment). Aged thirty-six he was sent to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, a Training Unit that remained in the UK throughout the war. From May 1915 he was in Edinburgh until in November 1917 he was sent to Kinsale, Cork with the 25th Reserve Brigade.

Patrick McBrien was presumably going on leave when he travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th of October 1918. He did not survive the sinking nor was his body recovered but his name is recorded on the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton.

Patrick’s widow Elizabeth appears to have taken the children to Corglass after the sinking and she died there in June 1921. However all four children later returned to Darlington. The two boys, Philip and Martin, became priests and both are buried in St Osmund’s Catholic Church Cemetery, Gainford, Durham where their two sisters are also buried.