People on board

O’BEIRNE, Margaret (Maggie)

Very little information is available about Margaret (Maggie) O’Beirne who was one of the casualties when RMS Leinster was sunk on 10 October 1918. Only two official records relating to her have been found, and they are somewhat contradictory.

The Freeman’s Journal reported on 14 October that the body of Margaret O’Beirne, 7 Camden Row, Dublin was in the Dublin Morgue. Her death certificate, registered on 24 October, gave her age as forty, her condition as ‘Spinster’ and her occupation as ‘Munitions Examiner’. The Informant, “who caused the body to be buried”, was Katie O’Beirne with an address at 7 Camden Row. The Register of Glasnevin cemetery, where she was laid to rest at 10.15 on 14 October, again gave her age as forty, but her occupation as ‘Shop Assistant’. The owner of the grave was Kate O’Beirne, sister to Margaret. Already buried there was their mother Jane, who, according to the Grave Register, was seventy six when she died on 17 March 1910 and was the widow of a ‘Subpostman’. Jane’s official death certificate gave her age as sixty eight and that she was the widow of a ‘Postmaster’.

It has not been possible to place Margaret O’Beirne conclusively in any of the censuses, either in Ireland or the U.K. A birth or baptism record has not been found either, so her age of forty is not confirmed. It is also not known why Margaret was on RMS Leinster, and whether she was working in Dublin or the U.K.