People on board

ROBINSON, Joseph George

Joseph & Elizabeth Robinson

Joseph Robinson was born in Killimore, between Portumna and Loughrea, in 1875 to John Robinson and Catherine (Kate) Larkin. He was the fifth of seven children, one at least of whom died in childhood. Both John and Kate were National School teachers, John being Principal in the local Killimore School. The eldest surviving brother John was also a teacher. Kate died in 1906 and John in 1907.

Joseph cannot be found in the 1901 census but in 1904 he married Elizabeth Quinn in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. His occupation was ‘Clerk GPO’ and his address was Whitworth Road, in Drumcondra. Their first two children, Katherine and Joseph, were born in St Patrick’s Road and the third, John, was born in St Anne’s Road.

By the time of the 1911 census the family was living in Whitworth Place, still in Drumcondra. His occupation was given as ‘Sorting Clerk GPO’.

It was in that role that Joseph was on RMS Leinster on the 10th October 1918, when the torpedo struck the compartment where the Post Office sorters were working. His body was not recovered but his name is on the memorial to the Post Office workers in Dun Laoghaire Post Office and the G.P.O. in Dublin. Probate of his will was granted to his wife Elizabeth in Jan. 1919.