The Lusitania Resource
Mr. PATRICK CALLAN, Second Cabin Passenger

[No Picture Provided]

Patrick Callan lived at 3028 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States.  He supplied cattle to meatpackers in Chicago.  Callan had a wife named Mary and was the father of three children -- Peter, Thomas, and Catherine.  In the spring of 1915, Callan had received a letter from his father in Ireland stating that he needed help getting his affairs in order because he was very ill.  His father was a man of some wealth. 

Patrick Callan booked second-cabin passage on Lusitania and made friends with Flor and Julia Sullivan.  During the voyage, Callan enjoyed playing poker.  On the morning of 7 May, Callan stood on deck with the Sullivans as Lusitania neared Ireland and recited the poem "A Dream of Ireland":

I feel the touch of a Munster breeze
Thank God my exile has ended

Due to the cold and fog, however, the three quickly went back inside.

After the torpedo hit, Callan met up with the Sullivans on the port side Boat Deck.  He was waving his arms to get their attention.  Callan had saved the Sullivans room in a lifeboat that was already swung out.  Pat and Flor jumped in, but Julia refused.  She moved back into the crowd and pleaded to her husband that he must stay with her.  Flor jumped out of the boat, and pushing through the crowd trying to get into the boat he reached Julia and said to her, "I'm mad at you."

Flor tried to pull her back to the boat but Julia refused to budge.  As the lifeboat was being lowered the Lusitania lurched again and the lifeboat dropped by the bow, its occupants "spilling like apples into the water[.]"  Pat Callan was killed.  His body was never recovered or never identified.

Contributors:
Senan Molony
Judith Tavares


References:

Hickey, Des and Gus Smith.  Seven Days to Disaster.  G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1981.

Molony, Senan.  Lusitania:  An Irish Tragedy.  Mercier Press, 2004.

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