Miss MARGARET
GALLIGAN, Second Cabin Passenger
[No Picture Provided]
Margaret Galligan, 28, was originally from Ardlogher, County Cavan,
Ireland, but had lived in
New York City for 5 years. She was traveling on the Lusitania's last crossing with her
aunt, Bridget Lee. Margaret and Bridget
originally booked passage on the Cameronia to visit friends in
Denn, Co. Cavan, Ireland, but when the British Admiralty requested that
ship at the last minute, they and many of those originally traveling on
the Cameronia were
transferred to the Lusitania.
On Friday, 7 May 1915, Bridget and Margaret were sitting at lunch
talking about submarines when the ship was torpedoed. All in the
room got up at the impact, but the stewards and waiters assured them
that nothing was the matter. Bridget and Margaret sat back down
in their seats. When the second explosion happened, they had a
difficult time getting out and reaching the boat deck. Margaret
and Bridget were supplied with lifebelts but the launching of the
lifeboats was slow and disorganized. The two women held onto each
other and the Lusitania sank
so quickly that they went under with the ship.
The two women were still holding on to each other when they surfaced,
and they struck for a floating deck chair. A nearby man also made
for the chair and the three of them clung onto their piece of flotsam
for two hours until they were picked up by a lifeboat then holding 20
people. From the lifeboat they were transferred to a tugboat that
took them into Queenstown. Margaret and Bridget stayed there
until Monday, 10 May. In Queenstown they looked for their
shipboard acquaintances, Susan Coleman and Ernest Moore. Coleman
was saved, Moore was not.
In the 8 May 1915 New York
Times, Margaret Galligan is mistakenly listed as Margaret Galligher.
Contributors:
Senan Molony
Judith Tavares
Hildo Thiel
References:
Anglo-Celt, 15 May
1915, pg. 1.
Molony, Senan. Lusitania: An Irish Tragedy.
Mercier Press, 2004.
[Back to Second Class Manifest] [Lusitania
Resource Home]