Ardcath remembers local man lost on RMS Leinster
At the weekend, Ardcath remembered Flying Officer Christopher Domegan, who drowned in the sinking of the Leinster ship one hundred years ago this week. Christopher Domegan’s family were originally from Ardcath but his parents had moved to Dublin and Christopher was reared in King Street, Dublin. His mother ran a boarding house and his father was a tram-driver. A bright boy, Christopher was commissioned into the Royal Irish Fusiliers where he served as a 2nd Lieutenant. He then transferred into the Royal Flying Corps. By 1918, he was an experienced soldier and a Lieutenant in The Royal Air Force. On 10th October 1918, after being home for a short leave, Christy Domegan joined hundreds of military personnel making their way to Britain on the RMS Leinster.
The RMS Leinster served as the Kingstown-Holyhead mail boat and was owned by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company. The ship set out from Dun Laoghaire at about nine o’clock in the morning for the short crossing to Holyhead with 771 people aboard, 77 crew, 180 civilians, 22 postal sorters and around 500 military personnel. Although the weather was fine the sea was quite rough. Shortly before 10 a.m., about sixteen miles out to sea, the ship was attacked by a submarine just four miles east of the Kish lighthouse.
The first torpedo narrowly missed the ship but the second struck the ship on the port side where the postal sorting office was situated. The torpedo travelled onwards across the ship blowing a hole in the other side also. Most of the unfortunate postal workers, who were busy sorting the mail, perished in this explosion.
The ship, commanded by Captain William Birch, immediately turned and began to limp back towards Dun Laoghaire sinking slowly as it went. Lifeboats were in the process of being launched when another torpedo struck the ship on its starboard side. This effectively blew the ship to pieces and it sank almost immediately. Many died at this time. Others who were already in lifeboats struggled in the rough seas and many died in the water while waiting to be rescued by the ships dispatched from Dun Laoghaire. Christopher Domegan, aged 22, was among the 565 people who perished in this shipping disaster.
Christy Domegan’s remains were buried in Ardcath cemetery and today a large Celtic cross there commemorates his short life. On Sunday, members of the local Ardcath and Bellewstown heritage groups and neighbours of the Domegan family came together to commemorate this local hero who died so tragically one hundred years ago. Frances Lee Gargan spoke about what was known of the Domegan family in the Ardcath area. Fiona Ahern, co-author of Bellewstown’s Forgotten Heroes, described the sinking of the Leinster mail ship and prayers were read by members of the heritage groups led by Fr Brendan Ferris, P.P. A poppy wreath was placed on the grave by Paul Black of Bellewstown, whose father and uncle both fought in World War I.
Other Meath connections to RMS Leinster - by Noel French
Jack Williamson’s father worked as a coachman at Blackcastle, Navan and he too drowned in the sinking of the Leinster.
Many of the bodies were never recovered and recordkeeping was not adequate to identify all the passengers. Patrick Faughlin from Trim went missing around the time of the sinking of the Leinster and it was later presumed that he had drowned with the ship. Patrick was a career soldier, joining in 1908 and serving with the Leinster Regiment. He married in 1914 and his youngest son was born in April 1918. When he disappeared in October 1918 after being home on furlough the Military Authorities presumed he had drowned on his journey to re-join his regiment. In November 1918 his wife wrote to the authorities saying that he “was always in the habit of writing to me regular I am very anxious about him.” The authorities could find no evidence of him having been on the Leinster but it was the only logical conclusion they could come to.
The mailship R.M.S. Leinster served the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) – Holyhead route. Germany's submarines brought the war to their enemy by attacking merchant shipping, attempting to starve Britain into submission. On October 10th 1918 the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB 123. Leinster was just outside Dublin Bay, four miles east of Kish. The U boat fired three torpedoes at the ship. It was struck by the second and third shots. The third shot resulted in a huge explosion.
Many of those on board were killed in the sinking. Some lifeboats were launched. Eventually destroyers and ships came to rescue the survivors. In the days that followed bodies were recovered from the sea.
According to official reports over 500 people perished in the sinking but the total could be higher. Of the 180 civilians on board, 115 were killed. But by far the greatest number of passengers on board the Leinster were military personnel. Many of them were going on leave or returning from leave.
Among the causalities was Robert Jocelyn Alexander, son of Cecil Frances Alexander, composer of many popular hymns. One hundred and forty four military casualties were buried in Grangegorman Military Cemetery in Dublin. The UB-123 was lost in a minefield in the North Sea on its way back to Germany, on or about 19 October 1918.
On 6 October Germany had asked U.S. President Woodrow Wilson for peace terms. Following the sinking of the Leinster U.S. President Woodrow Wilson replied to the German Government saying, among other things, that there can be no peace as long as Germany attacks passenger ships. The Germans tell their submarines that they can no longer attack merchant shipping.
Exhibition at Phoenix Park Visitor Centre
Tomorrow (Thursday 11 October) at 11am, the OPW will hold an Act of Remembrance at the Grangegorman Military Cemetery followed by the opening of an exhibition at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Leinster and to remember those lost. The Exhibition will be opened by Philip Lecane, author of the book Torpedoed, the R.M.S. Leinster Disaster.
This will be the first opportunity for many of the descendants of those who lost their lives (many of whom have travelled from as far away as America and Australia) to visit their relatives graves a hundred years after the tragedy which claimed the lives of 564 people. Over 140 military personnel from the sinking are buried in Grangegorman Military Cemetery and the commemoration will include a colour party from the Irish Defence Forces and will be attended by the Archdeacon of Christchurch Cathedral and the Chaplin of McKee Barracks.
Relatives and guests will also be invited to tour a new exhibition in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre entitled “13 minutes to disaster, the sinking of the RMS Leinster” which chronicles this dreadful tragedy and displays personal artefacts from those who lost their lives including medals, life-jackets and photos. It also tells the unique stories of some of the victims including that of 14 year old Thomas Woodgate who had enlisted and was off to join the war effort and that of Dublin nurse Sophie Violet Barrett who died on her way back to serve again. There are so many strands to this deeply tragic story not only of the deaths of military personnel but also 21 postal sorters who drowned and the letters from home that never made it to their loved ones fighting overseas.
The R.M.S Leinster left Carlisle Pier in Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) for Holyhead on the 10th October 1918 carrying 771 passengers and crew. But by far the greatest number of passengers on board the Leinster were military personnel. Many of them were going or returning from leave and they came from Ireland, Britain, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia. There were 180 civilian passengers, men, women and children, most of them from Ireland and Britain. The ship was torpedoed by the German U Boat resulting in the 501 casualties, the greatest ever number of people to die in the Irish Sea. More Irish people died on the R.M.S. Leinster then on the Titanic or the Lusitania.
Lectures 3pm 14th October Speaker - Philip Lecane on “Torpedoed, The R.M.S. Leinster Disaster”.
3pm 21st October Speaker – Dave Levins on “The GPO, Mail Ships and the First World War".
Wreath laying
The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, and the First Minister of Wales, the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, today laid wreaths in Dún Laoghaire in remembrance of all of those who perished following the sinking of the RMS Leinster.
Minister Madigan said: “I am deeply honoured to represent the Government at today's official commemoration in remembrance of all of those who lost their lives following the sinking of the RMS Leinster.
“As the French philosopher, Paul Ricour, wrote, "To be forgotten is to die twice". For many years, those who were lost in this terrible tragedy - over 564 members of the ship's crew, civilian passengers, postal sorters, and military and medical personnel - were consigned to the shadows of our history.
“One hundred years later, the Decade of Centenaries has created a new momentum and opportunity to shine a light on their stories. Today, we remember each and every one of those who perished and the countless families on both sides of the Irish Sea and as far afield as America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, who grieved for their terrible loss. We remember too the members of the crew of UB-123, who themselves were killed one week later. We pay tribute also to the heroism and kindness shown by the rescue services, nursing and medical personnel in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
“I welcome the attendance today of representatives from the countries affected by this tragedy, in recognition of our shared loss and shared remembrance. I am especially grateful to the First Minister of Wales for his presence this morning.
“I would like to thank all of those who have, for many years worked so hard to ensure that the stories of all of those who were on board the RMS Leinster when she embarked upon her final voyage are written back into our shared history.
“I would like to acknowledge the endeavours of the late owner of the RMS Leinster, Mr Des Brannigan, who was committed to protecting the ship. Today, (10th October), the vessel comes under the protection of the National Monuments Act, which covers shipwrecks over 100 years old.
“I thank also Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council, the family members of those affected by this tragedy, and the many others involved, whose support and collaboration made today's commemoration possible.”
The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones said: “The disaster that befell the RMS Leinster is a shared loss; not just here in Ireland and at home in Holyhead, where the RMS Leinster was headed, but also by the communities further afield whose loved ones were aboard. Dún Laoghaire’s commemoration, and the commemoration in Holyhead, honours every person who died so tragically on that terrible day. The moving tributes here today serve as a poignant reminder that, although 100 years have passed, the sacrifice of those lost will never be forgotten.”
Councillor Ossian Smyth, Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire added: “On this centenary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Leinster, I think it is very fitting that those lost and the survivors, many of them local people from all walks of life, are being remembered by the State. These commemorations are very much a community effort also, involving local groups and relatives, who have for many years kept the memory of the RMS Leinster alive. The impact of the disaster in 1918 was widespread and I am delighted to be able to welcome those relatives who have travelled from abroad to be here with us in Dún Laoghaire to commemorate this event.“