Miss Ellen Natalia Shine

Miss Ellen Natalia Shine, 20, from Cork, Co Cork, Ireland, boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a third class passenger (ticket number 330968, £7 16s 7d). Her destination was New York City.

Ellen survived the sinking, but it is not known in which lifeboat she escaped.

After her arrival in New York Ellen was taken to hospital with the other Irish survivors. She was interviewed by a New York newspaper, and it was reproduced in The Times on Saturday, April 20. Ellen said that when the accident happened they rushed to the upper deck where they were met by members of the crew who endeavoured to keep them in the steerage quarters. The women, however, rushed past these men and finally reached the upper deck. When they were informed that the boat was sinking most of them fell on their knees and began to pray. She saw one of the lifeboats and made for it. In it were already four men from steerage who refused to obey an officer who ordered them out. They were, however, finally turned out.

In later years Ellen Shine was married to a Mr Callaghan. She died on 5 March 1993 aged 101 in Glen Cove, New York. She was the last remaining Titanic survivor from Ireland.

Sources
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279]).
Noel Ray (1999) List of Passengers who Boarded RMS Titanic at Queenstown, April 11, 1912. The Irish Titanic Historical Society
The Times (London), 20 April 1912

Contributors
Cameron Bell, Northern Ireland
Phillip Gowan, USA
Noel Ray, Ireland

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