Miss Margaret Jane "Mary" "Maggie" Murphy

Miss Margaret Jane Murphy known as "Mary" or "Maggie" [1] was born on 24 September 1886 [2], the daughter of Michael Murphy and Mary Lyons.

Margaret and her sister Kate boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as third class passengers (ticket number 367230, £15, 10s). They were heading from their home in Aghnacliffe, Co Longford, Ireland to New York City.

Catherine and Margaret shared cabin 161 on E-deck with Kate Gilnagh and Kate Mullen.

The two women were rescued in (probably) lifeboat 16 [3].

Miss Murphy continued to live in New York City after the Titanic disaster. She married Matthew J. O'Reilly, who died coincidentally, on 15 April 1939. Margaret had three children, Margaret (d. 23 November 1959), Matthew (died 1998) and Ann (still living).

Margaret O'Reilly (née Murphy) died while vacationing at the family summer home in upstate New York on 29 September 1957. She was buried at the Calvary Cemetery in New York City (Queens).

Notes
1. Her name is often given as Mary, possibly confusing her with one of her siblings. Another explanantion is that many Irish girls were routinely known as, or baptised, Mary in addition to their own name.
2. Her age is frequently listed as 19, again possibly confusing her with her sister Mary.
3. Some sources place them in lifeboat 14.

References
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

Acknowledgements
Erin Garry (great-granddaughter of Kate Murphy)
Margaret Catherine McGrath (descendant of Catherine and Margaret Murphy)

Contributors
Cameron Bell, Northern Ireland
Robert L. Bracken, USA
Michael A. Findlay, USA
Noel Ray, Ireland

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