Mr Thomas Joseph McCormack

Mr Thomas Joseph McCormack, 19, was born on 11 December 1892. He boarded the Titanic at Queestown as a third class passenger (ticket number 367228, £7, 15s). He was returning from Aghnacliffe, Co Longford to his home in Bayonne, New Jersey where he worked as a bartender.

Accompanying Tom were his two cousins, Philip and John Kiernan. Tom McCormack survived the sinking (1) but lost his two cousins.

After his rescue he returned to New Jersey where he continued to work as a bartender. He served during WW1 and eventually married but had no children. He often spoke about the Titanic disaster and frequently was interviewed on the anniversary of the disaster. He retired to Elizabeth, New Jersey where he lived with his nephew during the last years of his life. Bedridden for several years, Tom McCormack died on 4 November 1975 at the age of 82. He was buried at the Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City, New Jersey (2). While a stone marks the location of the "McCormack" grave, only the name of Tom's wife Mary (who died in 1962) was ever inscribed. After Tom's death, his relatives never saw to it to have his name engraved also.

Notes
1. In one account McCormack said he tried to climb into lifeboat 16 in which the Murphy sisters already were seated, but that a sailor hit him with an oar. However the sisters helped to pull him aboard. In another interview, he claimed to have swum to a collapsible boat.
2. Three other Irish survivors are buried in the same cemetery as Tom McCormack: Margaret Devaney, Elizabeth Dowdell, and Bridget McDermott.

Documents
Jersey Journal, 18 April 1912, Bayonne Man Saved
Jersey Journal, 19 April 1912, Thos. Mccormack of Bayonne at Ellis Island
Jersey Journal, 20 April 1912, Bayonne Youth's Remarkable Escape
Jersey Journal, 22 April 1912, Titanic Survivor is Home
Jersey Journal, 23 April 1912, Battled for life with Sailor after the Titanic Sank

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
Irish Times, 12 February 1998, Tales of Longford's 'Titanic' survivors are retold

Contributors
Robert L. Bracken, USA
Peter Engberg-Klarström, Sweden
Michael A. Findlay, USA
Tad Fitch, USA
Noel Ray, Ireland

Travelling Companions
Mr John Kiernan Cousin
Mr Philip Kiernan Cousin