Mr Denis Lennon was born on 9 December 1891 in Currycreaghan, Ballymahon, Co Longford, Ireland.
He was the son of William Lennon (b. 1846), a farmer, and Bridget Mullin (b. circa 1853), Longford natives who had married on 25 April 1887.
One of six surviving children from a total of seven, Denis' siblings were: Eliza1 (b. 4 April 1888), Bridget (b. 21 August 1890), William (b. 22 July 1889), John (b. 27 October 1893), Anne Maria2 (b. 8 April 1897) and Kate (b. 30 September 1898). His sister Bridget was born disabled and lived only one day.
On both the 1901 and 1911 census records Denis' family were living in house 12 in Currycreaghan; he would be absent from the 1911 census with his family however and was listed elsewhere as a shop assistant and living with Delia Mullin and her family of house 3, Clarinbridge, Co Galway. Delia's youngest child was an 18-year-old daughter named Mary.
Denis and Mary, the latter not long out of convent school, fell in love and made plans to steal away to America. Originally booked to travel aboard Cymric, the coal strike changed their plans and they boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as third class passengers (ticket number 370371 which cost £15, 10s) and were using the names Denis and Mary Lennon.
Mary's brother Joe (and possibly also her mother) reportedly pursued the couple all the way to Queenstown, Joe carrying a loaded firearm in his fury, but they reached the dock too late. It has been suggested that Mary Mullin and Denis Lennon were cousins, the latter's mother's maiden name also being Mullin, but this was not the case.
Denis Lennon, along with Mary Mullin, died in the sinking. Their bodies, if recovered, were never identified.
Denis' family remained in Currycreaghan; his father William died 20 June 1929 from senility and his mother two years later on 19 May 1931 from influenza.
(I'm very sorry for my poor English !) I have read a book about an eloping couple, boarded at Queenstown. That book is called "I died on the Titanic" by Monica O'Hara-Keeton, and is about ..."a fascinating investigation through hypnotic regression". The book tells the story of a Lucy Latymer, who might have boarded Titanic at Queenstown with her friend. The couple might have named themselves Mary and Denis Lemon (or Lennon ?) and acted if there were brother and sister. Is there anyone out there who have this book too and want to give comment about it ? Or does anyone has any knowledge about...
Marc: There's no need to apologize. Your English is better than most of the people that graduate from high school here in California. I noticed your guest entry on this subject awhile ago. I read "I Died on the Titanic" last year and had a hard time finishing it. I'm very skeptical of hypnosis in the first place, especially in this case when it was done by O'Hara-Keeton's own husband. It seems more like coaching to me or hocus-pocus. But I am reminded that strange, unexplainable things can happen -- like Morgan Robertson's writing of "The Wreck of the Titan" 14 years before Titanic...
The Irish passenger named Mary lennon was actually Mary Mullin. Dennis Lennon wasn't her brother but her lover. The couple were eloping to escape those who frowned on their relationship back home. Local legend states that Mary's older Joe brother gave chase to the young couple with a loaded revolver just missing them at the quayside at Queenstown. He is said to have banged his fists on the railing as the tender took its passengers out to Titanic. Mary was 18 years old and Dennis 20. More information is given in Senan molony's excellent book "The Irish Aboard Titanic"