Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Titanic Survivor -My great Aunt Maggie

I'm not really sure if she is my great aunt, but Maggie Madigan did survive the Titanic's sinking on April14th-15th 1912. Both she and my great grandfather, John Madigan, were born in the small town of Askeaton, Co Limerick, Ireland. I didn't know any of this until a woman from Ohio, Karen Thomas, emailed me out of the blue and asked if I was related to Maggie Madigan.
Karen had just visited the Titanic Exhibit in Cleveland Ohio and upon entering the exhibit people are given a replica ticket of one of the passengers who sailed that fateful voyage. Karen was given the ticket which bore the name: Margaret "Maggie" Madigan -Third Class and when Karen finished the exhibit 4 hours later, she noticed Maggie Madigan was on the wall of survivors.
So who was this Maggie Madigan? How old was she? Where did she end up? Who did she marry? All these questions Karen pondered, and she thought the internet would give her the answers. But no! Nothing had been written on Maggie Madigan as Maggie had drifted into obscurity unlike most of the other Titanic survivors. No one knew where Maggie had gone as just a few facts about her had risen. History had lost Maggie Madigan!
Karen was puzzled about this. We began corresponding and I became fascinated with the story too. With thoughts from Karen, I wrote a song about Karen, myself and our quest to find the true story of whatever happened to Maggie Madigan. And because I put it on my SharecropperTrio's third cd "Home,Boys!", the wheels started turning in the academic thinkers of Encyclopedia Titanica. But that's a story for later !
For now why not drop into my music site at the popular KITCHEN of the online Newfoundland Downhome Magazine site and have a listen to my song Maggie Madigan-Titanic Survivor
at http://www.downhomekitchen.com/posts.php?id=18392&page=10
Just scroll down that page till you see the song and verse:
Maggie Madigan — Titanic Survivor
Third class passenger saved that night;
Lowered in a life boat with sixty-five others,
Adrift off Newfoundland — Oh, what a fright!

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