The tragic tale of the Titanic is forever woven into Ireland's history . Not only was the ship constructed in Belfast , but its final port of embarkation before the doomed voyage across the Atlantic was Queenstown today known as Cobh in County Cork.
Regrettably, 110 Irish souls were lost to the icy depths during the catastrophe , while a fortunate 54 were saved. Key figures in the Titanic saga often harbored deep connections to Ireland . Jack Phillips, the ship's Senior Wireless Operator, had worked at the Marconi station near Clifden, Co Galway for three years from 1908 to 1911.
Yet, one of the most vilified individuals connected with the unsinkable liner was J Bruce Ismay, born in England and serving as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. After ignoring warnings by the British Board of Trade, Ismay decided to slash the number of lifeboats aboard from 46 to a mere 16.
Additionally, Ismay faced social disdain after securing himself a spot on a lifeboat, abandoning 1500 souls who succumbed to the merciless North Atlantic off Newfoundland. The press lambasted him with labels like "J Brute Ismay" and branded him the "Coward of the Titanic."
After his reputation was left in ruins, Ismay, who had been exonerated from blame in the Titanic disaster by a British inquiry faced public scorn, with incidents of him and his wife being mocked in the streets of both the UK and the US. In 1913, the Lancashire-born mogul and his partner, Julia, sought solace in Connemara, making their new home at Costello Lodge in Casla.
Locals in the Irish-speaking region of Co Galway greeted the Ismays warmly, seeing them as employers and remarking on their generous nature. Nonetheless, J Bruce was given the moniker "Bru sios me", an Irish phrase meaning "lower me down," a nod to his infamous role in the Titanic saga regarding lifeboat provision.
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The couple called Casla, nestled between Carraroe and Inverin in south Connemara, their home for 25 years before Ismay returned to England. He passed away in London in 1937, aged 74.
Julia, his spouse, chose to stay in Ireland even after their house was destroyed by the IRA in 1922. The residence was later reconstructed in 1925 by the distinguished British architect Edwin Lutyens, renowned for his war memorials and significant works in New Delhi, India.
In the grounds of the restored lodge, a limestone tribute stands proudly in memory of Ismay. The inscription on the memorial endures, declaring: "He loved all wild and solitary places where we taste the pleasure of believing what we see is boundless as we wish our souls to be."
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