July 1998
Galway woman who sold her ticket for the Titanic dies at 107 in Boston
A lady understood to be Ireland’s oldest person has died at her home in Boston. Mrs. Mary Conroy (nee King) from Calla, Ballyconneally, Conamara, was 107 and played the accordion up to last week.
Mary was to have sailed on the Titanic back in 1912 but fate took a hand. She had already acquired her ticket for the maiden voyage of the famous Belfast liner but on learning that five other young people from her parish were travelling to America on another ship a week later, she sold her ticket for the ill-fated voyage.
Mary spent 20 years in America before returning to Ballyconneally to take care of her parents. She married and settled down in Conamara where she raised her family. They emigrated to England again in 1966 and after a few years there moved to Boston where they have resided since.
On the occasion of her birthday in recent years, Paul Claffey of Mid-West Radio in Mayo always put a call through to Mary in Boston and she would delight listeners with stories of former times and a selection of favourite tunes on the accordion.
U.S. Social Security Death Index for Mary Conroy
First Name: Mary
Middle Name:
Last Name: Conroy
Name Suffix:
Birth Date: 17 May 1891
Social Security Number: 027-40-0673
Place of Issuance: Massachusetts
Last Residence: Suffolk, Massachusetts
Zip Code of Last Residence: 02122
Death Date: 15 July 1998
Estimated Age at Death: 107
Ireland's Oldest People 