I have collected A LOT of "Moynahan" stories (and all spelling variants of the surname) over the years. The Moynahan/Minahan stories where I have not yet established a DNA or paper trail linking them to my Moynahan family roots are filed in my "Moynahan Scrapbook".
This is the story of Dr. William Edward Minahan who decided in 1912 to take a six-month vacation with his wife and sister Daisy to their ancestral Ireland. While away, Dr. Minahan's sister Daisy was suddenly stricken with appendicitis while they were in Italy and Dr. Minahan rushed her to Paris to perform the operation.
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| Dr. William Edward Minahan |
They were the only First Class passengers to board the Titanic at Queenstown (now called Cobh, Ireland). They paid £90 for their ticket and were assigned to cabin C-78
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| Dr. William Edward Minahan and his 2nd wife Lillian (Thorpe) Minahan |
"Be Brave"
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| Source: Encyclopedia Titanica |
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| Source: Clipped from The Reporter Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 12 Apr 1968, Fri • Page 21 |
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Clipped from The Reporter
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin12 Apr 1968, Fri • Page 21 |
Body No. 230
When the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912 and sunk, of the 2209 passengers and crew on board, 1497 souls lost their lives.
Two Halifax-based cable ships, the CS MacKay-Bennett and the CS Minia, were despatched to recover any remaining bodies.
Dr William E Moynahan was among the 306 bodies recovered by the CS MacKay-Bennett. His body was tagged "Body No. 230" (see the other bodies recovered here: https://archives.novascotia.ca/titanic/ships/?Ship=Mackay-Bennett
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| Source: The Nova Scotia Archives https://archives.novascotia.ca/titanic/fatalities/archives/?ID=230 |
Sister Daisy Describes Scene On Life Boats As Desperate
It was Daisy who had awoken first to the sound of screams (reportedly Mrs. Astor) after the Titanic had struck the iceberg. She and Mrs Minahan made their way to the deck wearing only their "night clothes and kimonos and carried blankets to fend off the cold night air. Dr Minahan observed the disorganized activity and recognized the seriousness of the matter. There was still a semblance of order for the first class passengers, but cries and shouts could be heard from every level.".
Later, Daisy Minahan testified to an investigating committee that Officer Lowe in command of her Lifeboat No. 14 refused to transfer some of his passengers to another boat and return and rescue those drowning adding "You ought to be damn glad you are here...."
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| Clipped from Green Bay Press-Gazette Green Bay, Wisconsin 14 Sep 1986, Sun • Page 70 |
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| Source: Clipped from The Oshkosh Northwestern Oshkosh, Wisconsin 16 May 1912, Thu • Page 1 |
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| Source: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/daisy-minahan.html |
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| Source: Green Bay Press Gazette; 14 Sep 1986 |
DR William E Minahan Crypt
The family carried hope for many days that Dr W. E Minahan would be found alive. When they received word from Halifax that his body had been found, they had his body sent to Green Bay, Wisconsin (May 2, 1912) where he was laid to rest in the beautiful crypt below.
In 1985 trophy hunters broke in and stole his skull which was later recovered by police and re-interred.
His widow Lillian moved to California and was remarried twice before her death in 1962.
The Colorful Minahans of Green Bay
Dr William E Minahan was the son of Irish immigrant parents William Burke Minahan (1833-1906) a county school superintendent and Mary Shaugnessy (1839-1902) and he had thirteen siblings (not all survived to maturity).
His father William Burke Moynahan was born on the rugged island of Inishkea off the west coast of Ireland.
Despite the Titanic tragedy that befell this family, their story is mostly one of prosperity after leaving Ireland. So much so that the Green Bay Press-Gazette decided to run a series commencing September 19, 1964.
"The story of this remarkably gifted family was one of success, controversy and the unexpected. ... For more than 60 years (1891-1954) they were dominant figures on the Green Bay scene, but they are all gone now and their memory is fading ...."
"You might hate a Minahan or love him but you never ignored one. Being what they were, they couldn't have avoided controversy if they tried - and nobody ever accused a Minahan of backing away from a fight."
Last Living Minahan: Ellen Linore Minahan (1860-1951)
While the Minahan men were receiving all the attention and all the press, Ellen Linore Minahan was writing a book.
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| Source: eBay (no longer available) Photo measures 10.25 x 8.25 inches. Photo is dated 12-23-1948 |
This above photo is an original press photo. "Miss Ellen Lenore Minahan, 733 N. 14th st., started teaching a country school when only 14 and she had to walk miles on corduroy roads to reach the schoolhouse. After she reached the age of 80, she wrote a novel, "End of the Corduroy," that is partly biographical.
"I fictionalized my life," she says. "My heroine marries her childhood sweetheart. I didn't."
Miss Minahan does not reveal her exact age but says, "I am an octogenarian."
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| Source: The Sheboygan Press Sheboygan, Wisconsin 10 Apr 1951, Tue • Page 14 |
Her death left her brother Victor I. Minahan (founder of the Green Bay Press Gazette) as the sole survivor of the family along with several nieces and nephews
Miss Minahan's Estate ($60,000 in 1951) as well as the royalties from her book were left to the Green Bay people
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| Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette Green Bay, Wisconsin 24 Apr 1951, Tue • Page 32 |
1997 Movie Versions of the Titanic Tragedy
"The Titanic" was a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron. Although it is an entirely fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, certain aspects of the Minahan Titanic story will resonate in certain scenes in the film. James Cameron surely researched all of the newspaper accounts of the day and would have certainly read Daisy Minahan’s affidavit to the investigating committee.
Daisy Minahan's account of the actions of Officer Lowe and the ensuing chaos in the lifeboats seem similar to James Cameron’s scenes clipped below. I know I can’t help but think of Daisy every time I watch them.
- The Titanic leaving Queenston (now Cobh) Ireland https://youtu.be/3lyiZMeTKIo
- Officers Lightoller and Lowe - Lifeboat Chaos https://youtu.be/iPskEv01h98
- Molly Brown "There's Plenty of Room for more" https://youtu.be/T34WSuBFrPw
The Titanic leaving Queenston (now Cobh) Ireland (embedded)
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