Miss Kate Mullin

Who was Kate Mullin?

Kate Mullin was a 21 (twenty-one) year-old Irish woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born on July 28, 1890, in Rhyne, Cloonee, Co Longford, Ireland, Kate was a third-class passenger on the ill-fated ship, embarking on a journey that would change her life forever.

Early Life and Background

What was Kate Mullin’s family like?

Kate Mullin came from a large Irish Catholic family. She was the youngest of nine children born to Thomas Mullin (1846-1919), a farmer, and Mary Duignan (1847-1916). Her siblings included:

• Michael (b. April 28, 1872)
• Patrick (b. February 28, 1874)
• Mary Anne (b. December 22, 1876)
• Rose (b. April 1, 1879)
• John (b. August 9, 1881)
• Eliza (b. October 6, 1883, later O’Flynn)
• Bridget (b. July 7, 1885, later Thompson)
• Thomas (b. July 26, 1887)

The Mullin family lived in Rhyne, Cloonee, Co Longford, Ireland. According to census records, they resided at house 7 in 1901 and house 23 in 1911.

Titanic Journey

Why did Kate Mullin board the Titanic?

Kate boarded the Titanic at Queenstown (now Cobh) as a third-class passenger. Her destination was New York City, where she had a sister, Mrs. Murray, living at 231 East 50th Street. Kate’s ticket number was 35852, which cost £7 14s 8d.

Who were Kate’s companions on the Titanic?

During the voyage, Kate shared cabin Q161 on E-deck with three other young women from Longford:

• Kate Gilnagh
• Margaret Murphy
• Kate Murphy

The Night of the Disaster

How did Kate Mullin survive the Titanic sinking?

On the night of April 14, 1912, Kate and her roommates were in their cabin when James Farrell, an acquaintance from their parish, knocked on their door. He urged them to get dressed, sensing something was amiss as the engines had stopped.

The group faced obstacles as they tried to reach the upper decks:

• Physical barriers
• Crewmen redirecting them

James Farrell played a crucial role in their escape by confronting a crewman who attempted to block their way. His intervention allowed Kate and her companions to pass through.

The last she saw of James Farrell was him kneeling by his suitcase reciting the rosary.

Kate was rescued, likely alongside Kate Gilnagh and the Murphy sisters, though the exact lifeboat number is uncertain. In a letter to her father, she described the harrowing experience:

• The lifeboat was packed with over 50 people
• The screams of those left behind haunted her

Life After the Titanic

How did the Titanic disaster affect Kate’s life?

After being rescued by the Carpathia, Kate arrived in New York City. She was described as a 20-year-old unmarried domestic upon landing. With financial assistance for her lost belongings, Kate found employment as a domestic in her new home.

On January 2, 1916, Kate married Martin Kearns (b. April 5, 1889), a laborer from Co Galway, Ireland. They had four children:

1. Margaret “Peggy” (b. 1918)
2. Mary (b. 1919, later Dormer)
3. Eileen (b. 1922, later Wall)
4. John Thomas (b. 1925)

The family lived in various locations in New York:

How did Kate cope with the trauma of the Titanic?

Kate never cared to remember the Titanic disaster and remained mostly silent on the topic. However, she occasionally spoke about it to family or local media. When interviewed for the 50th anniversary of the sinking, Kate simply thanked God for her survival but stressed she did not want to be reminded of that awful event.

The loss of her son John in 1944, who died at age 19 when his troopship sank, took an especially heavy toll on Kate in her later years.

Legacy

Kate Mullin Kearns passed away on November 1, 1970, at the age of 80 (eighty) in Queens, New York. She was buried in St Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx following a mass at St Sebastian’s Roman Catholic church. Notably, her death notice made no mention of her connection to the Titanic.

Her husband, Martin Kearns, died on September 27, 1976, and they are buried together.

Kate Mullin’s story serves as a testament to the resilience of Titanic survivors and the lasting impact of the disaster on their lives. Her journey from a small Irish town to surviving one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters and building a new life in America embodies the immigrant experience of the early 20th century.