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Cratloe remembers Titanic victim

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Ita Cusack and Seamus Spaight, grandniece and grandnephew of Daniel Keane, Gallows Hill, who lost his life on the Titanic in 1912, at the new memorial monument erected by the community at The Gullet crossroads, Cratloe. Photograph by John KellyMEMORIES of dancing at various crossroads in South-East Clare came flooding back for locals who commemorated the death of a Cratloe native, who lost his life on the ill-fated RMS Titanic 100 years ago.

 

This practice ended back in the ’50s but was revived in a memorable fashion last Friday night when hundreds of people from Cratloe and the surrounding areas attended the unveiling of a plaque in memory of Daniel Keane.

The celebrations started with a mass celebrated by Canon Dan Spaight, who would have been a regular at these crossroads gatherings and a cousin of Daniel Keane.

Now living in Ard na Gréine, Ennis, he previously lived in Gourna House, Sixmilebridge, which is actually in Cratloe parish and also spent time working in England.

The plaque was erected at four crossroads at the foot of Gallow’s Hill, in an area known locally as The Gullet. Daniel used to live about halfway up the hill, about 500 yards where the memorial now stands.

The plaque was unveiled by Pascal Keane, a grandnephew of Daniel in the presence of several of his many close relatives. This was followed by an evening of music, song, storytelling and merriment, which culminated in the passing of a Russian satellite overhead, much to the excitement of all the attendance.

A stone monument, 9ft long by about 9ft wide, was erected by the victim’s grandnephew, Seamus Spaight of Gourna House, while well-known Kilnamona-based sculptor Michael McTigue carved a beautiful stone in the shape of a ship, with Daniel’s name and Titanic engraved on it.

His grandniece, Ita Cusack, Ballyliddane, Cratloe, was delighted with the success of the celebration and the support the extended family received from neighbours and friends in the lead-up to it.

“The weather was lovely and the whole celebration was great. The carving and stone monument erected by Seamus Spaight was very professional. Daniel was born in Gallows Hill, just a short distance away from the memorial,” she said.

Seamus was also thrilled with the huge support for the family. “It is a fitting memorial for Daniel and looks very well. It is great there is now a memorial near his home to commemorate his death,” he said.

Music was provided by a few locals, headed by Caitriona Aheane; her husband, Tony and son, Daniel, with the help of Edward Duggan, Ahaclare, Broadford. Laura Chaplin, who played the concertina on the night, is a granddaughter of another talented musician, the late John O’Gorman and the great, great-granddaughter of James Healy of The Gullet.

Thirty-five-year-old Daniel was working as a tram conductor in Donnybrook, Dublin and made the journey to Cobh, where he boarded Titanic for a planned trip to St Louis in Missouri. He paid £12 7s for his ticket as a second-class passenger.

Over 60 relatives of the Titanic victim, including great-grandnephews, great-grandnieces, grandnephews and grandnieces joined neighbours and friends for a special commemorative mass in the Little Church, Cratloe a few months ago.

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