Joe went home to Lucy and the kids with a plan in mind; they were due to leave Britain in four weeks’ time, sailing home on the newly launched Titanic on her maiden voyage.
He called the family together in the parlour and announced that they were all going to sail to Ireland and discover their heritage. They would board the Titanic at Queenstown rather than Southampton.
The family were all excited by the prospect.
‘When do we leave?’ asked Julie.
‘I thought two weeks’ touring so I guess that means we leave London in two weeks.’
‘Oh my God, I have hardly started to pack,’ Lucy cried with panic in her voice.
‘Don’t worry Darling. We’ll make it.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
They all started to think about what needed to happen before the twenty-eighth of March when they were due to sail to Ireland.
The days went quickly. Lucy and the children were responsible for packing up the house while Joe was responsible for organising the logistics of the holiday and handing the reins over to his replacement, Frank Woods. Captain Woods was quite disturbed by the briefings Joe gave him but at least he was aware of the trouble brewing.
At last the day of departure arrived and they were due to board the steamship Columbia.
The journey only took a day and night and before they knew it they had stepped onto Irish soil. The Doherty family had a very strong and ancient history in Ireland. Joe read from the book he had purchased in London.
The Doherty family (Irish: Clann Dhochartaigh) is an Irish clan based in County Donegal in the north of the island of Ireland.
Like clans in other cultures, Irish clans such as the Dohertys are divided into many septs and regional families. In the modern day, there are 140 noted variations in spelling of the name Ó Dochartaigh, of which Doherty (with or without the ‘Ó’) is the most common anglicisation.
The Doherty’s are named after Dochartach, the 12th in linear descent from Conall Gulban (d. AD 455), the son of the famous Niall of the Nine Hostages (Niall Noigíallach) the 5th Century High King of Ireland, and namesake of the powerful Uí Néill dynasty. Through Niall, the Dohertys can trace their heritage back even further, making the clan one of Europe’s longest descent lines. The origins of the family however, as with the Irish people and their ancestors, the Gaels, are obscured by Celtic mythology and folk tales.’
The American Embassy had once again arranged a motor vehicle, which was waiting for them near the dock. Their first night would be spent in Dublin at Ariel House, a beautiful Victorian hotel in the heart of the city.
The next day the family headed off to Killarney, south west of Dublin. Why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle became evident as they drove through the lush countryside. Passing the River Liffey they arrived at the imposing Rock of Cashel, which was apparently the seat of the Kings of Munster, according to Joe’s travel book. The next stop was Blarney Castle where they all kissed the Blarney Stone hoping to receive its magical powers of speech. The group stayed in Killarney that night at a beautiful country hotel, Woodlawn House.
After a scrumptious breakfast they headed off to Ennis, taking in the magnificent scenery of the Dingle Peninsula with its ancient castles and Celtic fortifications. Joe was a little concerned that Jack and Julie might find this holiday a tad boring but they were enjoying it so far. The mighty Shannon River had to be crossed before they arrived at their destination, Ennis. They stayed at a beautiful old hotel, The Old Ground.
Next morning Joe drove to the legendary Cliffs of Moher rising hundreds of feet above the Atlantic Ocean; the same ocean they would be sailing on back to America in a few days.
Julie had hoped she would see a leprechaun while in Ireland and where they were travelling to now, Burren, was the reputed home of these magical creatures.
Greagan’s Castle was the hotel they stayed in and it was magnificent – an eighteenth century manor house surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Then they were off to Inis Mór the largest of the Aran Islands. When he arrived in Britain, Joe was impressed with the ubiquitous stonewalls – Inis Mór had over three thousand miles of superbly constructed stonewalls.
The kids were keen to hire a horse and cart to explore the island and that’s what they did. This really was an experience they would all remember. The next destination was Galway and then on to Limerick and finally Queenstown, where they would board the Titanic, which was something the entire family was looking forward to. Their hotel, Hayfield Manor, was fantastic – an eighteenth century hotel with all the modern facilities including ensuite bathrooms.
The next morning, Thursday 11th April, Joe, Lucy, Jack and Julie caught a taxi to the Queenstown dock. They could see the ship before they reached its berth: it was huge.
‘No wonder they named her the Titanic,’ exclaimed Jack.
Joe reported into the ticket office with his four first-class tickets. A porter arranged to help with the family’s luggage, which was quite considerable, mainly due to Lucy’s spending while in London. The family had two cabins next to each other and they soon settled in and went off to explore the ship. Jack and Lucy could not believe the size or the luxury – it really was a five-star hotel afloat.
The next three days were spent enjoying the first-class facilities. Jack and Julie had fun in the swimming pool while Joe availed himself of the excellent gymnasium. He also found a partner to challenge him in a game of squash. After all that physical activity an hour in the Turkish bath soothed sore muscles. Lucy just enjoyed hearing the background music of the ship’s orchestra and playing cards with some of the other passengers.
15th April, 1912
Joe had just completed a session in the gym and entered the cabin hoping for a quiet relaxing time before they went up for dinner. He entered the cabin only to find Lucy dressed in one of her finest outfits and busily applying makeup.
‘So my love, what’s going on? Did we get an invitation to a wedding or something?’
‘Don’t be silly Darling. No, we have been invited to dine with the Captain at his table. He requested you wear your dress uniform. You did pack it, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, I packed it. Can’t we decline? Say I’m sick or something?’
‘No we can’t! Now get dressed.’
Jack and Julie were also invited to the table; they were much more enthusiastic than their father.
The family entered the dining room and the head waiter escorted them to the Captain’s Table where Captain Smith and a few of his officers were already seated. Four more guests were due to join them including Benjamin Guggenheim who was a wealthy industrialist and heir to the Guggenheim mining fortune and J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line who was the person who sketched the first plans for the Titanic on a dinner napkin in 1907.
Colonel John Jacob Astor IV and his pregnant wife Madeleine Astor were also guests and were the last to be seated. Astor was a much-respected real estate multi-millionaire.
There was a sense of excitement at the table everybody agreed the maiden voyage of the Titanic had been a magnificent success and the ship had lived up to all the publicity. There was also the excitement of berthing in New York. Joe asked the Captain what was their current speed?
‘We were doing twenty three knots but have slowed down to twenty two.’
‘That’s a good speed Sir, particularly with the number of passengers on board. The bridge must be something else Captain.’
‘Captain Doherty, would you care to join me on the bridge? The equipment we have installed is state-of-the-art. I think you will enjoy the experience.’
‘Certainly Captain Smith, I would be honoured Sir.’
