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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Cian O'Broin

Relatives of victims of Titanic tragedy from Mayo keeping submersible crew in their thoughts

The relatives of several Titanic victims who travelled from a small Mayo town on the historic sunken ship said they are keeping the crew of the missing submersible "in their thoughts."

Tiny submersible tourist boat Titan, with five people onboard, lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while hundreds of miles off Newfoundland and is believed to be caught in the wreckage of the original Titanic some 12,500 feet below the surface.

Underwater noises possibly linked to the lost submersible were heard on Wednesday, with the commercial vessel believed to be the size of a minivan inside, with one small toilet and only a 21 inch viewing window, due to run out of oxygen in less than 20 hours.

Read More: Missing Titanic submersible LIVE updates as underwater noises detected offering fresh hope

Family members of 14 people who all travelled from the small parish of Addergoole in Mayo in 1912 aboard the RMS Titanic, with 11 of those dying tragically in icy waters in the North Atlantic, have said they are keeping those in the submersible in their thoughts.

It is believed to be the biggest loss suffered by any one area from the New York-bound ship that hit an iceberg, ultimately leading to 1,500 deaths.

Each year, the small village of 5,000 people mark the tragedy with the tolling of a bell at 2.20am on April 15, the date and time that the Titanic sank, as well as an annual Mass, where several family members of victims get together to share in their grief which still grips the small but tight-knit community.

In 2012, to commemorate the centenary of the voyager's tragic sinking, the Addergoole Titanic Memorial Park was set up, drawing in 4,000 tourists each year.

Frank Gibbons, Chairperson of the Addergoole Titanic Society told The Irish Mirror that unlike popular tourist destinations like Belfast, Southampton or Cobh, the history reflected upon in the north Mayo parish is one of only tragedy and not for commercial benefit.

"When the 100th year came up and the media covered all the areas affected, we got the most attention because of the hurt. All the others have become tourist, money-grabbing centres. It's not a money-making venture here, it is totally run by volunteers," he said.

Mr Gibbons said that each year, at their annual Mass, a relative of one of the Addergoole 14 carries a lantern and rings a bell in their memory, a custom which has now been playing out for the last quarter of a century.

"There are still nephews and grand-nephews and grand-nieces living here," he informed. They too are following the news of the missing submersible closely and are hoping for a positive outcome.

Mr Gibbons said: "We have been following it closely, just like the rest of the world."

Next month, the Addergoole Titanic Society are launching a book telling the stories of the 14 people who travelled from the parish on the Titanic, with Rory Golden, the first Irish diver to visit the RMS Titanic site in 2000, lined up as a special guest and speaker.

Rory was the first person to discover the original Titanic's steering wheel from the wreckage and was the first to touch it since 1912.

While the community are looking forward to the visit of one of the most prominent Titanic site divers and artefact loggers, Mr Gibbons added: "We send our best wishes to the people who are lost. Hopefully they are found."

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