A Mayo village recalls the Irish who perished aboard the Titanic

That first year, only a handful of descendants participated. This year, which marks the centennial of the sinking, hundreds of participants are expected, including descendants from New Jersey and the Chicago area, where the three Addergoole survivors --- Annie McGowan, Annie Kate Kelly and Delia McDermott settled.

John O'Boyle, 77, said his father never talked about the tragedy of his cousins John Bourke, who was 42, Mary Bourke, 40, and John's pregnant wife, Catherine McHugh, 32. However, stories told by Addergoole survivors like Annie Kate Kelly, say that the women gave up their lifeboat seats because they refused to leave John Bourke alone. Kelly, who eventually became a nun, credited them with her survival because she took their place.

For other residents, the bells toll for emigrants past and present. Last year, 50 young adults int heir 20s emigrated from the villages of Crossmolina and the neighboring Lahardane.

“When my two children are grown, the chances of them remaining here in Ireland are slim,” said Patricia Keigher, a member of the Titanic Society. “The bell ringing out across the lake and the mountain is a call to say: you may not be here, but we are still thinking of you.”

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Nster.com