Irish victim of Titanic to receive memorial on Boston grave

An Irish victim of the Titanic will finally receive a memorial headstone at her grave at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in West Roxbury in Boston.

Catherine Buckley was a 22-year-old Cork woman who decided to join her sister in Boston and start a new life in America.

That dream ended on April 15, 1912 when the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg.

At Margaret Buckley’s request, her sister's remains were transported to Boston where she was buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery.

It is believed that Buckley was the only third-class passenger whose remains were recovered and buried on terra firma.

Almost 100 years later, a dedication ceremony will be held at the graveyard and a memorial will placed at her grave.

“She was very typically a farmer’s daughter,” the Titanic International Society’s Bob Bracken told the Bulletin newspaper.

“She grew up with her family and her faith as the cornerstones of her life. Her sister contacted her about coming to the United States and she decided she was going to do that."

Descendants of Buckley’s family, in conjunction with the Titanic International Society and Thomas Carrigg & Sons Monument Co, will hold a dedication ceremony at the cemetery Saturday, when Buckley will finally be officially recognized as a victim of one of the great tragedies of the 20th Century.