When the RMS Titanic sank in the icy Atlantic ocean on 15 April 1912, some 1,517 people died. Many were from London, New York or other cosmopolitan cities, but the loss was felt particularly hard by a Parish in a tiny village in Ireland.

Fourteen of the residents of the tiny village of Lahardane (pop 500) in Mayo, Ireland – and two crew members, who were originally from Lahardane for a total of sixteen – sailed on the Titanic in April 1912. When she sank only 3 of the 14 from Lahardane survived, making this the single most disastrous place associated with the Titanic Story. It could have been even worse, as two more women from Lahardane were scheduled to board the ship, but did not.

The disaster created a cascade of tragedy. When one of the crew members little brothers who was serving in the army at the time, heard of his brothers death aboard the Titanic he promptly committed suicide.

Today the St Patrick’s Church in Lahardane has a plaque commemorating the disaster and on 9th April 2012, there will be a “Travel “Titanic Memorial Cruise,” the 100th anniversary of the disaster.