Bertha Mulvihill was born in Coosan just outside Athlone in 1888. In 1911 she returned to Ireland from Rhode Island where she lived in America. She returned to tell her mother Lisa Mulvihill and her father Martin of her engagement to Mr. Francis Noone. She stayed in Athlone for a while. However she was an adventurous person and when she heard of Titanic's maiden voyage she decided to return to Rhode Island on it.

Bertha Mulvihill was 24 years old when she left on Titanic. She boarded as a Third class passenger, her ticket number was 382653 which cost 7 pounds. Bertha was not alone on boarding the Titanic - she left along with her friend Maggie Daly also from Athlone. They were both being looked after on board by Eugene Daly also from Athlone.

Her room was located close to the boiler rooms. At the moment of impact she knew that something was wrong. She put her coat over her night dress, put her shoes on and took only her tattered bible given to her by her father. Along with Maggie and Eugene she ran up to the open decks. She eventually made it to lifeboat 15 which she got on along with Maggie.

 

When the Titanic sunk it took all Bertha’s possessions including a picture of Robert Emmett. In letters back to Athlone she said as the ship sank she cried "Goodbye Robert" and then said "poor lad he was drowned". Like the other survivors on lifeboats she was taken on board the Carpathia.

When she arrived in New York she met Henry Noone, her fiance, on the dock. That night they traveled to Providence by train and this is were they settled. Her husband worked as a master welder for "Brown and Sharpe" and they had five children.

In letters back to her family in Athlone she made references to a play she had seen in Athlone before her departure. The play "Robert Emmett" was performed by the Fianna Eireann drama group which included family and friends and was held in the Fr Matthew Hall. The picture of Robert Emmett she had lost had been a memento of the play.

Bertha Mulvihill never returned to Athlone after that night on the Atlantic. In 1956 she was featured in the Providence journal on the publication of "A Night to remember". Bertha Mulvihill died on the 15th of October, 1959. Her funeral was held on the 17th of October in J.F. Simington Chapel, Providence, Rhode Island. She is buried in St. Francis Cemetery, Pawtucket.