James "Jimmie" Dullaghan was born March 23, 1902, in Mullabane, County Louth, Ireland, the son of Laurence and Bridget (O'Hanlon) Dullaghan. He had an older brother, Bernard, born in 1901, a sister, Mary Margaret born in 1903, brother Patrick born in 1905, and youngest sister Bridget, born March 8, 1907...about six months after the death of their father on August 30, 1906. He also had 3 older half-siblings from what must have been his father's prior marriage: Thomas, John and Annie Dullaghan.
As a young man in Ireland, James was employed as a railway porter. He was described as having a fair complexion, black hair and grey eyes.
In 1927 James emigrated to the United States, traveling from Liverpool, England to New York City on the ship Calgaric. He arrived in New York on December 21, 1927, destined to join a cousin- Joseph Boyle, who lived at 501 W. 123rd St.
In March of 1928 James declared his intent to apply for U.S. citizenship. He was then living at 228 E. 40th St. in the Murray Hill neighborhood of New York City; and had been working as a chauffeur and a "carpet layer." He stated on his declaration of intent that, "I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist."
By 1930 he was still single, but his sister Mary had joined him in New York. The two were still living in the 40th St. residence, with James working as a carpet layer for a hotel, and Mary as a seamstress in a department store. The passage of another ten years found them in almost the same circumstances, with the only changes being that Mary was working as a chambermaid in a hotel, and James was listed as a naturalized citizen.
In 1942, with the U.S. embroiled in WWII, James enlisted in the Army, reporting to Fort Jay Governors Island on August 6, 1942. He was 5'7" tall, weighed 151 pounds, and stated he had a grammer school education.
Their mother Bridget died on November 30, 1964 at the Oliver Plunket Hospital in County Louth, Ireland. Mary Margaret Dullaghan died on January 16, 1984, having returned to her birthplace in County Louth, Ireland.
In the 1980's James was living at 246 E. 53rd St., a six-story apartment building in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan.
James Dullaghan died on October 6, 1987, at the age of 85. He was buried on Hart Island.
Sources: Ancestry.com/family-tree; NY, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957; NY, Naturalization Records, 1882-1944; 1930 and 1940 U.S. Federal Censuses; U.S., WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946; U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014; Death certificate.
