28/08/2026
A remarkable story from our history… 👓⚓️
Imagine surviving the sinking of the Lusitania at just 12 years old — and then finding yourself in Dixon Hempenstall in Dublin, over 100 years ago, getting a new pair of glasses.
We recently received a fascinating piece of family history from Cathy Tyrrell, who discovered an old receipt and the story behind it among her late mother’s belongings.
Her grandmother, Avis Dolphin, was just 12 years old when she boarded the RMS Lusitania in New York in 1915, travelling to England to live with her grandparents and continue her education. She was accompanied by two nurses, Hilda Ellis and Sarah Smith.
On 7 May 1915, as the Lusitania sailed off the Old Head of Kinsale, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. The ship sank in approximately 18 minutes. Avis survived the disaster, but tragically both of the nurses travelling with her were lost.
During the chaos, Professor Ian Holbourn, whom Avis had befriended during the voyage, helped her into a lifebelt and into a lifeboat. As the boat was being lowered, it capsized and Avis was thrown into the sea. Somehow, she survived and was eventually rescued and taken to Queenstown — now Cobh.
And this is where our own story enters the picture.
After recovering, Professor Holbourn accompanied Avis on her journey back to England via Dublin.
While in Dublin, he brought Avis to Dixon & Hempenstall to be fitted with new glasses.
A small handwritten prescription, dated 1915, has survived along with this extraordinary family story.
Think about that for a moment…
111 years ago, a 12-year-old survivor of one of the most famous maritime disasters in history walked through the doors of Dixon Hempenstall in Dublin.
The Lusitania story is usually told through the tragedy of the sinking and the hundreds of lives lost. But this wonderful piece of family history gives us a glimpse of what happened afterwards — and an unexpected connection to our own history. Dixon Hempenstall has been part of Dublin’s optical history since 1908, making this a particularly special story for us.
Some stories are worth keeping.
Some pieces of history are worth sharing.
And occasionally, they come back to find
