The Jam Tin

Nine-year-old Brigid O'Malley boards the RMS Titanic in Queenstown clutching her most precious possession: a tin of homemade raspberry jam her mother made before dying. "Eat it your first Sunday in America," her mother had said. "That way I'll still be with you."

Traveling in third class with her older brother Darragh, Brigid guards the jam tin like treasure. They're bound for Chicago to live with an aunt they've never met, carrying nothing but their few belongings and the promise of a new life in America.

During the voyage, Brigid befriends fellow passengers and a young porter named Matthew who shows her kindness. The jam tin never leaves her side—tucked beneath her pillow at night, held in her lap during meals. It represents more than preserves; it's her last connection to her mother and Ireland.

On the night of April 14th, when the ship strikes the iceberg, chaos erupts in third class. Locked gates and confusion trap passengers below decks. As Brigid's brother Darragh helps her into a lifeboat, he makes her taste the jam one last time. "Just a taste," he says, dipping his finger in the raspberry sweetness. "So you remember."

Brother and sister are separated forever as the boat is lowered. Brigid survives, clutching both the jam tin and a small wooden bird carved by Matthew, while Darragh goes down with the ship.

The story follows Brigid through rescue, arrival in New York, and eventually to her aunt's home in Chicago. Years later, she shares her mother's jam with her own children, telling them about the brother who saved her life and the promises that bind families across time and tragedy.

"The Jam Tin" is a heartrending tale of sibling love, immigrant dreams, and how the smallest objects can carry the deepest meanings. This poignant story illuminates the Irish immigrant experience during the Titanic disaster while celebrating the unbreakable bonds of family.