BLEAK TIMES 1609 to1800

Little is known of the McGinleys of north Donegal in this period, and also very little regarding the Glencolmcille McGinleys. The Glenswilly McGinleys, according to some family lore, survived in the wooded hills in the western end of Glenswilly (mainly around Rashedoge and Foxhall) as distillers of illegal Poteen. There is evidence of such activity in western Glenswilly during the 1700's. There was no industry as such in the area, and people had to find ways to make a living.

Despite the near destruction of the 'gaelic way of life', the Irish spirit of revolt was always there. It sprung up again during the notorious Confederate Wars of the 1640's when the Irish, still remembering 'the old days', saw a chance to regain their culture and pride. The Irish had foreign help, from Scotland and Spain but never found the final thrust to defeat the English. It was during the 1640's Confederate Wars that the Irish first talked about Roman Catholicism. This was ofcourse to get help and form alliances with Catholic forces in Europe. Prior to that period, the Irish always fought for Irish Catholicism (this did not, however, stop the Irish from showing a common Catholic relationship with the Spanish during the Nine Years War).

Years of desperate poverty, famine and war followed. Occasional wars and revolt against the mighty English usually failed. By the year 1798 however, the Irish were at it again, this time it was much bigger and more serious. The Irish took their inspiration from the happenings in America and the situation in France. The 1798 Rebellion was ultimately a disaster for the Irish but is still sung about in pubs and around the fireside as if it happened yesterday. One of our own McGinleys took part in the Rebellion, Hugh Maginelly. He was eventually caught by the English and subsequently punished.

Records of the McGinleys in the 1600's and especially the 1700’s (in their native Donegal) are scant. This is mostly to do with the lack of recorded data from the times and the fact that the vast majority of the local people were ‘not worthy of note’. However, we do notice the Donegal Wills Index (1684-1858) which is basically an index of people who issued wills during that period within the diocese of Raphoe (most of Co. Donegal). It was very rare for any ‘native’ at the time to make a will, simply because they had no wealth and were generally not given the opportunity to acquire anything of worth. Therefore it is very surprising to find some McGinleys on this list. They no doubt managed to fight their way out of the terrible poverty at the time.

Under the year 1777 we have note of a Thady (a pet form of Thadius, or in Irish Tadhg) Magenelly from Tofit?. We have a note of a Cornelius McGinely of Gartan (the ancient birthplace of our beloved patron saint, St Colm Cille). This reference occurs under the year 1787. Further, we have note of a Patrick McGinely of Falgarrow near Comeen. This is for the year 1813. Because, in the period from the early 16th up until the 20th century, the vast majority of McGinleys, and Irish in general, were not given the basic freedoms found in a normal free society, the making of a will was a very rare thing. Most would have lived a very basic lifestyle, often close to starvation. The wills that were made at this time usually referred to property, farmland and livestock.

OCCUPATIONS

Because of the serious poverty in the north Donegal region after the arrival of the English and Scots planters of the 1600's, we find over the next three hundred years, very few references to the occupations of McGinleys. Apart from the lack of work and poverty, very few decent records were kept regarding the peasant population. Apart from the famous and noted McGinleys, here is a list of the ordinary folk and there work....Patrick McGinley, Tailor, Kinletter, 1778; Michael McGinley, Flax Grower, Donegal, 1796; Charles McGinlay, Farmer, Derry, 1826; James McGinley, Merchant Tailor, Derry, 1841; Darby McGinley, Blacksmith, Duntinney, 1843; ??? McGinley, Ballyness, Shepherd, 1857; Mánus Mag Fhionnghaile, Roads Contractor, Falcarragh, 1889; John McGinley, Grocer, Ballyconnell, 1889; Richard McGinley, Pedigree Dog Breeder, Dumfries Scotland, 1890's. The 1903 Derry Almanac records a few McGinleys from Donegal and their occupations... B. McGinley, Tinsmith, Dunfanaghy; Charles McGinley, Horse Shoer and General Smith, Dunfanaghy; Hugh McGinley, Lodging House Keeper, Dunfanaghy; John McGinley, Letter Carrier, Dunfanaghy; Daniel McGinley, Clergy, Dunfanaghy.

It should not be forgotten however, that the vast majority of the McGinleys who were fortunate to have work in the period 1620 - 1916 would have been general labourers, servants or farm workers. Most are lost to history. Above we note Darby McGinley, Blacksmith. He appears on a Register of Blacksmiths in Donegal 1833-1843, part of the British House of Common Sessional Papers relating to Ireland. This 'register' takes note of blacksmiths throughout Ireland but only those who are officially registered and who have received a Licence during the past ten years! He is the only one listed for the whole of Co Donegal. It would be hard to believe that he was the only blacksmith in the whole county. We therefore have to bear in mind the large numbers of people who were not registered , most prefering not to be registered by any British authority.

The 1700’s was a pretty bleak time for the natives of north west Donegal. They had seen their leaders vanish in the previous century, they had witnessed many thousands of ‘deportations’ to Sweden and the Carribean Islands and they saw no hope for the future, no hope to escape English tyranny. Many were settling far away in America most notably around the state of Pennsylvania. They suffered under the English Laws and so called justice. Many were destitute and in a poor state of health. During this period, the major town in the north west of Ireland was Derry (or Londonderry as the English called it). Many thought that life could be a little better in the big town of Derry. There was a better chance of finding work here too, despite it being a Protestant town. Some of them moved to the eastern (Protestant) part of Donegal or into Derry for work. We have some early records of members of our clan settling there. We have previously mentioned some McGinleys in Derry in the 1600’s. Examples from the 1700’s include William McGinley who was known to be living in Derry around the year 1789. A little further afield we note a John McKinley, definitely a Catholic, settling in the Carnteel and Aghaloo areas of Co Tyrone in the year 1766 (1766 Religious Census for Co Tyrone). There is a small chance that he was Scottish ofcourse. In the 1796 Flax Seed List for Donegal, we note the name of a Michael M’Ginlay in the parish of Taughboyne, close to the Derry border. This was a list of people able to get a grant or payment for growing flax for linen manufacture. Charles McGinlay was a farmer born around 1806. He married a Mary Logue and they settled in Derry around 1826-1830. Derry proved to be some comfort to the starving Irish offering some work at least.

As the 1600's turned into the 1700's, more and more impoverished Donegal families including McGinleys settled in the Bogside area of Derry. Various occupations were available here such as linen manufacture, general labouring, dock work and rope making. Derry at the time was noted for its rope making. Poitín making was rife in the area and offered many an 'extra income'. It is said that in the 1700's, the smoke from these illicit stills (usually high up in the surrounding hills) could be seen from Derry's walls. Most of these Poitín makers formed themselves into 'secret societies', obviously to protect their investments. Some gangs were armed. One McGinley family, still in the Bogside area, still tells of their many generations of Poitín making.

It should be noted the harsh anti Irish laws that were inflicted on the Irish people, in their own count ry, by a foreign hand. In the 1700's and 1800's, there were many restrictions placed on the people by the English Government. The English had often stated that they wished to 'better the Irish, to civilise the Irish, to make them civilised like the English'!. It is hard to understand just how they wished to attain this 'goal' when they forced the Irish into deep poverty and refused to help them. Their aims cannot be achieved by taking away their right to vote, by not allowing them to carry arms (after all the so called civilised English were allowed to carry arms), not allowing the Irish to engage in free trade or commerce, not allowing them to live in or within five miles of a corporate town, not giving them the chance to hold public office and not allowing them to enter into a recognised trade or profession. These laws were clearly aimed at keeping the Irish in a 'slave' or 'subordinate' state. It is therefore, not hard to see why so many would want to flee the country during such desperate times, and this they did in large numbers, especially after the genocide of 'Black '47', the Great Hunger.