MORE MCGINLEYS

Col. JAMES MCGINLEY (b. 1763)

Colonel James served in the American Revolutionary War with the York County Militia (Pennsylvania). He joined the war aged only 18 years. He took part in the famous Battle of Kings Mountain and was with Washington at Yorktown (the important decisive battle against the British). Apparently he was on friendly terms with Washington. He was one of the 'Pioneers of Tennessee' and was granted 600 acres of land at Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee. When there, he started out as a teacher in the local school and was heavily involved with the Presbyterian Church there. James is a direct descendant of the first McGinley in America. He was born on November 20th 1763 and died on March 26th 1834.

EDWARD MCGENNELL (b. 1771)

Edward, also known widely by the Irish form of his name, Éamonn Mag Fhionnail, was born in Co Cavan Ireland and spent his whole life there. He was a noted seanchaí/folklorist in the county and many of the fireside tales of the area known today derive from his versions. As with most folklorists, he was an excellent genealogist able to recite family history at will. He was from the Parish of Annageliffe in the Barony of Upper Loughtee. He is recorded in the 1821 Census of Co Cavan when he was aged 50 years. He was described as a farmer and weaver.

ROGER MCGINLEY (b. 1815)

Roger was a reknowned teacher, Irish language enthusiast, and Folklorist in the south west of County Donegal. He became the first Principal of Common School in Killybegs, which was founded in the year 1834 and was a totally self-funding venture. Later, in 1879, he swapped jobs with T. C. McGinley (a distant relation of his) becoming the Principal at Croagh National School. He was one of the original founders of the Gaelic League along with his fellow teacher and kinsman T.C. McGinley.

W.D. MCGINLEY (b. 1822)

Born on July 12th 1822, William Dunwood McGinley studied law at a young age and was to become one of the best early lawyers in the state of Tennessee. He was an excellent advocate before a jury, but his very unsystematic and unorthadox methods annoyed his peers and hierarchy. He married Elizabeth Duncan on May 8th 1860 in their native Blount County. He practiced law very successfully up until his death on August 8th 1881 when aged only 60. He is buried, with his wife in the Magnolia Cemetry, Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee. His father was the noted American Revolutionary War soldier Col. James McGinley.

MICHAEL ANDREW MCGINLEY (b. 1833)

Born on 25th March, 1833 in Ireland, Michael arrived in America as an orphan aged 11. His ship the "Voige" was wrecked but he was rescued by another and landed at New York. His parents were Patrick McGinley and Catherine Malloy. He was a Catholic but converted to Methodist while in America. He made a living initially as a farmer and a stone mason. In the early 1870's a new public road was being constructed at Wolf Creek and he was chosen as one of the Directors of this important project. Michael was in the Confederate Army (enlisted 17.4.1862) at Narrows, Virginia. He served in the 45th Virginia Infantry Co. He was wounded in battle at Cloyds Mountain (9.5.1864). He sustained serious injuries when hit by a fallen limb of a tree that was struck by cannon fire. His backbone was fractured and made him permanently disabled.

ROGER MACGINLEY (b. c. 1850)

Roger was from Carrowcannon in Donegal. He was a National School teacher with certificates in Mathematics and Science from the Department of Science and Art, South Kensington, London. He entered Australia in 1887 and settled in Queensland where he attained a teaching position with the Queensland Department of Public Instruction. After a year or so he sent for his wife and seven children (a further six being born in Australia). Roger became one of the most respected teachers of his generation in Australia. He took up farming and and bought land at Greenmount in 1894. He was a well respected member of the Catholic community there.

E.D. MCGINLEY (b. 1828)

E.D. McGinley was many things in his long life. He was a former Democratic Mayor, Liqour Wholesaler, Government Inspector, Newspaper-man, and Opera House Owner. E.D. McGinley was one of the most successfull early businessmen of the state of Indiana. He received an academic education, studying at Bolmars Academy, West Chester, Pennsylvania. On October 21st 1866 he accepted the appointement of Eighth Congressional District Inspector of Distilled Spirits!. He was one of the most noted and respected men in the history of Tippecanoe County in the state of Indiana. He died in St Anthony's Home aged 87 in 1915.

Rev. WILLIAM ANDERSON MCGINLEY (b. 1831)

Rev William was a noted and very influential Protestant Minister across the north eastern United States in the mid to late 1800's. He was from the Protestant Congregational Church. He was also a well respected author, usually of religious matters. His best known work was "Rational Triumph, Or, The Dangers of Victory" 1862. He is also responsible for "A Record of the Proceedings of the North Congregational Church, Newburyport" 1868 and "Report on Lt A.W. Greeleys Artic Relief Expedition" 1884, which was at the request of the American Navy Department!. He belongs to the Fairfield Pennsylvania McGinleys.

AUSTIN N. MCGINDLEY (b.c. 1832)

Austin was one of the most successful Lawyers of his day in America. He was born in Ohio but worked principally in Moberly in Missouri. He had his own law firm (with his brother James H. McGindley) and handled some of the biggest court cases of his day. He was also the District Attorney of Green County, Indiana. His firm specialised in 'war claims'. Austin appears in the prestigious "The United States Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-Made Men". His date of death is not clear but he was still alive by 1884.

PAT MCGINLEY (b. 1853)

Pat was the father of Dr Joseph P. McGinley of Glenswilly, Co Donegal. Pat was for the most part a farmer, but he was also a successful wool merchant with clients as far away as Belfast and Glasgow. Pat was also a shop-keeper and Justice of the Peace. He became Chairman of the Druimbolg branch of the Gaelic League. He also set up a branch of the Land League in Glenswilly. An active Irish language speaker and enthusiast, Pat organised Irish learning classes around Glenswilly. He died in 1937.

THEODORE B.G. MCGINLEY (fl. 1860)

Theodore was one of the most noted photographers in America in the 1800's. In the 1860's he opened the successful McGinley and Schuberts Flying Photograph Gallery on Fifth Street, Hollister, California with his business partner. It operated very successfully for many decades on the west coastof America. Another highly successful gallery was located on Maripose Street, Fresno City in 1884.

REBECCA EMMA MCGINLEY SINNAMON (b. 1873)

Rebecca, the daughter of Joseph Warren McGinley, businessman, of Philadelphia, was born in 1873. She developed an interest in politics at a young age and became a local politician with the Republican Party. She represented them as an alternative delegate at The Republican National Convention in the year 1924. Rebecca, dedicated wife and local representative died in 1958.

SHERIFF ED MCGINLEY (b. 1875)

Born Edward H. McGinley on April 21st 1875, he went on to become a respected lawman in the 1930's in Thomas County, Kansas. His father was born in Donegal, Ireland, and went to America in 1868 and died on July 5th 1916. For more than twenty years Ed was the Chairman of the Republican Party's County Central Committee. Many crimes were solved by Ed and several were published in 'real life' American detective magazines throughout the 1930's. He was also a family man, farmer, member of the town Parents Committee and an active member of the Red Cross. A biography of him appears in 'Ilustriana Kansas' (the Who's Who of Kansas people in history). It has been said that his great detective work influence the movie direction of Humphrey Bogart, who played many a detective or ganster, and for a while was almost typecast as such by Warner Bros!

JIM MCGINLEY (b. 1878)

Baseball star James William McGinley was born on October 2nd 1878, to Irish parents in Groveland, Massachusetts. Always known simply as Jim, he played big league Baseball for the St Louis Cardinals in the National League. He had a short playing career at the top which lasted only one season , 1904/1905. Although his playing career in the National League was short, he was regarded as a pretty good Pitcher, a good batter with a strong right hand. Jim left school and did not go to college but opted to pursue his goal of playing baseball. Tim McGinley first played for the club St Hyacinthe in the Provincial League during the year 1901 aged twenty two. An athletic figure of a man, he was quickly noticed by talent couts for the Senior Leagues. One or two big teams were interested in him before he joined the St Louis Cardinals at the age of twenty five. From the year 1906 until 1910, Jim had a successful time playing in the Eastern League with Toronto. Jim McGinley died aged 83 on September 20th in 1961 at Haverhill, Massachusetts and was buried at Riverview Cemetry in his home town of Groveland.

DOROTHY V. MCGINLEY (fl. 1880's)

Dorothy was a seminal and important writer in her day of issues pertaining to the 'ordinary man'. Dorothy was from Pennsylvania, the daughter of Irish Catholic immigrants. She wrote important books and thesis on the 'Negro Community', from the point of view of the man/woman in the street. Such things were not done in her day. Other accounts of this community at the time concentrated only on the few 'respectables' or 'churchmen' among them. She also wrote important seminal works (again from the angle of the ordinary people) about womens issues, the Irish community and the early Quakers in Pennsylvania.

JAMES JOSEPH MACGINLEY (b. 1881)

Called simply Jim to his family, he was the son of an early settler in Australia, Roger McGinley. Jim was born on December 10th 1881 and followed in his fathers footsteps being a bright pupil. He went to Sydney University and studied to be a teacher. In 1899, aged only seventeen, he joined the staff of the newly arrived Christian Brothers in Toowoomba. This was done in tandem with his University studies. In 1901 he was offered a Government teaching post in Friesland. By 1906 he resigned from his post to help his father on his farm. By 1908 he had become a successful farmer himself, especially of sheep, and he done well enough to buy his own property and farm at Eubar. Here he produced some of the finest merino wool which was sold all over Australia and exported. Jim was also active in politics being a member of the Queensland Country Party and by the 1930's he was Chairman of The Emerald Shire Council. He died on November 27th 1959.

VERONICA CECILIA O'DOHERTY (b. 1885)

Veronica Cecelia was born a McGinley in 1885, being a daughter of the noted T.C. McGinley of Meenacross in south west Donegal. She was a popular Mayoress of Derry. She was married to Hugh C. O'Doherty, a solicitor of some note. Together, in the early 1920's, they were the first Nationalist/Catholic Mayor and Mayoress of Derry in modern times (since 1688). She was well educated like the rest of her family and a locally renowned poet.

ANNIE AGNES MCGINLEY (fl. 1890's)

Author and Teacher. Better known as A.A. McGinley, she was a writer of religious topics in the late 1800's in America, writing extensively for Catholic periodicals. She was Catholic but often critical of Catholic teaching methods. Her work includes...."Brook Farm Today" 1895, "The Catholic Life of Boston" 1898, "The Profit of Love-Studies in Altruism" 1907. The "Love of the Mystics" was a lengthy paper explaining the life of pure mysticism, which she says is 'the highest expression of soul'. In Dominica, a magazine of Catholic literature, for the year 1900, it remarks...' Miss A. A. McGinley has a spirited article on "The Scope of the Catholic Social Settlement", which is worthy of study for the would-be philanthropist'. She appears in "Who's Who in America" (J. W. Leonard 1903).

ART MCGINLEY (b. 1889)

Born Arthur Bosworth McGinley on April 5th 1889 in New London, Connecticut, USA, Art went on to be one of the most respected Sports Writers/Reporters in America. His career began when aged only fifteen he was working as a part time reporter at the New London 'The Day' newspaper (which was his fathers). During his many years as a sports reporter, he worked with The Boston Post, The Hartford Courant, The Hartford Post, The Hartford Times, and The Providence Journal as well as having his stories/reports published all around the country. During his time he became close friends with many sports celebrities of the day. He was President of the Connecticut Sports Writers Association in 1955. In honour of him, the Art McGinley Meritorious Service Award is given annually (since 1976) to honoured sports writers in Connecticut. He died on February 19th 1974 aged 84.

CONDE MCGINLEY (b. 1890)

Born Micheal Conde McGinley on October 30th 1890, Conde as he was known, grew up to be a notorious newspaper man with strong Anti-Jewish leanings. Conde was born in Oklahoma, the eldest son of Connell B McGinley (1852-1941, from Meenacross in south west Donegal). Conde moved to New Jersey in 1929 and opened a chain of restaurants along the shore. He began editing a weekly newspaper in Newark in 1946 called Think (and sometimes The Think). By June of 1947 it was issued as Common Sense. The first issues were Anti-Communist but later developed into an Anti-Jewish paper. This made him many friends and many enemies. He often claimed the paper was simply 'patriotic'. In 1954 Conde formed the Christian Education Association with himself as President. He died on July 2nd 1963.

PATRICK MCGINLEY (b. 1890)

Patrick McGinley rose to fame as the chief sailor aboard the 'Asgard' yacht involved in the infamous 'Howth Gun Running' incident of 1914. He was originally a fisherman from Gola Island, Co Donegal. Patrick was an early member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Donegal, after its ‘rebirth’ in 1904. Afterwards he became actively involved in the Irish Volunteers, being one of their most important members in Donegal. He was a friend of Erskine Childers, the well known Irish leader who purchased secretly 1,500 second hand rifles and 49,000 rounds of ammunition from Germany. The weapons arrived safely and was the 'unofficial' start of the War of Independance that culminated in the Easter 1916 Rising. Patrick McGinley (and Charlie Doogan also from Gola) were long experienced fishermen and sailors. They knew the waters of the north Atlantic very well. They were given the special responsibility to navigate the Asgard through the often torrid North Sea. Recently, the Irish Government have recognised the importance of this event in the fight for Irish freedom. Work began (with Government support) in 2001 to restore the Asgard as a national monument. Ironically, the Government Minister who initiated the proposal was Dinny McGinley, the Fine Gael Party representative from west Donegal!

ED MCGINLEY (b. 1899)

Ed was an American Football offensive tackler in the National Football League with the famous New York Giants in 1925. He was elected to the 'College Football Hall of Fame' in 1979 after a solid college football career at the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, the son of Irish parents who are said to have arrived in America after the Great Hunger in Donegal. The great Amos Alonzo Stagg rated him very highly. He was selected by Walter Camp in his 1924 All American Team, Camp said "he had that greatest of assets...consistancy. He has played no poor games. He is an ideal tackler for our team, possessed as he is of the necessary weight and power to fulfill the requirements of both modern attack and defence". He died on April 16th 1985 at Point Pleasure, New Jersey.

TONY MCGINLEY (b. 1905)

Tony Mick as he was known was one of the Glenswilly McGinleys. In his young days, Tony listened at the fireside to the stories, folklore and family history told to him by his grandfather Anton Ned McDevitt among others. He was an avid student and intelligent man. His knowledge of local history was unsurpassed and fortunately his cousin recorded many of them for posterity. He became the chief folklorist/sheanchaidh/ historian of Glenswilly. Tony was passionate about his country and heritage. He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1920 and took the Anti-Treaty side during the Civil War. This meant that he had to live a fugitive existence for more than a year. In 1926 he went to America to work on the railroads. He returned to Ireland and worked for the Electricity Board. When he died in 2003, he was the last surviving member of the Fintown Company of Irish Volunteers.

JACK MCGINLEY (b. 1905)

Despite the widespread poverty and lack of opportunity in early twentieth century Donegal, Jack made a very successful career for himself in the 'tea business'. He learned his trade while in London and came back to Donegal, initially working for a tea company in Derry. By 1929, aged only 24 he set up his own business. Tea was usually sold 'loose' in a paper bag, but Jack noticed a trend for 'branded' products and soon launched his own 'GoalPak' tea. He also got the agency contract to distribute Scottish and Newcastle Beer, from which he made a good fortune! He died in 1979 aged 74. His son Patrick was owner of McGinleys Bar in Letterkenny for years.

JOHNNY MCGINLEY (b. 1910)

Johnny was born on Gola Island in the north west of Donegal in the year 1910. He became a noted and respected teacher spending most of his life teaching at Scoil Chonaill at Bunbeg, Donegal. Johnny was renowned for his enthusiasm in 'after hours' help and advice to his pupils and was always available to them. His continuous after hours activities got him into trouble with the Irish National Teachers Organisation. They eventually expelled him from their union! In his later years Johnny wrote three interesting books in Gaelic, "Ó Robharta go Mallmhuir" (1975) about life on Gola Island, "Is Glas na Cnoic" (1977) and "Scéal Ghaoth Dobhair" (1983). Johnny died in 2008.

SEÁN MAG FHIONNGHAILE (b. 1913)

Born John J. McGinley at Saobh in Glencolmcille in 1913, Seán was one of seven children, three of them James, Micí and Mary emigrated to Philadelphia. He was an avid supporter of the Irish language and was awarded a scholarship to Coláiste Éanna. After that he went to the teacher training college, Coláiste Phádraig in Dublin. He qualified in 1934 and taught in Letterkenny and Dungloe before becoming Principal at Scoil Aodh Rua in Donegal Town until his retirement in 1979. Sean was involved heavily in Irish language movements and helped the renowned Fr. McDyer in organising language classes and festivals in the south west Donegal area. He was also highly regarded within GAA circles and became the Donegal County Board Chairman in 1939, 1941, 1942 and 1943. Sean also held many officerships within the INTO (Irish National Teachers Organisation) Seán died in 1993.

CON MCGINLEY (b.c.1915)

Con McGinley is a well known and respected south west Donegal fiddle player. He was born in Meenacross and followed a long line of McGinley fiddlers in the area, going back three hundred years. Some of his best known tunes include 'Corn Rigs', 'Highland Reel' (aka 'Con McGinleys Highland') and 'Con McGinleys Reel'. His music has been played/recorded by Altán and The Ulster Orchestra.

JACK R. MCGINLEY (b. 1920)

Born John Regis McGinley on August 24th 1920, he was part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football team. He was also a noted Boxing Promoter and Businessman. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1941. Jack, as he was known to his family and friends, was an Engineering Officer in WW11 and his ship was sunk by a German submarine during the D-Day landings. He survived for many hours in the water in the English Channel until he and the 314 crew were rescued. Previously they had spent eight months in the Mediteranian Sea. After the war he concentrated on Boxing Promotions (Rooney-McGinley Boxing Club) until 1953 when he then a took more active role in the beer business with his company Wilson-McGinley Inc (distributors of Miller and Heineken). During his 60 years as Vice President of the Pittsburgh Steelers he always kept a low profile and did not interfere in the day to day running of things. Jack died on October 29th 2006 aged 85.