A Celtic Chronology

1872 The secret ballot is introduced in Ireland.

Charles O’Conor, an Irish Catholic was nominated for the Presidency of the United States by a third party. O’Conor gained fame as the prosecutor of the Tweed ring in New York. He declined to run.

“Honest” John Kelly, a reformer, controls New York politics from the “wigwam” at Tammany Hall through 1886 at his death.

1873 Augustus Saint Gaudens, a Dubliner, began his career in New York that leads to his world fame as a noted sculpture.

John William McKay, another Dubliner, struck it rich again, in a gold mine in Nevada called “the Bonanza”, other Irish associated with McKay were the same as with his silver discovery: James Graham Fair, James M. Walker, James Flood, and William O’Brien. McKay had a reputation for high quality and good luck, for a generation his named was used as an expression, as in “its a John McKay!”. All these men became rich, Fair was a U.S. Senator from California, James Flood built the last great mansion on Nob Hill, San Francisco.

George Bennet, of Bandon, Ireland in County Cork, founds the town of Bandon, Oregon.

1874 The Home Rule movement elected 59 members to the House of Commons.

O’Neil City, Nebraska founded by John O’Neil.

1875 Charles Stewart Parnell elected to the House of Commons, he emerged as the leader of the Home Rule faction in the House.

John McCluskey was appointed the first American Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He completed Saint Patrick’s Cathedral begun by the irrepressible Bishop of New York, John Joseph Hughes. In 1841, Cardinal McCluskey was appointed the first President of Fordham University.

1876 Custer’s Last Stand with the predominantly Irish Seventh Cavalry. Miles Keogh was the last Union soldier standing according to Indians present during the battle. He was able to kill six Indians who charged him at the end. Because he died grasping the reins of his horse, and had a death grip on those reins, his horse survived the battle. Thereafter at all ceremonial events the horse, Comanche, walked at the head of Keogh’s old unit draped in a black mourning net, with a pair of cavalry riding boots pointing backwards and downward in the stirrups. When the horse died 15 years after the battle it was preserved and still can be seen today in a museum at Fort Riley, Kansas. The ceremony with the empty saddle and boots continued to be used by the military. It was used at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral.

The presidential election of 1876 was all but conceded to the Democrat, Samuel J. Tilden, when some Republican strategists realized that the remaining three states yet to be canvassed were the Republican states of Florida,, South Carolina, and Louisiana. If Rutherford B. Hayes won all three states he would be elected President by one electoral vote. Telegrams went out along with lots of money to Republican leaders in the three states to be sure the vote was “correct.”

John Boyle O’Reilly who was deported to Australia from Ireland for raising rebellion, escaped and made his way to the United States where he established the respected newspaper the Boston Pilot. Together with another Fenian, John Devoy, O’Reilly went back to Western Australia and rescued those that did not escape.

Contarf and DeGraff, Minnesota were established by the Catholic Colonization Bureau. They were Irish communities. They are followed by the establishment of Adrian, Avoca, Iona, Currie and Graceville.

1877 Walshtown is established in the Dakota Territory.

1878 American Fenians endorsed the Home Rule political approach.

Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey devised a plan to finish constructing the Washington Monument which was abandoned 23 years earlier because of foundation problems. Colonel Casey completed the monument and later, as General Casey, built the Library of Congress.

1879 The National Land League is formed under the leadership of Michael Davitt. Their objective was to halt unfair evictions, and attempt to control rents for the short term. Their long term goal was land reform.

Terence V. Powderly was elected Grand Master of the Knights of Labor, the first national labor union. During the 1800′s he was America’s labor leader. He later was Mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The “Molly Maguire” movement in Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill County coal mines. The movement was brought to a conclusion by an Irish owner of the mines, Franklin Gowen, and a mine operator who went underground as an informant by the name of James McParlan.

1880 Tension between land owners and tenant farmers resulted in evictions of sometimes a brutal nature. The response was ostracism by the Land Leaguers, best illustrated by the actions against Captain Charles Boycott, a land agent in Mayo, that led to the term “boycott.”

William R. Grace elected Mayor of New York.

Stephen H. Horgan, with an Irish heritage, developed the half tone process that allows photographs to be printed in newspapers.

Robert Emmet Haire established Columbia, South Dakota and O’Connor, Erina, Greely Center and Spalding, Nebraska.

Joseph and Ann Kiley establish Mattoe in the Dakota Territory. It becomes Pierre, the capitol of North Dakota.

1881 Gladstone attempted to end the land war in Ireland. He arrested Davitt and Parnell, and outlaws the Land League.

John Holland of County Clare, invents the submarine. He immigrates to the United States and builds it. He named the first one the Fenian Ram.

Chester Alan Arthur, whose father was born in County Antrim, was President Garfield’s Vice President, and became President when Garfield was assassinated in 1881.

James J. Blaine was Secretary of State under Garfield. He originated the Pan American Congress.

Pat Garrett shot dead Henry McCarty, otherwise known as Billy the Kid.

The Shoot out at the OK Corral, two of the dead are the McLaury brothers, Frank and Tom.

Outlaw brothers Frank and Jesse James descended from a James who left County Kerry in the 1700′s.

1882 Gladstone and Parnell negotiate the “Kilmainham Treaty” which ended the land war on terms favorable to the tenants.

In the Black Mountains of New Mexico during the gold years there, there were four Irish miners known as the “Four Neals”. They were: Neal McGarvey, Neal O’Gallagher, Neal McConway, and Neal O’Boyle. They were all former Mollie Maguires that got away before being caught. The four Neals owned the Erin Go Bragh Mining Company. Some of their mines in the Hillsboro, New Mexico area included: the Saint Patrick, the Colleen Bawn, the Donegal Slasher, the Home Rule, the Galloway Slugger, and the Erin Go Bragh. One day Neal McGarvey climbed a local peak and proclaimed it McGarvey’s Peak, soon after “Knock Kneed” Jim, the bartender at the Monarch saloon climbed another nearby peak and put up a sign declaring it to be the Orange Lodge. This led to a confrontation and a fight, one man was killed and the four Neals were placed in jail. They escaped and never returned to the area.

Grover Cleveland, whose mother was an O’Neil, was elected President. Many Irish are appointed to positions in the administration. He was formerly Governor of New York. His Secretary was Lincoln O’Brien.

General Ashby O’Neal was the Governor of Alabama, previously he was with Confederate forces at the Battle of Gettysburg. He served as Governor until 1886.

Blaine stays as Secretary of State, Patrick Eagan appointed U.S. Minister to Chile.

John L. Sullivan defeated Paddy Ryan for the bare knuckle Heavyweight Boxing Championship.

1883 Robert McLane, son of Louis McLane, was Governor of Maryland, later in 1885-1889 he was U.S. Minister to France.

1884 Samuel McClure, of County Antrim, established the first newspaper syndicate.

Hugh McCulloch was Secretary of the Treasury, he had served in the same position 1863-1869.

John McKay and Gordon Bennett funded the laying of the first transatlantic cable.

1885 The Asbourne Act was passed that allowed state aid for tenants to purchase the land they worked.

Hugh O’Brien elected Mayor of Boston. He was born in County Fermanagh.

Grover Cleveland was elected to his second term as President of the United States, his mother’s father was born in County Antrim.

Richard Croker, who was born in Cork, took control of Tammany Hall and held it for 16 years.

Miles C. Moore was Governor of Oregon, two earlier Governors were John Harte McGraw and Henry McBride.

1886 Prime Minister Gladstone introduced a home rule bill for Ireland, it is defeated in the House of Commons and Gladstone is forced from office. Sounding the call “Home Rule means Rome Rule”, agitators sowed strife in Ulster which resulted in riots in Belfast.

The McGlynn Affair, an Irish Priest Father Edward McGlynn endorsed a candidate for Mayor of New York. New York Bishop Michael Corrigan suspended McGlynn and sent word of his actions to Rome. The Vatican ex-communicated McGlynn. The Irish priest was restored in 1892 by the Pope without telling Corrigan. The whole affair resulted in the Catholic Church in America having its authority limited.

John Louis Sullivan, the editor, gave the formal acceptance speech at the presentation of the Statue of Liberty.

Victor Herbert, from Dublin, begins his U. S. career as a major composer of light opera.

President Cleveland sacks Sir Lionel Sackville the British Ambassador, by asking him to leave the country.

Benjamin Harrison elected President of the United States. His mother was Elizabeth Irwin, who was Irish on both sides.

Irishman Steve Brodie jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge and lived. He did it as a stunt. It made him famous and added another word of Irish origin to the language. A “brodie” was for many years after, synonymous with an outrageous stunt. There were some who questioned if Brodie ever really jumped, this gave another interpretation of the word, to pull a “brodie” meant to attempt to get away with something, or to successfully get away with something.

Cymru Fydd (Young Wales) Movement is founded. David Lloyd George was one of its leaders.