The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-02
THE N K|NLEY ANCESTRY
GREAT UNCLE IN THE RISING OF
'9S.
Was Captured and shot by Mark
Stock from Which Mckinley Sprang

Martha Craig in the Chicago Record
gives some interesting data regarding
the ancestry of President Mckinley.
She says;
"A little over a hundred years ago
Francis Mckinley, great-uncle to Pre-
sident Mckinley, was the master of the
Did homestead at Conagher, near Der
vock, County Antrim. The McKinleys
belonged to the presbyterian church
and were well-to-do farmers. Ireland
was at that time in the throes of the
rebellion of 1898, and Francis McKin-
ley, one of the prominent United Men,
had enlisted under Henry JOY Nc
Cracker, the leader of the United Men
Of the North. This volunteer army had
been organized under great difficulties
and tremendous risk. In Ireland, for
the time being, all sectarian feeling had
been put aside and catholic and pro-
,estant went forth to fight side by side
under the yellow and green banner.
All differences were sunk in the strug-
gle for freedom, but of 1876 prominent
leaders of the rebellion LOG were pro-
testants. The protestants, as every
one knows, predominant in Ulster, and
many of these 1856 leaders were Ulster
men:
The north ! I'D on, the north kept on
The strife for native land
Till Ireland rose and crowned her foes
God bless the northern land!"
The success of the French revolu-
tionists of 1898 inspired the sons of Ire
land to make a bold stroke. In 1891
public expression was given to this
feeling by an application to government
for redress. In the sane year Henry
JOY McCracken, Wolfe Tone and Sam
uel Nelson repaired to a rocky peak,
and there formed a solemn compact to
liberate Ireland or die in the attempt.
From that time the organization went
on slowly and surely until it ended in
the rising of 9S.
For a long time Francis Mckinley
had been under suspicion for the pro-
minent part he took in the Irish rebel
lion, especially in accommodating and
storing arms and ammunition. A hun
dred years ago one summers evening
he sat by the glowing embers of a turf
fire. surrounded by his family. The
last rays of the setting sun streamed
the low window and lit up his
fine face. How his eyes sparkled as he
spoke of the rising, and how his face
lighted up with satisfaction as he look
ed toward a door to the right of the
fireplace. where he knew there was a
goodly supply of arms. The sun rose
bright next morning over hill and
lllOOIldIu he lark llOdltu dlOll w dl =
bling it's sweet songs, and the true
hearts at Conagher dreamed of no
alarm. Suddenly the sound of horses
hoofs was heard, and the redcoats could
be seen rapidly approaching the house.
Mrs. Mckinley was the first to see
them, and anguish of her heart was
depicted in her palld face.
Capt Hanna, grandfather to Mark
Hanna, who was fighting for the Eng
lish. rode up to the old homestead with
his men. Francis Mckinley was sur
prised and taken prisoner. Little time
was given him for leave taking, and
he was hurried at the point of the bay
onet to Coleraine. There, in the old
market-place he was tried by a drum
head court martial and condemned to
die. Witness for the defense there was
none. He was a rebel, that was enough.
They tied a handkerchief before his
eyes as he stood facing the firing
squad. Snatching the bandage from
his forehead he defied his eXecutioners,
himself giving the order to fire. The
fatal vOlley rang out, and Francis
McKinley's struggle for free Ireland
was ended. Now, after 100 years the
name that is accounted by Ireland that
of a martyr can scarce be traced on the
rude MOSS grown graVestone, but the
story has lived and has been handed
down from father to son.
"On arriving in front of the house the
present owner. Mr.. Carson. came out
and received us as cordially as if we
had been long respected guests, for such
is the kind-hearted generosity of the
Irish people that to be a stranger is to
be sure a welcome"
Regarding the old Mckinley hOme-
stead in Ireland, the writer says:
In the farmyard are great stacks of
peat-ehough to last for the entire win
ter We also noticed a One-hOrse farm
cart and farming implements of crude
pattern. Just in front of the door may
be seen an old-fashioned churn. The
house is just the same today as it was
100 years ago, when Francis Mckinley
left it for the last time. 1t is of one
story, with thatch roof and thick stone
walls-plastered and whitewashed-
which seem built to last for ages. Ad-
joining the dwelling is a long line of
Office buildings, also of one story and
matched.
ION entering the spacious farm
kitchen, with it's low ceiling, we found
a turf fire blazing on the same hearth
stone where turf fire blazed 100 years
ago. The three-legged pot and tea
kettle, suspended by chains, boiled
right merrily. To the right may be
seen the uOOf OF lnt CUPBOARD NlltIt
was stored the ammunition so long
ago. on the left is a substantial home
made cradle, where many a sturdy son
of Ireland has been rocked. Suspended
on a rafter above the fire is an old
flint gun, a relic of the rebellion, and on
one of the beams we found the letters
F. Mex, apparently burned into the
bog oak. To the right of the kitchen
is a well-kept parlor and bedroom,
where Francis Mckinley slept the
night before his execution.
1T appears that the McKinleys had
always been well to do and influential,
members of the family having been
prominent in the ministry, the law and
in the medical profession. Francis was
fond of horses and followed the hounds
frequently. The Mckinley family can
be traced back easily to the time of
Charles II, when 'Shamus Oge' was the
head of the family. After the execu-
ton of Francis Mckinley the place
passed successfully to his sons John
and Francis. When the latter sailed
for America in 1888 it passed to James
Ferguson, and afterward, in 1885, TO
John Carson, whose son Robert is the
present owner.
THE next place of interest to be
visited WAS DerrVkaighan so away we