The
Molly Maguires, or the Mollies, were members of a 19th-century Irish
secret society active in Ireland and internationally. The movement originated in Ireland as part of agrarian rebellion movements relating to land usage and
enclosure. The Mollies were first reported in the British and Irish press in the mid-19th century, noting that they had been formed in
Ballinamuck following
Lord Lorton's ejection of tenants there. The movement spread internationally to areas with significant Irish immigrant populations, including
Liverpool and the United States. Their activism in favour of coal miners in
Pennsylvania was particularly noteworthy. After a series of often violent conflicts, twenty suspected Mollies were convicted of murder and other crimes and were executed by hanging in 1877 and 1878. This history remains part of local Pennsylvania lore and the actual facts are much debated among historians. This 1874 illustration from
Harper's Weekly, drawn by
Paul Frenzeny and
Jules Tavernier, depicts a group of Mollies meeting to discuss strikes in the Pennsylvania coal mines.
Illustration credit: Paul Frenzeny and Jules Tavernier; restored by Adam Cuerden
