Molly Maguires
Molly Maguires were Irish coal miners who struggled against the onerous work conditions in the Pennsylvania coal mines. They were forced to disband in the 1870s, because a Pinkerton spy infiltrated the organization and ratted people out; this is what gave the Pinkertons their name.
Four members of the Molly Maguires,
Alexander Campbell, John Donohue,
Michael Doyle and
Edward Kelly, were hanged on
June 21 1871 at at Carbon Country Prison in
Jim Thorpe,
Pennsylvania,
USA, for the murder of mine bosses John P. Jones of Lansford and Morgan Powell of Summit Hill, following a trial that was later described by Carbon Country judge
The Dubliners refer to the Molly Maguires in one of their songs:
Molly Maguires
(Bill Martin/Phil Coulter)
Make way for the Molly Maguires
They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men
Make way for the Molly Maguires
You'll never see the likes of them again
Down the mines no sunlight shines
Those pits they're black as hell
In modest style they do their time
It's Paddy's prison cell
And they curse the day they've travelled far
Then drown their tears with a jar
So make way for the Molly Maguires
They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men
Make way for the Molly Maguires
You'll never see the likes of them again
Backs will break and muscles ache
Down there there's no time to dream
Of fields and farms, of womans arms
Just dig that bloody seam
Though they drain their bodies underground
Who'll dare to push them around
So make way for the Molly Maguires
They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men
Make way for the Molly Maguires
You'll never see the likes of them again
So make way for the Molly Maguires
They're drinkers, they're liars but they're men
Make way for the Molly Maguires
You'll never see the likes of them again
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