From humble immigrant beginnings in early 19th century Pittsburgh, Bernard (Barney) McKenna and Charles F. McKenna made civic service their chosen path to position and influence. One became a beloved mayor and political reformer. The other was a Civil War soldier and distinguished attorney and jurist. But it was their widowed mother Annie who enabled their rise in the face of tragedy and struggle.
In 1830 Hugh McKenna, a widowed farmer and father of eleven, left his home in Ireland's County Tyrone for economic survival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Arriving in Quebec on a "timber ship", Hugh and the family walked the twelve hundred miles to a new life in the raucous, burgeoning gateway to the American West. Thus began nearly a hundred years of trial and triumph for Hugh's widowed daughter-in-law Annie, and two of her sons, Bernard and Charles. Through financial struggle, fire, civil war, flood, labor unrest, political corruption and reform, they met their challenges with fortitude and civic devotion. Whether defending the Union from Antietam to Appomattox or helping to build a new industrial and political order, the McKenna men and their remarkable mother are emblematic of the many contributions Irish-Americans have made to a great city and a great nation.
Excerpt
It was an atypically warm September. The long summer evenings of north latitudes were waning, but the glow of this evening's sunset was enough to light their meeting. Hugh spoke to his assembled young people as they sat together in the yard outside his cottage. He paused at first, staring at his rough, calloused hands. When the chatter of the others subsided, he began.
"My children, your father is no longer young. 'Tis not a time of life when one welcomes great changes. These fields of Anacramp have received the sweat of my brow for near forty years; my dear Catherine is buried nearby." He paused again, struggling to hold his emotions in check. He looked up into the dusky sky, took a deep breath, and allowed the wave to pass. "Leavin' this place will tear at deep-set roots I have put down here. And yet, there is no denyin' we have become too many for my poor acres. And my leasehold is not secure. I know very little of America. I have no assurance that life in the townland of Pittsburgh will be any better than what we have here. I only know that I cannot bear to lose what's left of my family. And that will surely happen if we do nothin'."
Nancy, a female image of her father in color and features, could not bear keeping silent. "Oh, Da! We'd never be leavin' you at all. If some must go, all should go!"
But Charles jumped in, his somber expression previewing his comment. He was a stocky fellow with dark hair and bushy eyebrows. A skeptic of emigration, his attitudes were unchanged, even in the face of economic pressure and the urging of his siblings. "I'm for stayin'. We don't know what's so grand about this place called Pittsburgh. And there are the dangers of the voyage."
James squeezed Annie's hand. "I'll not be takin' my wife, heavy with child, upon the sea for three or four weeks. I, too, want our family to stay together. But I cannot risk the life of our unborn child or its mother. Who can say what we will face on such a journey? "
Patrick, brown haired and brown-eyed, spoke next. He was the keenest proponent of emigration. "We accept what you say, Brother. None of us wish any harm. Still, you must agree that we cannot continue here in Anacramp. Lord Caledon may have his charity, but he will consolidate his lands for pasture!"
James spoke again without rancor. "I accept the truth of what you say. Still if goin' to America is your choice, we must remain here."
Undeterred, Patrick pressed further. "James, you've been wantin' an opportunity in business. The McShanes tell of many such in America, even for Catholics. This might be your best chance. Suppose we delay our departure until after Annie's baby arrives. Could you then consider joinin' in such a journey?"
James was now conflicted. Patrick may be right, he thought. In America, I might well become my own master. He looked at Annie. She knew well the ambitions of her husband and sensed that his winning ways were being wasted on the farm. It was part of what had attracted her so as they had begun courting. She shared his desire for a life beyond the fields and flocks. Now, she gave him a tentative nod, though her chin quivered with emotion. The thought of leaving home and her own family was daunting for her.
James shrugged. " 'Tis no sure thing! If we do agree, Annie and the child must be healthy and strong."
Charles glared at his brother and sulked. "If you leave, James, perhaps I'll be havin' your leasehold."
Now a burst of vigorous debate ensued with the proponents of family unity pressing Charles. But it was soon interrupted by Edward. "Well, 'tis all grand that we might remain a family together. But the sums for passage and provisions will consume every penny of the oats money. There will also be the land journey to Pittsburgh, and then a period of gettin' settled—findin' lodgin', work, and all such. A considerable sum must be set aside for that."
Edward's voice of caution stilled the debate; everyone sensed he had put his finger upon an issue that must be resolved. As the evening darkened, Hugh stood again. "We must give it a bit more thought, children. Let's be in now."
Professional Reviews
Midwest Book Review
Even in these modern times where unemployment is high, it's hard to imagine the lengths that the early Irish went through as they faced extreme economic hardship and starvation in 'the old country'. Little in the American experience mirrors those days in early Irish history where people starved in the streets and would go to extreme measures for economic security; but this feel can come close (and does) in Steel Shamrocks.
Steel Shamrocks: The Sons of Annie McKenna tells of a widowed farmer and father of eleven who moved his entire family from Ireland for work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Imagine a long passage in a dubious ship bound for a strange country, accompanied by his six sons, daughter-in-law Annie, and her three-month-old baby!
The group arrives in Quebec on this rickety "timber ship," but their trials don't end there: the entire family walks twelve hundred miles to new opportunities and promises in America - and thus begins almost a hundred years of family strife and triumph.
Steel Shamrocks portrays this experience through the perceptions of Hugh's widowed daughter-in-law Annie and her two sons. And to its credit, the historical novel doesn't just focus on economic hardship: civil war, floods, political corruption, labor disputes … all the trappings of hard times are woven into the story of the McKenna men and their mother. They are powerful personalities who struggle to rebuild lives in a strange new world.
From ebbing correspondence between family and soldier during wartime to waning confidence that love will overcome all, portraits of individual interactions, purposes, and struggle are the centerpiece of this saga, as a good historical story should be: "As Meade pressed his pursuit of Lee through the Maryland countryside and into Pennsylvania, his army was greeted by nearly one hundred school children singing the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic songs. Also turned out were enterprising, if not generous, civilians selling bread, pies, cakes, and bottles of milk. O'Neill nudged his comrade in the march. "Now look at these fellows, Charlie. Many seem young and fit. Shouldn't they be defending their homes and the Union instead of squeezing the last coins out of a soldier's pocket."
This is not to say that Steel Shamrocks isn't steeped in real history: it is. Many paragraphs are devoted throughout to interpreting background events with historical perspective and insights on battles and other proceedings; so if it's just a casual leisure read with a light history background that is sought, look elsewhere for such entertainment.
This is serious historical writing: as such, it seeks to pair the drama of fiction with nonfiction facts and background, and both captures the experiences and feel of its times and provides the necessary supportive platform of history upon which to base these events.
That's one of the novel's strengths. Steel Shamrocks stands apart from other stories of the early experiences of Irish immigrants in America.
It's hard to imagine the lengths that the early Irish went through, both in the 'old country' and in the new America. Steel Shamrocks is firmly grounded in real events and a sense of its times, and its detailed approach will delight serious readers of historical fiction.
D. Donovan, E-Book Reviewer
Midwest Book Review
Readers' Favorite
The McKennas and the McKeevers have a long and fascinating family history. Steel Shamrocks traces the families back to Ireland in the early 1800s. The story of these two families begins on their tenant farms in rural Ireland, under the hard-fast thumb of English landlords. This was
before the great potato famines, but it was also a great time of strife and turmoil for those large Irish families who were struggling to make a living out of their tenant plots of land.
Like so many others, the McKennas and the McKeevers made the difficult decision to try their luck in America and followed the footsteps of earlier families from their area who had settled
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and made a success of their new lives. The family history tracks the route of travel from Ireland to Quebec City on a lumber boat and then onto Pittsburgh, primarily on foot, with a newborn babe to care for.
After years of hard work in Pittsburgh, each member of the family meets some form of success, although some of the family decided to try their luck further west and the story loses track of
their individual stories. The Pittsburgh family grows and the story continues through great fires, a Civil War, union strife, and political turmoil, some of the original emigrant family's descendants even going into politics, at least at the local level. A journey back to Ireland in the early 1900s allowed a couple of McKenna and McKeever descendants to trace their family stories back to the old country.
David M. Quinn has taken his wife's family's extraordinary talecountry. He has taken his wife's family's extraordinary tale and created a thrilling historical fiction story, which might be better
described as creative nonfiction. Well done. Excellent research, compelling plots and very interesting.
Sometimes, vacations just don't turn out the way you hoped they would. An idyllic wilderness house boating get-a-way soon turns into a hellish nightmare...
