The origina of the "Molly Maguires" is supposed to be as follows. "Molly" was apparently a poor widow who was evicted from her home an event which inspired anger among her neighbours. By the Famaine of the 1840s the name was invoked by various insurgents in the counties of Cavan, Longford, Donegal and Tyrone. In 1847 a Tyrone landlord received a threatening letter with the postscript "Molly Maguire and her children have been watching you.". They first appeared in the U.S. about 1857 when a society of that name was alleged to be in Pennsylvania. The first documentation however occurs after the American Civil War. Don't forget the 1970 film "The Molly Maguires" starring Sean Connery and Richard Harris, which allowing for some poetic licence is reasonably accurate and is based on a true event. James McParlan as played by Richard Harris really did exist and became the manager of the Pinkerton's Western Division based in Denver. In 1906 he investigated the murder of the ex-governor of Idaho. Jack Kehoe as played by Sean Connery was executed but instead of a clean neck break strangled to death because of an "error" by the hangman.