Joseph J McGarry Myrtle Beach Division Ancient Order of Hibernians

Joseph J McGarry Myrtle Beach Division Ancient Order of Hibernians OUR HISTORY

The Ancient Order of Hibernians charter was issued to Myrtle Beach on January 13,1996 by the National President, Edward J. Wallace.

The architect of our division was John Jennings, a retired attorney from Boston, and served as our first president. John was assisted by our own Matthew Tully, who prior to that, had several years experience in the AOH. This was the first AOH division in South Carolina and one of the few in the south. Over the years other divisions were formed throughout the state. Some opened and closed. Here we

are 30 years later, alive and well, despite some ups and downs along the way. During 1996 through May of 1997 there was an aggressive drive to recruit members. On June 21st, 1997 a listing of our members totaling 107 was published by President John Jennings. Not bad for a year and a half. That June 21st, President Jennings proclaimed that the first “Hibernian of the Year” would be awarded to the membership. Of the original 107 members, sadly, only 4 remain. They are: Bob Mott, Matthew Tully, Jack Cahill and Fran Tuite. During the infancy of our division, our home was the Shamrock Sports Bar and Grill at 2510 North Kings Hwy., Myrtle Beach. The bars owner was Mark Kelley, who happened to be a new member. How about that for luck. The sports bar closed in 2012. Since that time, we have moved around a bit. We met at the Elks Lodge in Myrtle Beach, St. Andrews in Myrtle Beach and our current home at 1030 Possum Trot Rd. in North Myrtle Beach, a city owned property. When you don’t own your own Lodge, You’re lucky to have a place to meet. John Jenning became State President and was instrumental in establishing several other divisions in the state. John has passed now but leaves behind a great legacy. Bob Mott, Matthew Tully and Fran Tuite all went on to become Division Presidents. Bob Mott also became State President as well other State and National offices. Matthew Tully went on to serve in several different capacities in our division and at state level. There were some great characters in our division over the years. The long journey has sadly ended for many. May they rest in peace. Good luck and Sláinte to our former members who are still with us. SAD PART OF OUR HISTORY
“OUR member Joseph J. McGarry”
End of Watch: December 29, 2002 – Badge #263
Police Officer, Joe McGarry was shot and killed when he and his partner attempted to talk to a murder suspect at a restaurant on North Kings Hwy. At 12:30 am on December 29th, 2002. The officers were inside a Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant when they observed the man whom they recognized as being a suspect in a homicide that occured about one month earlier. When the man exited the restaurant, Officer McGarry engaged him in conversation. Believing him to be armed, Officer McGarry told him he was going to pat him down. The suspect then turned and began to walk away while reaching for his waistband. As Officer McGarry attempted to stop him, the man pulled out a .45 caliber handgun and shot him in the face. Officer McGarry’s partner returned fire striking the suspect in the leg. The suspect and a female friend fled the scene but were later apprehended. The man was charged with murder, resisting arrest and assault. The male suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In 2008 the South Carolina State Supreme Court overturned the death penalty decision. They said the jurors should have been given the option of convicting the suspect of voluntary manslaughter. The case was later retried and the suspect was again sentenced to death. Joseph grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island and was a graduate of Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. Joseph’s parents, Joe and Anita, now reside in the Myrtle Beach area. Joseph was their only child. 20 years after his death, his mother said “No one will ever call me Mom again” How sad. Joe was 28 years old and had been on the force for 4 years. He may be gone, but will never be forgotten. Shortly after Joseph’s death we renamed our division the Joseph J. McGarry Division 1 Myrtle Beach, SC
PAST PRESIDENTS: *John Jennings Bob Mott *Pat Reilly
Matthew Tully *John Hands Frank Tuite
*Tom Waters *Dix Colbert Harry Walker
+Martin Flynn Bill Toomey *Mason Luther
+Paul Jenkins Kevin Black Glenn Wolverton
William McCoale
*Deceased +Served 2 terms

For Membership please contact: Matthew Tully at [email protected]

06/12/2026
06/12/2026

☘️ The ancestral Irish diet was built around oats, root vegetables, dairy, and fish, a low-glycemic, high-fiber nutritional baseline that the Irish metabolic system adapted to over thousands of years. When Irish immigrants and their descendants transitioned to the high-sugar, high-refined-carbohydrate diet that characterizes modern Western eating, they brought metabolic systems that hadn't been calibrated for that kind of glucose load. Researchers studying type 2 diabetes prevalence across ethnic groups have found elevated rates in Irish and Northern European descent populations that they believe reflect exactly this kind of ancestral dietary mismatch.

The mechanism isn't a deficiency in Irish metabolism. It's a calibration mismatch. An insulin response system tuned to handle modest, slow-releasing carbohydrate loads from oats and root vegetables responds differently to the rapid glucose spikes produced by processed food, refined sugar, and white flour than a system with a different ancestral dietary history. Over years and decades that difference accumulates, and the result shows up in blood sugar readings and eventually in type 2 diabetes diagnoses that run in Irish-American families with a frequency that deserves more attention than it typically receives.

Knowing this ancestral context doesn't change your genetics but it does give you a framework for understanding why certain dietary choices matter more for your specific metabolic profile than general population guidelines might suggest. If type 2 diabetes runs in your Irish family, it's worth discussing the ancestral dietary context with your doctor rather than treating it as a purely lifestyle issue. Drop a comment if this resonates and follow The Irish Remembered for more. 🧬☘️

06/12/2026

Today, June 9th, is the feast day of Saint Columba — known in Ireland as Colmcille, which means "Dove of the Church." He is one of the three patron saints of Ireland, alongside Patrick and Brigid, yet far fewer people know his story. He was born in Gartan, County Donegal around 521 AD and from an early age was devoted to God and learning. In 563 AD he left Ireland with twelve companions, sailed to a tiny island off the west coast of Scotland called Iona, and built a monastery there. That small monastery became one of the most important centres of Christian learning in Europe. From Iona, Columba and his monks travelled across Scotland and into northern England, spreading Christianity, building churches and copying manuscripts that preserved knowledge for future generations. His influence stretched far beyond that little island — historians credit him with shaping the course of Christianity across Britain. He died on Iona on June 9th, 597 AD, and the island is still visited by pilgrims today, over 1,400 years later. Patrick gets the parade. Brigid gets the cross. But Colmcille changed a continent.

06/12/2026

in Irish History – 9 June 597

Today marks the death of Saint Columba, better known in Ireland as St Colmcille, one of Ireland’s three patron saints. He died on the island of Iona on 9 June 597.

Born in Gartan, Co. Donegal, around 521, Colmcille was a monk, scholar, poet and founder of monasteries across Ireland and Scotland. Tradition holds that he copied a manuscript without permission, leading to a dispute that ultimately contributed to his exile from Ireland.

From Iona, he helped spread Christianity throughout Scotland and established a monastic tradition that would preserve learning during some of Europe’s darkest centuries. His legacy remains so strong that there have even been modern calls for a public holiday in his honour.

“Be a bright flame before me, be a guiding star above me.”
— traditionally attributed to St Colmcille

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

06/08/2026

🌊🇨🇦 The Irish in Nova Scotia

Irish migration to Nova Scotia began in the 1700s and continued through the 19th century, particularly after the Napoleonic Wars and during the years of the Great Famine and colonial oppression.

Many settlers arrived through ports such as Halifax before moving into districts including Cape Breton, Antigonish, Pictou, and along the province’s Atlantic coastline. Some came from Ulster, while others arrived from counties across the west and south of Ireland.

Communities often grew around parish ties, kinship networks, fishing grounds, and farmland carved from heavily forested land. Life could be harsh, especially during the long winters, and many families faced isolation, poverty, and difficult conditions in the early generations after arrival.

Irish traditions travelled across the Atlantic as well. Music, storytelling, dance, and Catholic parish life became part of the cultural fabric of Nova Scotia, particularly alongside the already strong Gaelic traditions of Scottish Highland settlers in Cape Breton.

Today, Irish surnames, cemeteries, parish records, and local traditions remain woven into the landscape - part of the wider story of the Irish diaspora in Atlantic Canada.



📸 Irish Roots

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29587

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