A Bit About the History of Celts in Hawaii

It did not take the Sons of Erin, and the children of William Wallce long to find Hawaii. In all probably, there were Irish, Scottish, and Welsh seamen sailing with Captain Cook's ships and other British vessels which arrived in the early days. Over time, there were sailors from Celtic descent that decided to stay in the islands for good. Who can blame them.

The complete record of ancestory was not recorded, as we have always failed to fully appreciate the Hawaiian understanding of ancestory. Nevertheless, there are lots of Hawaiians who claim a link to the land of the Celts. There's even a hula about an Irish-Hawaiian, named Lola O"Brien. The Irish Hawaiians are even well organized in Honolulu, just check out the Friends of St. Patrick organization.

Most visitors to Hawai'i know Lewers Street, one of he few streets in Waikiki with a non-Hawaiian name. Previously, it was known as Lewers Road. It led from Alakaua Avenue to the estate of Robert Lewers, where the Halekolani Hotel now stands. Lewers and Cooke, a large building supply house, remains as only reminder of Mr. Lewers' extensive business interests. You don't get much more Irish than that, lads and lassies.

I have some family connection to the Campbell Clan in Scotland, which also has big ties to Hawaii. Scotch-Irish James Campbell came to Hawai'i in 1849, went into sugar raising, bored some of the first artesian wells, and acquired vast lands beyond Pearl Harbor and elsewhere. He married a Maui chiefess. The Campbells are among the biggest of land owners in Hawaii. It's just a shame I don't have a closer tie.

There were Irish, Welsh, and Scottish in prominent positions aboard many of the early British exploring ships. This is especially true of the Ulster-Irish, which have a claim to Scottish and Irish descent. The Pictish of early Scotland frequented the land of Erin, and brought back many wives.

Coming here later were George Lucas, who established the Honolulu Planing MD (as well as a prominent family); Francis Hits Swanzy from Dublin, who headed Theo. H. Davies and Company; and John A. Hughes, manager of the Oahu Railway and Land Co. and a Honolulu supervisor.

Two of the best known were identical twins - Jim and Will Mclnerny, who were real look-alikes. Their father, Michael McInerny, came here with his entire family and established a retail store known as M. McInerny, Ltd. more than 100 years ago. His stores long dominated two of the main comers in downtown Honolulu. Will grew up to manage the shoe store at Fort and King Streets, and Jim was in charge of the men's and women's ready-to-wear store at Fort and Merchant Streets. Both of "the twins", as Honolulu knew them, were active in many civic affairs. Will was a prominent territorial senator Jim, as head of the city planning commission, helped to direct Honolulu's growth. Neither ever married, and they were popular bachelors in Honolulu society circles.

A later manager of the stores was Lawson H. Riley, American-born but with an Irish name. Now at 86, he is still associated with the company.

The Mcinerny stores are long gone from their downtown comers, but are to be found in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center on Kalakaua Avenue, at Hilton Hawaiian Village, at Ala Moana Shopping Center, Kahala Mail and numerous other places around the islands.

With an Irish name, but born in America, is Roy C. Kelley, who pioneered the concept of fancily hotel rooms for the cost-conscious traveler coming to Hawai'l. He was born in Highland, California, and received an architectural degree at the University of Southern California. Arriving in Hawai'i in 1929, he and his wife Estelle built their first apartment building three years later. This venture culminated in a multi-million dollar family operation of 15 hotels with over 5,000 rooms. So, this may give you an idea of the position of the Celtic people in Hawaii today. It's quite a story that will continue to be told for many years to come.

We invite you to share you stories about your Celtic family, and their love of the Hawaiian Islands. After all, the story is not finished yet. And the blarney stone of Kilarney is really not that far away.

Failte go a ohana,

Raymond Province, the Celtic Ozarkian