On February 25, 2006 Rich Tinneny was knighted as a 4^th degree member in the Knights of Columbus at the 2006 Annual Exemplification of the DeSoto Province, District of South Carolina.  The Knights are a fraternal organization of Catholic men engaged in charitable and patriotic activities and other activities in support of the church.  The Knights were originally founded by Father Michael McGivney to aid Irish Catholic widows and orphans in Connecticut.  The exemplification weekend wrapped up with a dinner dance at the Columbiana Hotel in Columbia attended by more than 600 Knights and their spouses. Rich is the son of John and Helen Tinneny of Philadelphia and the great-grandson of Yankee Pat Tinneny of Goladuff, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, Ireland.