Connolly
This name is common in all four provinces of Ireland. In Irish, it is Ó Conghaile, which means valorous (gallant). Although so widely distributed, the origins of this name are in Co. Monaghan and in Connacht. Our Connollys are from County Monaghan.
The Connollys of Monaghan appear to have descended from Cu Uladh MacMahon before the year 756. By the year 1100 Connolly was one of the Dynastic Families of Ireland. The Connollys, along with the O'Harts, O'Regans,, and the O'Kellys formed the "Four Tribes of Tara". They maintained effective domination of the county even after the arrival of the Normans in the twelfth century, although they were forced out of their original territory by the Anglo-Norman invasion and driven northwards from Tara to Co. Monaghan . As late as 1591 Tirlogh O Connola is recorded in the Fiants relating to Co. Monaghan as Chief of the Name and late vice-marshal
They are the 3rd most common family name in Monaghan, and by most accounts, were powerful, having had their own chieftain (Ua Connalaigh ...."the Connolly" roughlytranslated) by the early 1500's. The Connolly's also held many important positions during the 15-17th Centuries.
Among well-known Connollys were William Connolly, the richest man in Ireland in the 18th century. A lawyer and financier, he made his fortune buying and selling land lost by the old
Gaelic families exiled after the Battle of the Boyne. He was also Speaker in the Irish Parliament. In 1722, he built Castletown House at Celbridge, Co Kildare, one of Ireland's finest mansions. James Connolly (1870-1916) was one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Owing to the lack of precision frequently found in the anglicization of Gaelic surnames due to the fact that their English forms were often determined by the phonetic attempts of lawyers and others in the seventeenth century who were unfamiliar with the Irish language, the name Connolly has been much confused with Conneely and Killealy. The people now called Connolly mostly derive their descent from three Gaelic septs. These were O Conghalaigh or O Conghaile of Connacht and of Monaghan, and O Coingheallaigh of Munster, for which MacCoingheallaigh was previously an alias.
The motto: EN DIEU EST TOUT can be translated to read "In God is
All".
The gold denotes Generosity
Argent or Silver denotes Humility
Sable or Black denotes Wisdom
Azure or Blue Loyalty
The Chevron signifies Protection
The Arm a laborious and industrious person
The Chaplet signifies Joy and the scallop was originally the pilgrims badge.
The first of our line by the name is Michael Connolly. Michael was born in County Monaghan and probably came to this country about 1850, the time of the great potato famine. It was always said that he was somehow related to James Connolly of the Easter Rising. He married a American born girl by the Name of Margaret Marron. They had one daughter (that we know of) by the name of Alice Connolly.
Alice Connolly Barnes Olwell
Alice Connolly was born in New York on September 18, 1870. This date was written as 1876 on her death certificate but was not correct (it would have her giving birth to her first child at 13 years of age). Census records show her as being born in 1870. She married a man by the name of William Barnes around 1888 and had two children with him;
 | Marion Frances Barnes, born May 2, 1889, Long Island City, NY died June 26 1938 Stamford, Ct. |
| Adele Barnes, born November 1891 |
The children were born in New York State and at sometime moved to Jersey City, N.J. Records show that Marion Barnes graduated from St. Joseph’s school there.
William Barnes died sometime between 1891 and 1896. Alice then married Thomas P. Olwell in 1896. Thomas was born in Ireland in 1865, The son of Owen Olwell and Ann Gilligan.Thomas was a grocer by trade. Alice and Thomas had the following children:
| Lillian Olwell, born May 10, 1897; died September 1982 in Bronx, NY. |
| Anna Kathlyn Olwell, born September 1900; died May 28, 1907. |
| Vivian Olwell, born June 28, 1903; died November 19, 1965 in NY. |
| Francis X. Olwell, born April 24, 1904; died June 1972 in Bronx, NY. |
| Robert Olwell, born 1911; died August 22, 1926. |
Alice and Thomas had two children die young. Anna Kathlyn Olwell died in May of 1907 at seven years old. Their son Robert Olwell died in 1926 at 15 years of age.
The 1900 Census of Jersey City has the family living at an apartment building located at 265 Baldwin Avenue. Thomas P. Olwell is listed as the head of the family age 34 years and having been born June 1865. It also lists him as a native of Ireland, having been in the U.S. for 10 years, arriving in 1890. His occupation is listed as a grocery clerk , currently employed. His both parents were from Ireland. Alice was listed as his wife, born September 1870 - age 29. It also lists both her parents as being born in Ireland. The next question box is of great interest to us. It asks how many years married and the first number written in was 12 but it was changed to 4. So assuming this is correct, she was married to Thomas Olwell for 4 years and married William Barnes 12 years prior - 1888. This would seem possible as Alice and William Barnes’ first child was born 1889. Lillian is listed next as a daughter born May 1897. Next listed were Marion Barnes and Adele Barnes, listed as step-daughters. They were both listed as students. The birth locations of all children, even three year old Lillian was New York. Alice was pregnant at the time of this census, giving birth to Anna Kathlyn in September, so this census was taken before this as she is not listed.
On July 12, 1916, Thomas P. Olwell died. His address at that time was 439 E. 142 Street. So the family, at moved from Jersey City to the Bronx sometime between June of 1900 and his date of death. At the time of her marriage (1914) , Marion Barnes was living at 1138 Bryant Avenue.
The 1920 Census finds Alice Olwell, widow, as the head of the family, age 50, and living at a rental apartment at 443 East 142nd Street. Her parents here were listed as both being born in New York. (This census also lists her two sons as daughters). Living with her were Lillie- age 22, Vivian - age 17, Frances - age15 and Robert - age 9. Alice’s occupation was listed as none, Lillie and Vivian’s was listed as department store clerks, and Francis and Robert as attending school. Lillie always said that she was ‘forced’ to go to work at age 15.
Adele must have married prior to 1920, as she was not with the family for the 1920 census. Alice Connolly Barnes Olwell died on February 11, 1939. Her address at that time was 1061 Clay Avenue, where she was living with her daughters Vivian and Lilly.
