Hi,
I am trying to track down my husband's Donnelly ancestors in Ireland and
solve our Donnelly family mystery. I have heard that most Donnellys in
Ireland are from Counties Tyrone and Donegal. (Are there other
heavily-Donnelly areas?)
So, I am hoping someone in Ireland may have information on our Donnellys.
My husband's direct male line goes back to Michael Donnelly (about
1822-1850) who immigrated from Ireland to Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
in the USA. I would love to know from where in Ireland he comes and who his
parents were. In 1849 he and Honora ("Nora") Winn Donnelly Williams (about
1827-after 1880) (the daughter of William Winn), also from somewhere in
Ireland, had a son, Thomas John Donnelly (1849-1928), who was christened at
Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. A
year after the birth of their baby, in 1850, Michael Donnelly, died of
dysentery at age 28. Michael Donnelly was buried at Saint John Roman
Catholic Church in Newark. His remains and the remains of other poor Irish
immigrants were later moved to nearby Saint Michael and ultimately to Holy
Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, Bergen County, New Jersey where they lie
under a large Celtic cross that marks the spot where those buried at Old
Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark between 1835 and 1910 were
re-buried at Holy Cross in 1960. Somehow Michael's son Thomas became the
foster son of farmers John and Mary Dardis from Ireland (I do not know
where), in Jennings County, Indiana. After 1870 widower John Dardis and his
foster son Thomas Donnelly joined the rest of the Dardis family in Madison
County, New York. Thomas pursued a career as a train conductor.
Two years after Michael's death, in 1852, Thomas' mother Nora married Elisha
Williams at Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark, Essex County, New
Jersey. Their children included Elizabeth, Terrance, and Honora Williams,
and maybe others. Where is Nora buried?
Michael and Nora's son Thomas John Donnelly married Honora ("Nora")
Heffernan Donnelly (1861-1958) in 1881 in Cazenovia, Madison County, New
York. She was the youngest child of Irish immigrants Thomas Heffernan
(1815-1864) and Ellen Dugan Heffernan (1817-1898) from Rossmore and Holy
Cross in County Tipperary in Ireland.
I would appreciate any information on the Donnellys or even suggestions as
to how to pursue further information.
Thanks,
Sharlotte Neely Donnelly
donnelly(a)one.net
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/o/n/Sharlotte--N-Donnelly/