The Conlon family is an Irish noble family, the original Gaelic spelling being Ó Connalláin. In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the O'Conalláin were Princes of Ui Laeghari, an extensive territory in the counties of Meath and Westmeath, where the

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

historically derived his seat at the Hill of Tara. The O'Conlons were chiefs of Crioch Tullach, in County Tyrone and branches of this family in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries settled in the counties of Roscommon, Galway and Mayo. As a sept of the Northern Uí Néill, they claim descent from

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...

and his son Conall Gulban, both High Kings of Ireland.

Name

O'Conlon is a variation of the anglicised version of Ó Connalláin. The name may be derived from two Irish Gaelic words "Con" (the genitive case of Cú, meaning "hound") and "Lón" meaning lion - thereby implying a person who has the characteristics of a lion born of a hound - strength and speed. It is sometimes spelt Conlan, Conlen and Conlin. Like most surnames, it is occasionally used as a first name.

Origins

The O'Conlons are a sept of the Cenél Conaill, or "kindred of Conall", specifically descended as part of ''Cenél Aedha'', through Aedha mac Ainmirech great-great grandson of Conall Gulban. His father, Ainmirech mac Sétnai is brother of Lugaid mac Sétnai, founder of the Cenél Luighdech. The Cenél Aedha are said to have given their name to the barony of Tirhugh (Tír Aedha) in County Donegal. Their kingdom was known as Tír Conaill, with their powerbase at Mag Ithe in the Finn valley, however they gradually expanded to cover what is now counties

Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...

and

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of al ...

. The Cenél Conaill clashed regularly with their kin the Cenél nEogain, eventually capturing the latter's original power-base of Ailech in the Inishowen peninsula—in modern-day County Donegal—by the 12th century. Related dynasties descended through Conall Cremthainne and Diarmait mac Cerbaill included the Síl nÁedo Sláine, the kings of Brega, descended from Colmán Már's youngest brother Áed Sláine and the Kings of Uisnech, among others, belonging to Clann Cholmáin. Through the common ancestry of Lóegaire mac Néill, the O'Conlons are also related to the O'Connell family, including Count Daniel Charles O'Connell, Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill and the

O'Connell Baronets The O'Connell Baronetcy, of Lakeview in Killarney in the County of Kerry and of Ballybeggan in Tralee in the County of Kerry, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 29 October 1869 for James O'Connell. He was the yo ...

. Several prominent figures originating from the Tir Conail kingdom included Maximilian, Count von Tyrconnell.O'Domhnaill Abu (Spring 1987) ''O'Donnell Clan Newsletter'' no.7, (ISSN 0790-7389)

People

Other people from the Conlon family include: *

Barry Conlon Barry John Conlon (born 1 October 1978) is an Irish former professional footballer and Head Coach of New York-based LMFC Blue Jaguars As a player he was a striker from 1996 to 2013. Conlon's career started with Queens Park Rangers but he move ...

(born 1978), Irish football player *

Charles M. Conlon Charles Martin Conlon (November 28, 1868 – June 2, 1945) was an American photographer born in Albany, New York who grew up in the neighboring city of Troy. Conlon started his career working for New York City newspapers in the early 1900s, as a ...

(1868–1945), American photographer *

David Conlon David Conlon (born 1982) is an Irish mathematician who is a Professor of Mathematics at California Institute of Technology. His research interests are in Hungarian-style combinatorics, particularly Ramsey theory, extremal graph theory, combinat ...

(born 1982), Irish mathematician *

Edward Conlon Edward W. Conlon (born 1965) is an American author and former New York Police Department (NYPD) officer. Biography Born in the Bronx, Conlon spent most of his childhood in nearby Yonkers, and attended Regis High School. He graduated from Har ...

(born 1965), a New York police officer and author *

Fred Conlon Fred Conlon (1943–2005) was an Irish sculptor. Born in Killeenduff, Easky, County Sligo, where he was schooled, Conlon won a five-year scholarship to the National College of Art and Design in 1960. Domhnail O'Murchadha, assistant profess ...

(1943–2005), an Irish sculptor * Gerry Conlon (1954-2014), a member of the Guildford Four * James Conlon (born 1950), an American conductor * John Conlon (born 1989), hurler with

Clonlara Clonlara, officially Cloonlara (), is a village in County Clare, Ireland, and a Roman Catholic parish of the same name. Village and parish Clonlara is in the east of County Clare in the civil parish of Kiltonanlea or Doonass, barony of Tulla L ...

and

Clare GAA Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

Kelly Conlon Kelly Conlon (born 20 March 1969) is an American bass guitarist. He has been a hired musician with Death and Monstrosity. Conlon currently performs with Pessimist. Career Conlon was part of the Florida underground metal scene until 1994 when Orla ...

(born 1969), an American bass guitarist *

Mary A. Conlon Mary A. Conlon (1870–1936) was an American elementary school principal who served as the first principal of Walton High School in New York City. Education Conlon graduated from Hunter College and did graduate work at multiple schools includin ...

(1870–1936), an American elementary school principal who founded Walton High School * Paddy Conlon (publican), the founder of the town of Narembeen in Western Australia *

Patrick Conlon (artist) Patrick Conlon is an illustrator and tattooist in New York City. He wrote and illustrated the graphic novel ''Swarm'', and collaborated with Michael Manning, another fetish artist, on ''The Tranceptor Series''. He has tattooed and worked with seve ...

, an American tattooist and comics illustrator * Patrick Conlon (politician) (born 1959), an Australian politician * Patrick "Giuseppe" Conlon, a member of the Maguire Seven *

P. J. Conlon Patrick Joshua Conlon (born November 11, 1993) is a Northern Irish-American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets in . He was the first Irish-born Major League Baseball player since Joe Cleary pitched for the Was ...

(born 1993), Irish-American baseball player *

Paul Conlon Paul Conlon is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the North Sydney Bears as a . Playing career Conlon made his first grade debut for North Sydney Bears in Round 4 of the 1985 season against the Parramatta ...

(born 1966), Australian former professional rugby league footballer * Paul Conlon (footballer) (born 1978), English former footballer *

Peter Conlon Peter Conlon is an American politician who has served in the Vermont House of Representatives since 2017. References Living people People from Montpelier, Vermont Dartmouth College alumni 21st-century American politicians Democratic P ...

, American politician * Richard Conlon (born 1965 in Hemel Hempstead), is an English playwright *

Robert Daniel Conlon Robert Daniel Conlon (born December 4, 1948) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois from 2011 to 2020. From 2002 to 2011 he served as bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville in ...

(born 1948), U.S. Catholic bishop * Sarah Conlon (1926–2008), Irish activist * Sean Conlon (born 1981), singer-songwriter * Spot Conlon, a fictional character in the 1992 film

Newsies ''Newsies'' (released as ''The News Boys'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1992 American musical historical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega in his film directing debut. Loosely based on ...

* Tim Conlon (disambiguation), multiple people * Tom Conlon (born 1996), English footballer * Conlon Nancarrow (1912–1997), an American composer who took Mexican citizenship in 1955 * Thomas Connellan (1640–1698), Irish composer * Mary Connellan, (fl. c. 1720), harpist * William Connellan (fl. mid-17th century, brother of Thomas), Irish harpist * Lawrence O'Connellan (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1756), from

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

, Dominican Superior of

Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...

* Thady Connellan (1780-1854), Irish teacher and scholar * Owen Connellan (1797–1871), Irish historian * Thomas Connellan (priest) (1855–about 1920), Irish priest * Edward Connellan (1912–1983), Australian aviator; founder of

Connellan Airways Connellan Airways (later Connair) was an airline headquartered in Alice Springs, Australia. It operated scheduled flights as well other air transport services throughout the Northern Territory from 1939 to 1980. History The company was fo ...

* Leo Connellan (1928–2001), American poet * Joe Connellan (died 1967), Irish newspaper editor and politician * Ray Connellan, Irish sportsperson * Marie Christine Conlon (born 1985), American Graphic Designer and Illustrator

Bibliography

* * "Meath-county Tartan - Kinloch Anderson". ''www.kinlochanderson.com''. Retrieved 2021-10-04 * * The O Clery Book of Genealogies, Seamus Pender (ed.), in Analecta Hibernica, No. 18, 1951 pp. 1-198 * Burke, Bernard and Ashworth Peter Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons. 9th edition, 1899. *

Marquis de Ruvigny Henri de Massue, 2nd Marquis de Ruvigny, Earl of Galway, (9 April 16483 September 1720) was a French Huguenot soldier and diplomat who was influential in the English service in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. Biograp ...

, Melville H., The Nobilities of Europe. London: Melville and Company. 1910. (repr. Adamant Media Corporation, 2000

Other

* Conlon v Ozolins, a New Zealand court case

References