Richard J. MacDonnell (c. 1841 – September 3, 1928) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

-born businessman and politician in Newfoundland. He represented

Harbour Main Harbour Main, formerly Harbour Main-Whitbourne and Harbour Main-Bell Island, is a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Prior to 1975, the district elected two MHAs. Between 1972 and the ...

in the Newfoundland House of Assembly from 1882 to 1889. He was born in Clonmere,

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

and came to St. John's at a young age. By 1861, MacDonnell had moved to

Brigus Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage.Canada travel guide. Lonely Planet 14th Edition (2020) ...

. He set up in business at Harbour Main and built a number of churches in the Conception Bay area. He was elected as a supporter of

William Whiteway Sir William Vallance Whiteway, (April 1, 1828 – June 24, 1908) was a politician and three time Premier of Newfoundland. Life and career Born in Littlehempston, Devon, England, Whiteway emigrated to Newfoundland in 1843 and entered the ...

in 1882 and then as a Liberal in 1885. MacDonnell did not run for reelection in 1889. He ran unsuccessfully in the 1893 election as a Conservation and then in 1897 as a Liberal. In 1898, he went to British Columbia, where he worked at the

Crow's Nest Pass Crowsnest Pass (sometimes referred to as Crow's Nest Pass, french: link=no, col du Nid-de-Corbeau) is a low mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta–British Columbia border. Geography The pass is l ...

for the Canadian Pacific Railway. MacDonnell returned to Newfoundland in 1901 and served as magistrate for St. George's until 1922, when he retired due to poor health. He died at St. George's six years later. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Papal Order

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' ("For Church and Pope" in Latin) is a decoration of the Holy See. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy. History The medal was established by Leo XIII o ...

in 1919 for service to the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He was also named a member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. His son James R. MacDonnell also served in the Newfoundland assembly.

References

Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 1840s births 1928 deaths Politicians from County Cork Members of the Order of the British Empire Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Newfoundland Newfoundland Colony people {{Newfoundland-politician-stub