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Ó Conghalaigh is a Gaelic-Irish surname. It derives from the forename ''Conghal'', meaning "fierce as a hound". It is often anglicised as Connolly, Connally, Connelly and occasionally as Conley. In modern Irish it may be spelled as '' Ó Conghaile''.
Ó Conghalaigh is a Gaelic-Irish surname. It derives from the forename ''Conghal'', meaning "fierce as a hound". It is often anglicised as Connolly, Connally, Connelly and occasionally as Conley. In modern Irish it may be spelled as '' Ó Conghaile''.
Overview
A number of distinct and unrelated families bore the surname inGaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...
, and with a number of spelling variants. They included:
* Ó Conghalaigh of Iar Connacht (now County Galway)
* Ó Coingheallaigh in the Kingdom of Desmond (now west County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
)
* Ó Conghalaigh of Derrygonnelly, Fear Manach (now County Fermanagh)
* Ó Conghalaigh of AirgÃalla (now County Monaghan and/or County Meath
County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
)
* Ó Conghaile Muirthemne from County Louth
In 1890 the surname was the twenty-third most common in Ireland, with three hundred and eighty-one births of the name, mostly in Ulster. By 1996, the ranking had slipped to thirty-third.
The variant Conneely was found exclusively in Connacht in 1890, with most occurrences in County Galway, giving Ballyconneely its name.
County Monaghan
The Ó Conghalaighs of AirgÃalla were either a branch of the Southern Uà Néill who removed to AirgÃalla, or a branch of the Mac Mathghamna, kings of AirgÃalla from the mid-13th century to 1590. John Grenham says of them "They are first noted as coming to prominence in the fifteenth century and are recorded as having "Chiefs of the Name" up to the 17th century. They were instrumental in organising the nativeIrish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...
and, following its failure, lost their power and possessions." Descendants of this family included William Conolly (1662–1729), James Connolly (1870–1916) and Paudge Connolly (born 1953).
County Galway
Descendants of the Ó Conghalaigh of Iar Connacht include TG4 presenter EibhlÃn Nà Chonghaile; musicians John Conneely and Johnny Óg Connolly; sportspersons Aislinn Connolly, Joe Connolly, Michael Conneely and Seamus Conneely; Mayors of Galway Catherine Connolly, Martin Connolly and Pádraig Conneely; scribe Micheál Ó Conghaile; writers Micheál Ó Conghaile (writer) and Seán Ó Conghaile.References
* ''Speaker Connolly and his connections'', privately printed, 1907. * ''Clogerici: The Connollys of Fermanagh and Co. Monaghan'', P. O Gallachair, ''Clogher Record'' II, Clogher Diocesan Historical Society, Drogheda, 1953. * ''The Dickson and Connolly families of Ballyshannon'', J. M. McWilliam, ''Donegal Annual'' IV, 1959.External links
*See also
* Connolly (surname) * Connelly (surname) {{DEFAULTSORT:O Conghalaigh Surnames Irish families Surnames of Irish origin Irish-language surnames Families of Irish ancestry