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Hello:  Looking for any Connelly's or Learney's in County Kerry.  Will be traveling to Kerry from October 24 to the 27th.  Not sure where my family is from specifically, but DNA suggests somewhere in the Kerry area.  My great grandparents immigrated to the US in early 1870's.  All were in the printing/bookbinding profession.  Also related to Hanlon's, Brennan's and Horan's.

best regards,

Kerry

Connelly

Thursday 29th Aug 2024, 12:27PM

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  • Kerry, in the 1901 census of Ireland there were over 7000 people named Connelly living in Kerry. With so many Connellys, it would be impossible to find people related to you without additional information.

    Why don't you give us the information you have about your ancestors--who were your great-grandparents? birth year? marriage? death? their children? their parents? Anything you have. Maybe then we could determine where your family was from.

    Patricia

    Thursday 29th Aug 2024, 01:54PM
  • Patricia

    Thursday 29th Aug 2024, 01:57PM
  • Dear Patricia:  My great grandfather was James Dominic Connelly (spelling has changed).  He was born in Dublin about 1840.  He married Therese Hanlon in Dublin at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral on January 25, 1864.  They had a son, Peter, born in Dublin and their other son, my grandfather, (Thomas) was born in Liverpool.  Soon afterwards the family immigrated to the US.

    Jame's father was Thomas Z. Conolly, born in Dublin in 1811.  His wife was Mary Clara or Clare Learney/Larney. Thomas's parents were Caleb and Elisabeth Russell.  As far as I know all the Connelly's were in the printing or book binding business. I believe that is what got my great grand father to Liverpool.  Probably for employment.

    This of coarse is what I believe to be true, but I'm finding out that some of this may not be.  One of my distant cousins sent me some of this information so I can't independently verify all the information.  I took me forever to find that my grandfather was actually born in Liverpool.  I have his birth certificate.  It took me forever to track it down.

    My brother and sister had their DNA tested and the results indicated our ancestors were from the Southwest of Ireland.   Probably Kerry.

    My father named me Kerry.

    Thank you in advance for any information or insight you have on the Connelly's (wow:  7000!).

    My brother, Neal, and I are traveling to Killarney in late October.  Will be there for a few days.

    Best regards,

    Kerry

    Connelly

    Tuesday 17th Sep 2024, 01:34PM
  • Kerry,

     I would guess that your southwest Ireland DNA is not from the Connellys but from another ancestor. Why? Because your data clearly indicate that your Connelly forebears were Dubliners.

    If you have a relative a generation older than you who is still living, perhaps you might get them to test their DNA. It might show a connection to Dublin, which didn't show up in your own DNA.

    I myself was trying to find my connection to a group, of individuals,  each of whom had a connection to a townland in Cavan, the same place my great-grandmother was born.  I matched only three of them. But when I asked my aunt (a generation above me) to test, it showed she was related to all of them.  This is a longwinded way of saying that DNA dilutes over the generations.  

    Good luck.

    Patricia

    Tuesday 17th Sep 2024, 07:46PM

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