Donnelly in Rathfarnham

Hello Rathfarnham, Dublin.............Barry Donnelly from Australia...........

Going by official records here in Australia, my ggrandfather Peter Donnelly was born in Harold's Cross, Dublin, Co Dublin in 1828. His parents were John Donnelly and Margaret O'Brien. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find his parents marriage, or indeed, Peter's own birth or baptism. The facts to hand are; Peter applied for and was accepted into to the Irish Convict Service on the 9 May 1855. Information contained therein written by R. Hon. Frederick Shaw and others stated that,  between 1847 and 1855 Peter worked as an under gardener for him (Frederick Shaw) at Kimmage House in the Parish of Rathfarnham. Shaw also wrote that  "his mother (Margaret Donnelly) keeps one of my Lodges & the whole family is very respectable". That implies that Peter may have had siblings and that his mother was still alive in 1855. No mention was made of the father. Besides Shaw's reference there were others including, his Crumlin school teacher, JM Howard, his Parish priest, Father Tiernan T. Dolan and a James Elliott A.M. The spelling of our name on all of there documents is given as "Donnolley". In 1862 Peter immigrated to Australia where he intended continuing in the same occupation, whereupon, in his  application to join Queensland Prison's Department in Australia in 1864, Peter quoted, "his several years active duty in one of the principal Convict Prisons in Ireland "Spike Island". (Not sure I am proud of that, having 7 of my 8 ggrand parents coming from Ireland). In concluding, I would love to find info on his siblings or anything on the family in general. Sincerely, Barry Donnelly