Hi, I am trying to track down my husband's Donnelly ancestors in Ireland and solve our Donnelly family mystery. I have heard that most Donnellys in Ireland are from Counties Tyrone and Donegal. (Are there other heavily-Donnelly areas?) So, I am hoping someone in Ireland may have information on our Donnellys. My husband's direct male line goes back to Michael Donnelly (about 1822-1850) who immigrated from Ireland to Newark, Essex County, New Jersey in the USA. I would love to know from where in Ireland he comes and who his parents were. In 1849 he and Honora ("Nora") Winn Donnelly Williams (about 1827-after 1880) (the daughter of William Winn), also from somewhere in Ireland, had a son, Thomas John Donnelly (1849-1928), who was christened at Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. A year after the birth of their baby, in 1850, Michael Donnelly, died of dysentery at age 28. Michael Donnelly was buried at Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark. His remains and the remains of other poor Irish immigrants were later moved to nearby Saint Michael and ultimately to Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, Bergen County, New Jersey where they lie under a large Celtic cross that marks the spot where those buried at Old Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark between 1835 and 1910 were re-buried at Holy Cross in 1960. Somehow Michael's son Thomas became the foster son of farmers John and Mary Dardis from Ireland (I do not know where), in Jennings County, Indiana. After 1870 widower John Dardis and his foster son Thomas Donnelly joined the rest of the Dardis family in Madison County, New York. Thomas pursued a career as a train conductor. Two years after Michael's death, in 1852, Thomas' mother Nora married Elisha Williams at Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. Their children included Elizabeth, Terrance, and Honora Williams, and maybe others. Where is Nora buried? Michael and Nora's son Thomas John Donnelly married Honora ("Nora") Heffernan Donnelly (1861-1958) in 1881 in Cazenovia, Madison County, New York. She was the youngest child of Irish immigrants Thomas Heffernan (1815-1864) and Ellen Dugan Heffernan (1817-1898) from Rossmore and Holy Cross in County Tipperary in Ireland. I would appreciate any information on the Donnellys or even suggestions as to how to pursue further information. Thanks, Sharlotte Neely Donnelly donnelly@one.net http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/o/n/Sharlotte--N-Donnelly/

There was a Thomas Donnelly who married Margaret Chaffee of Smithfield/Peterboro area. Don't know if they are connected. Donna Burdick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnelly" <donnelly@one.net> To: <irl-tyrone-L@rootsweb.com>; <irl-donegal-L@rootsweb.com> Cc: <injennin@rootsweb.com>; <nymadiso@rootsweb.com>; <DONNELLY@rootsweb.com>; <IRL-TIPPERARY-L@rootsweb.com>; <njessex@rootsweb.com>; <heffernan@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 10:21 AM Subject: [NYMADISO] Mystery of the Donnelly family > Hi, > > I am trying to track down my husband's Donnelly ancestors in Ireland and > solve our Donnelly family mystery. I have heard that most Donnellys in > Ireland are from Counties Tyrone and Donegal. (Are there other > heavily-Donnelly areas?) > > So, I am hoping someone in Ireland may have information on our Donnellys. > My husband's direct male line goes back to Michael Donnelly (about > 1822-1850) who immigrated from Ireland to Newark, Essex County, New Jersey > in the USA. I would love to know from where in Ireland he comes and who > his > parents were. In 1849 he and Honora ("Nora") Winn Donnelly Williams > (about > 1827-after 1880) (the daughter of William Winn), also from somewhere in > Ireland, had a son, Thomas John Donnelly (1849-1928), who was christened > at > Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. A > year after the birth of their baby, in 1850, Michael Donnelly, died of > dysentery at age 28. Michael Donnelly was buried at Saint John Roman > Catholic Church in Newark. His remains and the remains of other poor Irish > immigrants were later moved to nearby Saint Michael and ultimately to Holy > Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, Bergen County, New Jersey where they > lie > under a large Celtic cross that marks the spot where those buried at Old > Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark between 1835 and 1910 were > re-buried at Holy Cross in 1960. Somehow Michael's son Thomas became the > foster son of farmers John and Mary Dardis from Ireland (I do not know > where), in Jennings County, Indiana. After 1870 widower John Dardis and > his > foster son Thomas Donnelly joined the rest of the Dardis family in Madison > County, New York. Thomas pursued a career as a train conductor. > > Two years after Michael's death, in 1852, Thomas' mother Nora married > Elisha > Williams at Saint John Roman Catholic Church in Newark, Essex County, New > Jersey. Their children included Elizabeth, Terrance, and Honora Williams, > and maybe others. Where is Nora buried? > > Michael and Nora's son Thomas John Donnelly married Honora ("Nora") > Heffernan Donnelly (1861-1958) in 1881 in Cazenovia, Madison County, New > York. She was the youngest child of Irish immigrants Thomas Heffernan > (1815-1864) and Ellen Dugan Heffernan (1817-1898) from Rossmore and Holy > Cross in County Tipperary in Ireland. > > I would appreciate any information on the Donnellys or even suggestions as > to how to pursue further information. > > Thanks, > > Sharlotte Neely Donnelly > > donnelly@one.net > > http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/o/n/Sharlotte--N-Donnelly/ > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NYMADISO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message