The Connells of Newbridge (Droichead Nua), Co. Kildare [Gen-039]
William Connell, son of John Connell and Ellen Walsh, was discharged from the British Army on 8th February, 1870 on the completion of twenty-one years service.
He set up business in Newbridge as a publican: family tradition is that the name of the public house was "The Leinster Arms". No information is available as to why he selected Newbridge as the place to start his business, or what connection he may have had with the town before 1870. However, he was living in the Curragh, Co. Kildare in 1868 and Newbridge was not too far away. He may have thought that with his Army connections it would be a good location.
Mrs. A.C. D'Arcy Rahilly, a grand-daughter of William Connell, says the Connell family lived in a stone house, with Georgian windows in Eyrie (?) Street, near the Railway Station and off the main street. She would have been too young to remember this herself but she may have been given the information by her own mother or by the Turners (see later).
William Connell (or O'Connell as he seems to have been known by then) died on the 2nd October, 1875, and his wife died on 13th June, 1884.
No information is available as yet (1984) as to when William Connell and his wife, Mary Bourke, were married. The Marriage Register for Windgap Parish, Co. Kilkenny, for the years October, 1839 - December, 1855, were searched without result. (William was born in that parish and it was thought that he might have married one of the many Burkes living in the area at the time.) They were probably married in 1850 or 1851.
Addition by Brian Toolan, 2025: William Connell and Mary Bourke were, in fact, married at Ballvarry, Co Mayo, on 18 August 1850. Nothing is known of Mary’s origins but it is reasonable to assume that she was from Balvarry or its hinterland.
The family Bible of the O'Connell family is in possession of Mary D'Arcy Lacy, 85, Mobhi Rd., Glasnevin, Dublin, a grand-daughter of William O'Connell. It contains information regarding the O'Connell family but it is not known whether the particulars were entered by the O'Connell family or by the D'Arcy family. Unfortunately, there is no reference to the O'Connell / Bourke marriage.
The children of William O'Connell (as it is proposed to call him in future) and Mary Bourke were:
- Ellen, born 28-10-1851. Married John Browne at Newbridge, February, 1875. Had daughter named "Daisy" (probably baptised "Margaret"). Died 5th April, 1879 at Newbridge. Place of Birth not stated.
- John Joseph, born Dublin, 5th November, 1853. Married Martha Moorhouse, at Christ Church, Tundla, Northwest Province India Station on 25th April, 1883. She was a Protestant. They had three sons - Cecil Bourke, Alan (Bourke?), and Barry Bourke. Cecil and Barry were born at Tundla. It is likely that Alan was born there also.
John Joseph {otherwise Jack) 0'Connell was an engineer and apparently worked for the British Government, either as a civilian or in the Army. Mrs. A.C. D'Arcy Rahilly says that she corresponded with the sons for a while. She also said that Jack 0'Connell returned home on leave from India and rented a house in Windsor Ave., Fairview, Dublin, near where her family lived at the time. On the return voyage to India, the ship encountered a violent storm and Jack was killed by a falling spar while walking on deck. - Kate (probably baptised Catherine), born Limerick 28th October, 1863. Married George Frederick Turner at Newbridge on 28th November, 1885. They owned "The King's Arms" public house in Newbridge. Their children were:
- Mary Kate, born Newbridge 23rd March, 1887.
- Emly Elizabeth, born Newbridge 26th May, 1888.
[B]oth of these emigrated to the United States of America. Mary Kate ("Kathy") married a Jack Fitzgerald and had issue. Emily married a man named Fox. - Margaret ("Pearl") who married William Reville, sometime Canteen Manager in the Curragh Military Camp and later (prior 1932) owner of the Claremont Hotel, Howth, Co. Dublin. (The hotel is sited on the seashore and is entered by a level crossing about 200 yards before Howth Railway Station.) Margaret and Willie Reville are buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery (1954 Extension), Sutton. Their children were:
- Yvonne (who died young),
- William who married and lived in Dublin. He died in London on 15th May, 1981.
- Brendan who was Managing Director of McCairns Motors (Dublin), Ltd.
- Gerard
- Vincent who worked in Irish Dunlop, Ltd., Dublin.
- Gladys, daughter of Kate and Geo. Turner, died unmarried on 18th June, 1953. She was employed in the Claremont Hotel.
- Ina, married Tom Murphy, owner of the "Three Tun Inn" Blackrock, Co. Dublin. They had a large family including Timothy, George, Ina.
- Heidi, died young.
- May became a nun and worked in Africa for many years. She left the Order after about twenty years and married Maurice Carroll of Newbridge. They had no children.
- Following the death of her husband, Geo. Turner, Kate married Christy Dunne, a widower with two children - Willie and a girl named Maidie. Christy Dunne owned a public house in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Two children were born of this marriage:
- "Pansy" who later married Captain Sean Collins-Powell, a nephew of Michael Collins, Director of Intelligence for the Nationalist Forces during the War of Independence. Sean Collins-Powell in later years became a Lieut.-General and Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Forces. They had two daughters and live in Greystones, Co. Wicklow since his retirement.
- Annie, married Malachy O'Gorman, a journalist with the "Irish Independent'" and later with the "Catholic Standard".
- Mary, daughter of William O'Connell and his wife Mary Bourke, born South Camp, Aldershott (Registration District, Farnham) on 28th December, 1865. Married Robert Patrick D'Arcy of Dublin at Newbridge Parish Church on 8th February, 1888. (See later).
- William Gregory, son of William O'Connell and Mary Bourke, born Curragh, Co. Kildare, 9th May, 1868. Emigrated to the USA and died, unmarried, in New York about 1930.
- Anne Elizabeth born Henrietta St. Dublin 26th October, 1870. The family address at the date of Anne Elizabeth's birth was No. 16 Henrietta St. She was born in No. 14. No.16 is no longer standing (1984). It is understood that Anne Elizabeth emigrated to England and married there: no further information is available.
Addition by Brian Toolan, 2025: 14 Henrietta Street, where Anne Elizabeth Connell was born, now houses a museum, telling the story of the house from Georgian townhouse to tenement dwelling.
Addition by Brian Toolan, 2025: Subsequent research revealed that Anne Elizabeth married Ernest Sidney Webb, a soldier with the 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment in the Curragh, Co Kildare, in May 1893.
Their only child, Ernestine Mary, was born at Aldershot, England, in April 1894. Anne died there in 1897.
In July 1913, Ernestine married Sidney Elton Phipps, a soldier. He was posted to India and they had two children there before moving to Bath in England. It appears that some of her descendants still live there.
According to Mrs. A.C. D'Arcy Rahilly her mother's family were well off financially: her mother had told her this. However, it is unlikely that William O'Connell's business in Newbridge was well established at the time of his death; five years at the most
had elapsed since he started it. Following his death, it is likely that the business deteriorated and the family lived on whatever capital they had. At any rate when William O'Connell's widow died in June, 1884, the deeds of the family property were, according to Mrs. Rahilly, handed over to a solicitor named Cox who took possession of the family home. The three girls were homeless and were taken in by friends in the town. Mary O'Connell wes taken in by a dressmaker and became a skilled needlewoman.
The Index to Prerogative Wills in the Public Record Office, Dublin for the year 1884 (He died in 1875 but administration of his will was not sought until shortly before his widow's death in 1884.) has the following entry:
Letters of administration (with will annexed) of the personal estate of William O'Connell (sic) late of Newbridge, Co. Kildare, publican, who died on 2nd October, 1875 at the same place were granted to Richard Rawson Greening of 6, Harcourt St., Dublin, a creditor, Estate: £1054 - 10 shillings.
Mary O'Connell, his widow, died on 13th June,1884. There is no mention in the Index of a will of hers in the entries relating to the years 1883 - 1886, inclusive.
Death of Mrs. Mary Connell of Newbridge - Extract from "Freeman's Journal" of 14th June 1884
Editor's addition, 2025
The transcribed text of the original is provided here to make it better findable in an internet search.
AWFULLY SUDDEN DEATH AT NEWBRIDGE - Yesterday (Friday) morning Mrs O'Connell, a respectable widow lady, dies at her residence in Newbridge with appalling suddenness. Deceased, who has retired to bed in her usual health, came down stairs about \[1 30 ?\], and, having awaked the household, sent one of her daughters for the priest and the doctor. She died, however, in a couple of minutes, before either of the latter arrived. An inquest will be held.