Not many County Kerry people have ancestors buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. But one visitor this week had a very good reason for being there. Early last year I was commissioned by an O’Connell descendant living in South Africa, to research a very early ancestor – a kinsman of the Daniel O’Connell family of Cahirciveen and Derrynane.
A lot of ‘digging’ had to take place in the County Kerry Archives in Tralee and at the National Library to get information this far back. Dr. Geoffrey O’Connell was born between 1750 – 1760 i . He died between 1812 – 1816. In 1773 he had a medical practice in Paris and was arrested there during The Reign of Terror and sent to the Bastille. Soon afterwards he was granted a permit to return to Ireland. He married Elizabeth Anne Ross in England 1803 and they were married for 10 years before he died. They had 3 children, Michael 1804, John 1811 and Elizabeth Anne 1813. The children were all born at Hillgrove, (Cahirciveen), Ireland.
Dr. Geoffrey is the Great Great Great Grandfather of Marié de Vries. The relationship to Daniel O’Connell would have been through his father or indeed Grandfather. So in Kerry we would say that Marié is ‘connected’ to Daniel O’Connell or more correctly that he is a ‘kinsman’.
During their visit to Ireland, Marié and Thys visited Cahirciveen, Derrynane and the old ruin of Hillgrove. On this stopover, quite unexpectedly they bumped into other O’Connell ‘connections’, as you do in this part of the world, and paid them a second visit to cement relationships. Their visit to Glasnevin Cemetery was a highlight of their time in Ireland, when Conor our very professional Tour Guide explained the significance of this historic burial ground. Opened in 1832, it is the largest non-denominational burial ground in Ireland. Prior to the establishment of Glasnevin Cemetery, Irish Catholics had no cemeteries of their own in which to bury their dead and, as the repressive Penal Laws of the eighteenth century placed heavy restrictions on the public performance of Catholic services, it had become normal practice for Catholics to conduct a limited version of their own funeral services in Protestant cemeteries. It was through his efforts that the necessary land was bought and Daniel O’Connell pushed for the opening of a burial ground in which both Irish Catholics and Protestants could give their dead dignified burial
We were treated royally on our visit to Glasnevin on the conducted tour and would recommend it as a very interesting outing for anyone. There is also an interactive Museum and excellent coffee shop there. In October you will be able to go right to the top of the O’Connell Tower and get a bird’s eye view of Dublin, when the newly constructed staircase is opened.
Thanks for that very interesting information Kay, will definitely put it on my list to do next time in Dublin…
I would recommend it as an outing. It was a beautiful sunny day when we were there and it is not a melancholy place at all. Great Coffee shop and the Museum would be fascinating also for younger folk – the technology is good.
Hi Kay!
Marie and I share the same ancestor nl, Dr. Geoffrey O’Connell. Our family originate from his eldest son, Michael O’Connell, and the eldest son in our family has always been called Geoffrey! Marie and I had the wonderful opportunity to meet for the first time during their tour of Ireland! I read your article with interest and do hope that you won’t mind my asking you about Dr. Geoffrey getting married in 1803? May I assume that you had found a marriage certificate for the couple then, and would you mind telling me in which church it had been found..? Once again, thank you for this interesting article and here’s hoping that I too will be able to meet with you someday!
Maureen, thank you – it was great to meet with Marié and Thys on their recent visit here in Aptril. I especially enjoyed our visit to the O’Connell Monument in Glasnevin. Regarding the marriage date – all of that came from Marié. The only facts that I really unearthed was the fact of Dr. Geoffrey being in the Bastille. Most of the reference I got were from the ‘The Last Colonel of the Irish Brigade’. In fact I searched extensively through all the records for Geoffrey’s marriage and never caqme up with any evidence. Most of the births/marriages in Kerry in the 18th Century were private ceremonies conducted and never got registered in Churches. As you probably know, Civil Registration did not start in Ireland until 1864 so it is often impossible to trace such events.
Hello, the whole thing is going fine here and ofcourse every one is
sharing data, that’s actually fine, keep up writing.
I am still researching the whereabouts of Dr.Geoffrey O.Connell married to Elizabeth Ann Ross abt. 1803. We are now researching the THEORY that he was the son of Charles Fitz Phillip O’Connell and Alicia O’Connell of Riverton, Waterville and the brother of Sir Maurice Charles Phillip O’Connell Lt. Gen.of the 8Oth Regiment stationed at Chatham, Kent during the war. During the Reign of Terror 1793 DR GEOFFREY O’CONNELL was captured and held in the Bastille. Later released and he returned to Chatham, Kent, England where Maurice Charles Phillip O’Connell were in command of the 8Oth Regiment and the home of Elizabeth Ann Ross. Where they presumably met , got married and returned to Hillgrove, Ireland where his sister Honora was married to John Primrose of Hillgrove, near Cahirsiveen, Ireland. At Hillgrove their three children Michael 1804, John 1811 and Elizabeth Ann 1813 were born. He died shortly thereafter and Elizbeth, his widow and their 3 children came to South Africa about 1820. She remarried a Charles Eager and had another daughter Elizabeth “Eliza” Eager. If any one out there may have information, I will be so grateful to hear from you. Kind regards.
I am still researching the whereabouts of Dr.Geoffrey O.Connell married to Elizabeth Ann Ross abt. 1803. We are now researching the THEORY that he was the son of Charles Fitz Phillip O’Connell and Alicia O’Connell of Riverton, Waterville and the brother of Sir Maurice Charles Phillip O’Connell Lt. Gen.of the 8Oth Regiment stationed at Chatham, Kent during the war. During the Reign of Terror 1793 DR GEOFFREY O’CONNELL was captured and held in the Bastille. Later released and he returned to Chatham, Kent, England where Maurice Charles Phillip O’Connell were in command of the 8Oth Regiment and the home of Elizabeth Ann Ross. Where they presumably met , got married and returned to Hillgrove, Ireland where his sister Honora was married to John Primrose of Hillgrove, near Cahirsiveen, Ireland. At Hillgrove their three children Michael 1804, John 1811 and Elizabeth Ann 1813 were born. He died shortly thereafter and Elizbeth, his widow and their 3 children came to South Africa about 1820. She remarried a Charles Eager and had another daughter Elizabeth “Eliza” Eager. If any one out there may have information, I will be so grateful to hear from you. Kind regards.
Marie, I owe you a reply to this for ages and ages. When I see a post or email about Dr. Geoffrey it sets me off. I have to pull out all my documentation on the 18th century O’Connells. We both know how complicated the story is. I have NOT forgotten about him, but I really need to go back and refresh myself. That is a new theory – one I must go through, so patience with me is what I require from you! I have a new contact that I will send to you by email, who may be able to throw some light on the different brigades that the Irish O’Connells fought with. I have been reading more about Chatham and this link definitely seems to be about the army connection. It is amazing that we cannot ever find the marriage record – it would have been recorded in either England or Ireland, if only for inheritance purposes. Kay
I think I made the connection with Marie de Vires in relation to Dr Geoffrey O Connell
back about 6 months ago. Their original home was Riverstown the english
translation of Ballynahow, St. Finan’s Bay (THE GLEN) now in The Parish of Prior
but back in the 18th century in Killemlagh Parish. His brother Sir Maurice Charles FitzPhilip
hailed from here also..Ihad a visit from his descendants in 1980. The OConnells have been associated with
Ballynabloun and Ballynahow since 1690 approx.They were landlords here up to the 1920’s when the tenants got back their land.Charles O Connell built Ballynaboun House in the 1840’s and its now gone. Riverstown is not in Waterville. Pat O’ Leary