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Comment by Rick O'Kelley 01/2014
For many years I have been aware
of and have read Dr. John O'Dovovan's 1843 book about the
O'Kelley
regional kings or
Chiefs of Ui Maine (Hy-Many) Ireland.
Because author
W E MacClenny in his 1910 book about
Rev
James makes a claim that he descended from the O'Kellys of Hy-Many, and
Alethea Jane Macon in her 1969 book
echoes this claim most all my family believed we descended from these
O'Kelleys and that belief goes back more than 100 years. Imagine my
surprise when I
completed DNA testing in August of 2010 and learned that while I am
related, that relationship occurred maybe 600 years before the O'Kelly
surname came into use. My DNA results indicate
that me and the current chief of the name, the
current living descendent
share a common male O'Kelley Ancestor in the past 1500 to 2000 years ago providing
genetic proof that my line
 descended from
the same ancestors as those listed in Dr. O'Donovan's book but this book
has nothing to do with my ancestors. Since 2010 my
DNA matches and family tradition stories indicate that James O'Kelley,
my ancestor to come from Ireland to Virginia about 1748 AD, came from
the
O'Kelley's of Tara, and we are the descendants of the O'Kelley of
Bregia who were said to descend from the Irish Monarch Aedh Slane and before the
coming of the English were said to be equal in wealth, power, and
greatness to the O'Kellys of Hy-Many. I doubts that the descent
from the Irish Monarch Aedh Slane is correct but I think the rest is
true, even the spelled of my last
name support this. My grandmother use to say we descended
from the "old O'Kelleys" who were Irish Kings
and we spell our name with the double "e" because that is how
the "old O'Kelleys" spelled it and she may have been right as the
O'Kelley of Bregia would have lived
among the English for a very long time and would have used an English
spelling well before the printing press when all words and names had
extra "e"s. I believe the spelling of our
name, our family tradition story of coming from the O'Kelleys of Tara,
arriving in America in 1748 as
protestant marrying descendents of America founding families and members
of our family being ministers of the English church are proof that we descended from
what was left of the Gentry line of the
O'Kelley of Bregia who
have been mostly forgotten in Ireland. If we had remained in
Ireland with wealth and property we too might have had a book written
about us as Dr O'Donovan wrote about the O'Kelly's of Ui Maine or Hy-Many
our distant cousins.
Here are some additional pages to aid the
understanding.
Chart from the back of the book broken into three
scans or full image
  
Perhaps one of the most interesting facts found in
this book is the explanation as to how some of the Irish Gaelic Gentry O'Kelleys came to be
protestant. While I haven't yet found the document, it seems
certain that the O'Kelleys of Tara followed the same path to becoming
Protestant and like the English. Beginning on page 18 and ending on page 20 we have:
In the reign of Elizabeth it consisted only of five
baronies, as appears from a curious document to be found among the "
Inrolments tempore Elizabeths," in the Auditor General's Office, Dublin,
dated 6th August, 1585. From this Document the Editor is tempted to
present the reader with the following extract, which throws a curious
light on the state of Hy-Many in the reign of Queen Elizabeth:
" Agreement
between the Irish chieftains and inhabitants of Imany, called the
O'Kellie's country, on both sides of the river of Suck, in Connaught,
and the Queen's Majesty, viz.
Hugh O'Kelly of Lisecalhone, otherwise
called O'kelly,
Teige Mac William O'Kelly, of Mullaghmore, and Connor
Oge O'Kelly, of Killianee, competitors for the name of Tanestshippe of
O'kelly ;
Connor ne Garroghe O'Kelly, of Gallaghef, and
Shane ne Move O'Kelly, of
the Criaghe, Generosus ; William O'Mannine, of Mynlogheb, otherwise
called O'mannine ; Moriartagh O'Concannon, of Kiltullagh, otherwise
called O'conCannon ; Shane O'Naghten, of Moynure1, otherwise called
O'naghten ; Edmond Mac Kcoghe, of Owenaghk, otherwise called Mac Keoghe
; Donogh O'Murry, of Ballymurry1, otherwise called O'murry ; Covaghe
O'Fallone, of the Milltowne", otherwise called O'Fallone ; and Connor
Mac Geraghte, otherwise called Mac Gerraghte".
" The territory of Imany, called O'Kelly's country, is divided into five
principal barronyes, that is to wytte, Athlone, Killconnell, Teaquine,
Killyane, and Maycarnane, all which contain 665 1/2 quarters of land, each
at 120 acres.
" It is agreed by all the forenamed parties that the captainshippe and
tanistshippe of the said country, heretofore used by the said O'Kellies,
and all ellections and Irish customary division of lands shall be
utterly abolished and extinct for ever: that
Hugh, otherwise called O'kelly, shall possess these four quarters of land, viz. Lisennoke,
Ferranbreaghe, Lysdallen, and Moydowe, now in his possession, and which
arc situated in Eraght-O'Murry and Mac Edmond's country, in the barony
of Athlone, with a chief rent out of various other lands within the said
country, which amount in the whole to £56 19.S. 6d. during his natural
life, and after his death the said lands to be freed and discharged of
the aforesaid rents.
" That Teige Mac William O'Kelly shall have and possess the quarters of
Mullaghmore, Corncgallaghe, Carrownesire, and Carrowncboe. And Connor
Oge O'Kelly shall have four quarters in and about the town of Killiane,
but upon this special condition, which they bind themselves to, that
they and their heirs shall henceforth behave themselves like good
subjects ; shall put no ymposition or chardge upon the inhabyters of the
lands, and shall bring uppc their children after the English fashions,
and in the use of the Englishe tounge."
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