KELLY/O'KELLY, (Irish Gaelic: O Ceallaigh) is a genuine 'O' surname which belongs to the oldest class of native Irish surnames. The O'Kellys took their name from Ceallach, a descendant of Maine Mor. The name O Ceallaigh meant the grandson of Ceallach. The name O Ceallaigh did not spring from a single source but rather emerged independently in a number of regions of Ireland , namely Dublin, Meath, West Meath, Roscommon, Galway, Wexford, Cork, Down, Derry and Laois and to a lesser extent in Scotland, the Isle of Man and England. The O'Kellys prospered in their new territories and is the name of several distinct and illustrious families in various parts of Ireland. The most powerful of these clanns were the O'Kellys of Uí Maine (Maine's territory) who derive their descent from the first absolute King of Ireland whose father had invaded Ireland in 504BC. The ancient territory of Uí Maine covered much of modern day Connacht stretching into modern day counties Galway and Roscommon.

Whilst the name "O'Kelly" dominated from the Viking Era in the 9th century to the middle of the 16th century, the "O" was dropped during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and the name became Kelly.

There are at present 60,000 of the name in Ireland. It is the second largest family name after Murphy. A quarter of a million people bear this name in the U.S.A. and 24,000 in Canada. There are 120,000 Kellys in Great Britain and 50,000 in Australia. The remainder are scattered all over the world. Many people bearing this name have distinguished themselves in their adopted countries.

Conor O'Kelly- Skerries, Co, Dublin, IRELAND

July 2008