Charles O'Neill Conroy
Charles O'Neill Conroy was a twentieth century Newfoundland solicitor born in Dublin.
Early life
He was born in Dublin in 1871 to James Gervé Conroy, a lineal male-line descendant of Fearfeasa O'Maolchonaire of the Four Masters, and Elizabeth O'Neill, who was the only daughter of Charles Henry (Cáthal Ainrí) Ó Néill, The O'Neill of Clannaboy. He was brought to St. John's, Newfoundland by his parents at 18 months, where his father became a teacher, lawyer, judge, founder of the Irish Catholic newspaper the "St. John's Advertiser", two term MHA for Ferryland and the Avalon Peninsula, and advocate of formal political ties between Ireland and Newfoundland.
He was educated in St. John's and in London, where he rented a room from Mary, the widow of Dr. Weathers, who was the brother of William Weathers, Bishop of Amyclaw. After returning to Newfoundland, he proposed to Mary's daughter, also Mary, and she and her mother moved to St. John's. He educated William J. Higgins, who would later be his law partner, Speaker of the Newfoundland House of Assembly and a judge.
Career
Conroy worked as a solicitor for the City of Saint John's, and while in that role he launched a writ against the government of Newfoundland to secure funding for the city during the Great Depression. He was Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and launched a successful but non-punitive libel lawsuit against a citizen who had been misled by the "orange" element, and was circulating lies regarding the nature of the organisation and a supposed oath, so that future repetitions of the malicious rumours could be prosecuted. He was also Lieutenant-Colonel and commanding officer of the Newfoundland Catholic Cadet Corps. Several pictures survive of him in the Newfoundland archives. He was an avid photographer and salmon fisherman himself, and many of his photographs survive in the Nefwoundland Quarterly Journal, particularly of the salmon rivers of Newfoundland. There is a pool named Chas. O'Neill Conroy's Pool after him in the Salmonier River.
Personal life
An only son, he lived at Raheen at 50 Bonaventure Avenue, and left a large family, with several sons and grandsons serving the executive of the Benevolent Irish Society of St. John's.
The eldest, James O'Neill Conroy, married Elizabeth Anne McGrath, daughter of James Francis McGrath, whose sons included James M. McGrath and John William McGrath, Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary who was with him at the assassination attempt on him. Jim and Betty had a boy Padre Carlos O'Neill Conroy, who was a Priest in Monsefú and for a time made mayor before he died tragically in 1966 in an auto accident, and a girl Sister Margaret O'Neill Conroy who still teaches in Uganda
O'Neill Conroy Family Tree - descendants of Elizabeth O'Neill
Family of Charles O'Neill Conroy. Ted (numerous) and Hugh have surviving male issue.
