From Ó Conghalaigh, ‘fierce as a hound’ — separate septs in Monaghan and Connacht carried the name independently.
Gaelic Origin · Root name Conghal
Connolly comes from Conghal, built from cú (‘hound’) and gal (‘valour’), read as ‘fierce as a hound’ — hounds being, throughout Gaelic legend, a mark of nobility rather than menace. Unrelated Ó Conghalaigh septs held ground in both Monaghan and Connacht.
A name that borrows its courage from the hound, an animal Gaelic Ireland always considered noble company, never a lesser one.
Irish form: Ó Conghalaigh
