On March 13, 1828, a court trial was held in Limerick City in southwest Ireland. Miss Alice KENNELLY had been accused of stealing geese. She was found guilty & sentenced to 7 years with transportation to the Colony of New South Wales.

Alice was one of about 40,000 Irish convicts sent to the eastern Australian colonies, a quarter of them women, per the National Archives of Ireland. Banished to a far-away island, they lived a tough life – and the circumstances that brought them there, with harsh sentences, probably meant they had a difficult life in Ireland as well, in some cases doing whatever it took to survive in harsh conditions.

While serving her 7 years, she sought & received permission to marry Hugh Geehan, another Irishman who had been transported. They married on May 17, 1830 in Sydney – she is called Alice KENEALLY on this record – they had 8 children and a number of descendants.

Alice’s descendants took DNA tests, as did my KANALLEY/KENNELLY relatives and I. And the results are in: We’re related!

We come from the same KENNELLY family in Co. Limerick. We match up to Alice’s descendants on DNA segments that are consistent with the KENNELLY family; we triangulate with other Limerick KENNELLYs on the same segments, confirming the link with extremely high confidence.

Whether she was a sister of my immigrant ancestor Thomas KENNELLY, an aunt, or a cousin, I can’t say for sure, as pre-1830 records are scarce for Ireland. However, the science suggests a close relationship. It is believed her father was John, and I believe my Thomas’ father was John too, so that keeps a brother & sister relationship in play.

Convict records are detailed and provide more information about her. She was single in 1828 when she was tried, age 25 years old (so born about 1803), and she was a native of Co. Limerick; she came to Sydney aboard the ship “City of Edinburgh,” per Irish Convict records.

A direct descendant & researcher Mike ANDERSON found even more details through her Certificate of Freedom:

Her Certificate of Freedom also notes that she had ‘ruddy freckled’ complexion.

Alice had at least 3 sons John, James & Hugh and 5 daughters Mary Ann (RYAN), Catherine, Ellen (CASSIDY), Alice (GAHAN) and Bridget (GREEN).

She passed away on May 8, 1891 in Freemans Reach, New South Wales, which became Australia in 1901 when the country was founded. She was about 88 years old when she died, so she lived a full life.

Nearly 8 years later, on March 26, 1899, my immigrant ancestor and Alice’s relative Thomas KENNELLY passed away in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada at about 80 years old.

With Irish records so scarce, I’m thankful for DNA to establish a connection like this. It was an opportunity to learn more about the penal colonies, history of New South Wales and the transportation of so many Irish.

Interestingly, I learned that Australians who find that they descend of a convict claim them with a source of pride, and it has led to many curious Aussies research available records to learn more about their family history.

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