JOHN CONNOR OF KILL

John Connor, of Kill

By Eugene O’ Connor

John (Johnny) Connor from Kill, Co. Kildare, was a soldier with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and served in India and later in Europe during WW1. While in India he was awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal by the King who was being crowned Viceroy of India at the time. He contracted malaria while serving there and it remained with him all his life. John was married to Annie (nee Lawlor) and they had four sons John(Jack our father) Dan, Charlie and Paddy. Sadly Annie died in 1923 aged 40 and the oldest child John was only 7 years old. John married a second wife Mary (nee Keogh) and continued rearing his children until her death in the 1950’s. Mary’s brother Michael Keogh was also in the same regiment and died at the battle of the Somme and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate in the town of Ypres.

In 1968 at the age of 84 while on his way to work as a gardener Johnnie Connor was struck by a bus on the old Naas road and died later that day in Naas Hospital. He is buried in Naas Cemetery (St. Corban’s) as are his two wives and two of his sons, Charlie (Charles) and Paddy(Patrick).

The family home was one of two soldiers’ houses in Kill village where the family grew up. Jack the eldest son went on to marry Catherine (Kathleen) Doyle from Sallynoggin, Co. Dublin, and they settled in Dun Laoghaire raising three sons David, John (Sonny) and Eugene. Dan and his wife Lily remained in the family home in Kill and raised two daughters Anne and Marie. Charlie never married and was a very popular character in the village of Kill until his death a few years ago. Sadly, Paddy the youngest son died quite young in 1953