The following was taken from an ancestry section of GoIreland.com. We marked in red where our family's name comes in.

(O)FENNELL (O) FENNELLY, Hennelly

These names in the past have often been confused. Fennell is more numerous than Fennelly. It has been associated with the Ormond country since the fourteenth century. It appeared from time to time in the Ormond Deeds from 1324 onwards as Fynnel, Fenell etc., and the context suggests that these men were of Anglo-Norman not Gaelic stock.

The name is found in the Justiciary Rolls in 1295 as de Fynaly. On the other hand O'Fynewil occurs in Co. Dublin in 1295. With the prefix 0 both names appear in the Fiants between 1570 and 1600, always in Co. Kilkenny. In the next century Petty's "census" lists them both as principal Irish names in Co Offaly. Dr. Gerald Fennell is recorded as taking a lease of Athassal, Co. Tipperary in 1634. He was a member of the Supreme Council of the Confederation of Kilkenny in 1647 and was a strong opponent of the Nuncio's party.

Another Fennell Col. Edward Fennell, was branded as a traitor at the Siege of Limerick in 1651 probably wrongly, since he was hanged by Ireton with four others of the defenders of Limerick. Two Fennels appear in King James's army list a generation later. The Bal~ygriffin estate, confiscated under the Cromwellian regime, was recovered at the Restoration. The attainders of 1642 include the name of Patrick Fennell of Co. Clare, in 1680. The "census" of 1659 returns Robert Fennell of Ballymoryhy, Co. Limerick, as English.

Some of the Fennells of the Kilkenny-Tipperary area were undoubtedly O'Fennellys. This name has in more recent times been corrupted to Finlay (also spelt Finley and Findley). Several of the name are found in the biographical dictionaries, but these were chiefly of Scots descent from the north of Ireland. Father Thomas Finlay S.J. (1848-1940), ardent advocate of the cooperative movement and for many years president of the Irish Agricultural Organization Society, was born in Co. Cavan of Scottish ancestry.

The name Hennelly is said to be a variant of Fennelly, the initial F of the Gaelic form being aspirated there. According to a register made by Father F. X. Blake in 1783 Hennelly was one of the most numerous names in the parish of Ballinrobe then. It has also been used as a variant of O'Hanley. should O'Fennelly and variants of the name appeaed in the Hearth Money Rolls of Co. Monaghan, (1663-65).