Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 72-73:

Connolly (or Connelly), James P.M., Very Rev., Irish
Bearded Townsville Pioneer
The name occurs in several of the North Queensland parish histories, kindly sent in by Mgr. Doug Stewart. And the profile of the bearded priest can be seen in Cardinal Moran's History (p. 625). James was born in Lifford, Diocese of Raphoe, County Donegal, in May 1834. Education was received partly at All Hallows, Dublin, and partly in France. In the file of information that has come in from Brisbane it is stated that he arrived there in 1863, and that he was among a party of discontents who marched out on Bishop James Quinn. The penance, on return, was an appointment as far north as he could be sent in the days when Brisbane Diocese extended to the Gulf of Carpentaria. But the appointee made his mark in building up the status of the church in Townsville in the 1870s. In fact, an old booklet 'Souvenir of the Grand Bazaar', Townsville, June 1908 (Price: Sixpence!) hints that Connolly was visiting Townsville from Brisbane from 1866 to 1872. The Souvenir goes on to state that the first church, St. Joseph's was built in 1872, the year that he was appointed the first resident priest. (The original church, enlarged by his successor, Father Walsh, so the record says, was swept away in a foaming torrent in January 1892). It would seem, therefore, that Connolly had a part in building the first church. There were other firsts in his Townsville achievements, but these seem to be dwarfed by those in Sandgate where he was appointed first pastor in 1880. He was responsible for building the first church in 1881, which he replaced by a better version in 1893. A presbytery was erected in 1890 and at his own expense he built a Convent for the first Sisters in 1894. Further accounts of achievements in Sandgate may be read in that rare but scrappy history of Brisbane progress: 'Catholic Miscellany' by Fr. Jeremiah O'Leary. In the Quinn-Cani fracas of the early 1880s, Connolly with many other diocesans signed the protest letter that objected to Cani being appointed diocesan administrator in 1881. He succumbed to Bright's disease at Sandgate on 22 July 1907, having attained the age of 71. So Townsville can claim that he was their pioneer for about ten years, and Sandgate - it would seem - claimed the last 27 years of his faithful service.
(Footprints, Vol. 2, No. 9)
Ref.: MDHC File, Torquay, per The late Fr. Jeremiah O'Leary.

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A Prayer-Calendar of Deceased Priests & Deacons in Australia 1788-2009, compiled by W.T. Southerwood, Sixth Edition, 2009, p 118: listed erroneously with date of death given as 23 September 1923.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 124-126:
Fr James Patrick Maria Connolly

James Connolly was born at Letterkenny in County Donegal in in May 1834. He entered All Hallows College from Lifford Raphoe in 1859. He transferred to a college in France in 1862 but was ordained for the diocese of Brisbane at All Hallows in 1864.(1)

Accompanied by Fr James McGahan, Fr Connolly sailed from Liverpool on 13 May 1865 on the Melmerby to arrive in Brisbane on 8 September 1865. While Fr Connolly worked in Brisbane diocese for 40 years, he is not mentioned in Yvonne McLay's life of Bishop Quinn and only once in Neil Byrne' s life of Robert Dunne.(2) John Maguire in Prologue, a History of the Catholic Church as Seen from Townsville, mentions Fr Connolly four times.(3)

Fr Connolly spent seven years based in Brisbane:

His name appears in the Cathedral baptismal registers between 1866 and 1871, and from headquarters he journeyed to minister in Beaudesert Parish and all the Logan and Gold Coast areas. Hence there may be seen alongside his signatures the places he visited on horseback – Tweed River, Coomera, Nerang, Burly (sic) Heads etc. During these years too he took it in turn with Dean Charles Murlay (later of Rockhampton) to go by steamer every few months to the Catholics of early Townsville. It was not as a stranger then that he was appointed in March 1871 first Parish Priest of Cleveland Bay.(4)

In 1868 Fr Connolly wrote a lengthy letter to the editor of Brisbane Courier endeavouring to correct a biased, even anti-Catholic, description of a protest staged at a civic reception during the visit of the then Duke of Edinburgh to Brisbane by an anonymous writer Eye-Witness. This supported a similar letter the previous day from Robert Dunne.

Seven priests for the young diocese arrived on 28 February 1871 aboard the Storm King; Fathers Pieranto, Romani, Davadi, Rossi, Scortechini, Rossolini and Kercher.(5) The Maryborough Chronicle reported the consequences of their arrival.

The arrival of several Roman Catholic priests by the Storm King, ship, from London, has necessitated considerable alterations in the arrangement of the Diocese. Amongst the Brisbane priests, Father Connolly and Horan have, as a consequence, been removed from their present sphere of labour. Father Connolly proceeds in a few days to take charge of the large district at Cleveland Bay; and Father Horan left, on Wednesday evening last, on the power steamer 'Queensland' for Maryborough, to assist Rev Paul Tissot.(6)

Rev Dr Cani, who was administrator of the diocese while Bishop Quinn was overseas on his ad limina visit and to attend the First Vatican Council, made these changes. Father Tom Linane's observation, quoted by John Maguire in Prologue, is incorrect in this regard.(7)

Fr Connolly was a supporter of Bishop Quinn but not a great supporter of Dr Cani. Following the bishop's death in 1881 Connolly was one of the 20 signatures on a letter to Archbishop Rodger Vaughan protesting Dr Cani's appointment as administrator of the diocese.

Fr Connolly's final activities in Brisbane were reported in the Brisbane press in March 1871:

A new Roman Catholic Church, dedicated to St Joseph, was opened yesterday morning for Divine worship at River-terrace, Kangaroo point … The church was consecrated yesterday by the Rev Dr Cani, and there was a large congregation present. After the rites of consecration High Mass was celebrated, the Rev Dr Cani acting as celebrant, Rev Father Connolly as deacon, and the Rev Father Davadi as master of ceremonies. An effective discourse was afterwards preached by the Rev Father Connolly.
A Tea party will be held in St James' Roman Catholic School, Fortitude Valley, this evening, at which an address will be presented to Rev Father Connolly, previous to his departure for Townsville.(8)

Fr Connolly reached Townsville in late March 1871. He laid the foundation stone of a new chapel at Ravenswood on 19 August.

In 1872 Bishop Quinn appointed him as priest-in-charge of the new Townsville mission. He built the first church in Townsville in 1872.

Fr Connolly could be a harsh man:

Father Connolly never made the Sisters of St Joseph feel particularly welcome, though it was on his initiative that they had been invited in the first place. … The story is told that on the arrival of the Sisters the parish priest was so disgusted that Mother Mary McKillop had not come personally to found the new convent, that he let the sisters carry all their own goods and chattels, the religious statues and vases, unobtainable in Townsville, up from the boat themselves. No convent had been prepared for them; they were expected to live in two rooms at the back of the presbytery. … Father Connolly regarded the sisters as 'ignorant servant girls'.(9)

After seven years in Townsville, Fr Connolly was appointed priest-in-charge of Nanango. In November 1880 he moved to Sandgate. In 1891 Fr James Power arrived as his curate.

Fr Connolly had the respect of Bishop Dunne. With Fr Andrew Horan and the archbishop himself Connolly was made a trustee of some church properties. In 1882 Fr Horan purchased the Gatton parish property in his own name. A few years later it was transferred into the trusteeship of Dunne, Horan and Connolly, years before the establishment of The Corporation of the Trustees of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brisbane.(10)

In his twenty-eight years in Sandgate Fr Connolly developed the parish from nothing. A small brick church was opened on 25 September 1881 at a cost of £500. During his first eighteen months in the parish Fr Connolly lived in a small hut at the rear of the church known as Andy's shed.

In March 1882 Fr Connolly moved his own beautiful residence which he called Murlough Villa after the village not far from where he was born at Letterkenny.

A new presbytery adjacent to the church was opened in 1890. Murlough Villa was purchased by the Sisters of the Perpetual Adoration as a holiday home. The first section of a new church was blessed and opened by Cardinal Moran in September 1892. It was while this church was under construction that Fr James Power arrived to serve as an assistant priest to Fr Connolly in November 1891. After fifteen years as curate to Fr Connolly, Fr Power succeeded as parish priest to fill that office for 40 years.

Fr Connolly opened a school in the old church. This was conducted by Sisters of Mercy travelling each day from Nudgee. At the end of 1892 two adjacent houses were rented by the parish; one serving as a school room and the other as a residence for four Sisters of Mercy who took up residence in early 1893. On 23 January 1893 there were 50 pupils rising to 70 by the end of the first week. The first church continued to serve as a school room for many years. A new convent for the Sisters was opened on 5 August 1894.(11)

Fr Connolly recorded his last baptism at Sandgate in September 1905. His health deteriorated from that time. At the age of 76 and after 42 years in Queensland, Fr Connolly died in the Mater Misericordiae Private Hospital, North Quay on 23 September, 1907.

Death of Rev Father Connolly
The Rev Father J P M Connolly, parish priest of Sandgate for twenty six years, died in the Mater Misericordiae Private Hospital yesterday afternoon. For the past eighteen months the deceased had been ailing, and for part of that time had been under the care of Dr Davidson, of Sandgate. His illness took a serious turn on Saturday last, and he was removed to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital with a view to undergoing a serious operation. The late Father Connolly, who was 76 years of age, was one of the oldest and most respected priests in the State. He came to Queensland forty-two years ago, entering upon his duties first at South Brisbane. He resided subsequently in North Brisbane and Townsville, and became parish priest at Sandgate in the year 1881. He occupied that position up to the time of his death, which took place upon the sixteenth anniversary of the opening of the new church, to which he contributed very largely from his own private purse. The deceased had been mainly instrumental in the church building and the Sandgate Convent, and leaves them absolutely free of financial encumbrance. Father Connolly was deeply respected and beloved, particularly in Sandgate. His purse was always open to every deserving call irrespective of creed or sect, and his death will be a blow to a very large number of residents of all denominations. A requiem Mass will be said at the church of the Sacred Heart at Sandgate today, and requiem high Mass at St Stephen's Cathedral, from which the funeral will start at 10am today.(12)

The Brisbane Courier of 25 September had a brief report of the funeral with Archbishop Dunne presiding in the presence of fifteen priests. Fr James Byrne was celebrant, Fr Canali deacon, Fr Bill Lee sub-deacon and Fr M Baldwin as master of ceremonies.(13)

A well-researched and detailed account of Fr James Connolly's ministry is covered by Fr Denis Martin in his publication for the centenary of the parish - Sacred Heart Parish Sandgate 1880–1980.

Footnotes
1. Kevin Condon cm, The Missionary College of All Hallows 1842-1891, 1986, student number 663, p. 315.
2. Neil J Byrne, Robert Dunne – Archbishop of Brisbane, pp. 70-71.
3. John Patrick Maguire, Prologue, a History of the Catholic Church as Seen From Townsville 1863 to 1982, 1980, pp. 13, 17, 24, 29.
4. Denis W Martin, The Sacred Heart Parish Sandgate 1880–1980, p. 11.
5. Queenslander, Brisbane, 4 Mar, 1871, p. 4.
6. Brisbane Courier, 10 Mar 1871, p. 2.
7. John Patrick Maguire, op. cit. p. 13.
8. Brisbane Courier, 20 March, 1871, p. 5.
9. John Patrick Maguire, op. cit. p. 17.
10. Deed of Gatton Parish Land held in Archdiocesan Property Office.
11. Denis W Martin, op. cit. p. 10 to 29.
12. Brisbane Courier, 24 Sep, 1907, p. 4.
13. Brisbane Courier, 25 Sep, 1907 p. 7

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.