Coakley Family Reunion - Family Stories

Fun Facts of the Coakley Family

There are over 2000 Coakleys’ in the World today spread throughout the continents. Our Family seems to be Irish coming from Western Cork (Enchigeelagh), but most certainly is English. (Of course back then all the Irish were English.)

The Furthest we trace our Ancestry in this immediate Family is to Dan Coakley (Ned the Colonel) who we have pictures of next to a peat bog house holding a pitchfork. He was married to Mary Hanley, and the reportedly had 4 children: Michael, Dennis, Honora and Daniel. There is no further information on the other children other than vague references in letters.

Daniel Coakley the son, was born in Dec. 1852 in County Cork and died in May 1942 in Chelea, MA. He married Catherine Butler, (1861-1943) (the Butler family is reported to be of some wealth and notoriety) and they had 9 children: Molly, Killy, Ethel, Daniel, Nelly, Julia, William, Catherine and Annie. William died while in the Army in 1918.

Daniel Coakley was born in County Cork in 1883 and died in Lowell in Feb 1960. He married Catherine Lannon, (July 1891-April 1967). (She was the first of her siblings born in the US. All her older siblings were born in Liverpool, England) They had 7 or 8 children: Mary, Helen, Catherine, Rita, Daniel, Joseph, Evelyn and reportedly a William.
( The Lannon [John & Anne {Lackey}] family from Kilkenny spent much of their early lives in Liverpool England where the family name evolved to Lennon) (Could we be related to John of Beatles fame?)

Older Photos - Click on any photo below to see the full size version


Cousin's Club	Daniel Coakley and Daughter	Daniel Coakley and Sons	Daniel Coakley and Wife Catherine Butler	Daniel J Coakley	Ned the Colonel


	Cousin's Club	William Coakley	Dan Coakley Sr.Unknown Location	Joe's Camp at Lakeview

Did you know?

That Coakleys’ fought in every war in the US including the Civil War?
- In the Civil War they fought for both sides!
That a Coakley from Massachusetts gave his life at Gettysburg and is buried in the MA graveyard at the battlefield?
LT. William Francis Coakley was killed in action in Vietnam.
That Cornelius Coakley was a founder of St Rose church in Chelsea, a church that backed up to Carey St, where Daniel Coakley lived?
That firefighter Steven Coakley gave his life at 9-11 in the World Trade Center?
That there apparently was an English trader named Coakley who apparently engaged in the slave trade?
- That there is an entire branch of the Coakley Family that is African American?
- Including Dexter Coakley of the Dallas Cowboys?
- And Author Wendy Coakley Thompson?
- That there is a reportedly Coakley Island in the Virgin Islands that is predominately African American?
- That Coakley is a very common name in the Bahamas……and African American?
  - There is a Coakley Town in the Bahamas?
That the Middle School in Norwood MA is named after Dr Phillip Coakley?
- And there is a Coakley Middle School in Harlingen, TX?
That there is a Coakley Hollow Fen Natural Area in Lake of the Ozarks State Park in MO?
You can visit Coakley’s Pub in:
- Macroom, Ireland
- Cumberland, PA
- Havre De Grace, MD
That Martha Coakley is Middlesex County, MA District Attorney?
That the Coakley Landfill in NH is an EPA Superfund site?
Other Notable Coakleys:
- Author Jay Coakley who writes on sports.
- Tom Coakley, an editor at the Boston Globe
- Bishop Paul Coakley of Salinas Diocese in Kansas
- History Author Robert W. Coakley
- MLB Pitcher Andy Coakley
- Sculptor Chris Coakley