Eamon P. Connolly
February 9, 1939 - October 7, 2026
Eamon Connolly, son of South Boston, more recently of Hanover, sometime denizen of Quincy, Marshfield and Scituate, and proud founder of the Irish Volunteers, departed peacefully on October 7, 2026, with his daughter Carolyn by his side.
Eamon was a prominent figure in the Irish-American community, which he entertained with story and song for more than sixty years. Inarguably, his happiest moments were spent playing raconteur to a willing audience, somehow managing to combine impeccable timing, masterful storytelling, archaic witticisms, and wild gesticulations—all in service of the delivery and the inevitable punch line. To suggest that hyperbole was among his favored weapons would be the understatement of the century.
Raised on O Street in South Boston by parents Annie Conroy and Tom Connolly, who hailed from Connemara, Ireland, Eamon’s appreciation for his Irish heritage was cultivated early and remained a defining influence throughout his life. He inherited not simply a love of Ireland and its history, but a deep appreciation for the stories of its people, particularly those preserved and passed down through music.
His earliest and dearest childhood companions were, of course, his brothers, Thomas and Michael. His admiration for his sister Nancy’s sharp wit and Barbara’s boundless humanity endured throughout his life, as did the affection and loyalty that bound the siblings together.
Though naturally biased, his children maintain that the smartest thing Eamon ever did was to catch the eye of Betty Barry and make her his bride. A woman of uncommon beauty, intelligence, kindness, and patience, winning Betty's heart was undoubtedly his finest accomplishment. They remained dear friends throughout their lives, until her passing in 2021.
Eamon is survived by his four children: Eamon Óg and his wife Elizabeth of Hingham; Kara and her partner Tom Sexton, recently of South Carolina; Stacy and her husband Conrad Bailey of Norwell; and Carolyn and her long-time partner Tommy Kineavy, with whom Eamon shared a home in Hanover for more than twenty years.
Eamon’s nine grandchildren—Eamon and Reece Connolly; Riley and Callum DiCenso; Bryce, Devon, and Conrad Bailey; and Shea and MacLean Farricy—delighted in their Pa’s storytelling, performances, and larger-than-life personality. The cousins often swapped “Pa tales,” each trying to top the others with a new story about his antics. He gave them countless hours of love and laughter and did his best to introduce each of them to the finer points of Irish music and sports betting. We imagine that storytelling will continue into the next generation, through his great-grandchildren Pearse, Betty, Reagan, and Rory, as well as those we have yet to meet. We are confident the legend will live on.
Eamon spoke fondly of his years at Texaco, an experience he believed conferred upon him considerable expertise in all matters fuel-related. He similarly appreciated his years with the Office of Transportation, particularly for the flexibility the work afforded him to pursue his true passions. But above all, there was always the band. Eamon regarded his daytime livelihood largely as a means to a much more important end. One paid the bills; the other nourished his soul.
The Irish Volunteers took several forms over the decades. Founded by Eamon and originally including his brother Michael, the band eventually came into its own during what Eamon would undoubtedly have argued were its glory years: the 1970s and 1980s, alongside Jimmy Concannon, Bob Fowkes, Dave Leahy, and Skipper Toomey. Whether opening for Paddy Reilly at the Pier on Northern Avenue or entertaining their devoted following at Jimmy’s Irish Lounge on Nantasket Beach, the Irish Volunteers earned an enthusiastic and loyal audience. For decades, the band was a fixture in the local Irish music scene, and its name remained inseparable from Eamon’s own.
The friends and acquaintances Eamon made along the way are too numerous to count. Indeed, it was not uncommon for one of his children to introduce themselves to a stranger, only to discover that they were speaking to yet another of Eamon's great friends. But among his oldest and dearest was John Fleming, his friend of sixty-five years, with whom he'd been raising Cain since their days at the Sporty. John, whom Eamon regarded as the finest crooner of their generation, remained a constant presence in his later years. Dad delighted in having someone with whom he could both reminisce and commiserate, and we are deeply grateful to John for his steadfast friendship, dedication, and care.
So thoroughly did Eamon identify himself with his music that the nurses and caregivers who attended him in his later years invariably came away believing he had spent his entire working life as a professional musician. And perhaps, in the only accounting that mattered to Eamon, he had.
Throughout all the roles he played in life, two qualities remained ever present: his formidable intelligence and his undeniable charm. Eamon delighted in the company of those who could match his wit, trade stories, and appreciate the art of a well-delivered punch line. And while he was hardly immune to the pleasures of an appreciative audience, he was equally generous in his admiration of others. He celebrated talent and intelligence wherever he found them, often with the same magnificent exaggeration that characterized his own storytelling. For all his considerable flair for the spotlight, Eamon was just as happy to turn it toward someone he admired.
Perhaps the greatest testament to a life thoroughly lived and enthusiastically enjoyed was Eamon’s 80th birthday celebration, an affair as raucous and energetic as might have befitted a man half his age. True to form, the festivities concluded much as so many evenings with Eamon had before: with the sun rising, the guests finally surrendering to exhaustion, and the guest of honor expressing his considerable disappointment at being abandoned by a gathering of apparent “lightweights.”
For all these qualities, and so very many more, Eamon Connolly was a larger-than-life character who left an indelible mark on the world around him, and most profoundly on the family who loved him and will miss him forever. We take comfort in knowing that he is now in the arms of the Lord, reunited with those who went before him, most especially his parents and sisters, and his beloved Betty and Cal.
A Catholic funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Angels (St. Mary’s) in Hanover.