Today is Thursday, February 6th, 2020. On this day in 1880, five members of the Irish Canadian

family known as the Black Donnelly were laid to rest and

the priest presiding over the funeral may have been involved in their murders.

Welcome to today in true crime, a parcast original. Due to the graphic nature of today's crimes, listener discretion is advised,

extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13.

Today we're covering the funeral of one of Canada's most notorious families, the Black Donnelly's most notorious families.

The Black Donnelly.

Let's go back to the Biddelph Township in Ontario on February 6, 1880, precisely at noon.

Sitting in the front row of St. Patrick's Church, Jenny Donnelly sobbed uncontrollably.

Her brothers, Patrick, Robert, and William, stoically stared forward.

Their eyes glued to the altar.

The parish priest, Father John Connolly,

solemnly stood before them as the pallbearers carried two coffins down the aisle.

One of the coffins contained the body of the Donnelly's brother, John.

The other was full of bits of bone and ashes that used to be their father, James, their mother Joanna, their brother Thomas, and their cousin, Bridget.

The Donnellies were one of the most well-known families in Biddolf Township.

In the wake of such a tragic event, the church was packed to the gills. But it's hard to say how many were

there to mourn and how many were there to celebrate.

James and Joanna Donnell celebrate.

James and Joanna Donnelly immigrated to Ontario from Ireland sometime between 1842 and 1846. Like many of their compatriots, life had been hard for the Donnellies.

Though never once to back down from a fight, they were known as Blackfeet, Irish Catholics

who refused to fight against Protestants.

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