Sir Robert McConnell, 1st Baronet

[1] McConnell set up in business as a rent agent in 1874, opening an office in Lombard Street, Belfast.

The firm prospered, and with his brother Thomas, he became a prominent property developer, building small terraced houses in poorer sections of the city, and larger, speculative developments in more affluent suburbs.

The area behind Queen's University, popularly known as the Holyland, with its biblically named streets, was so named after McConnell, a devout Christian, returned from a visit to Carmel, Damascus, Cairo, Jerusalem and Palestine with his developer friend James Rea in the 1890s.

[2] In 1900 McConnell was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast, and the same year was made baronet by Queen Victoria on the occasion of her visit to Dublin.

Another son, William, joined the 3rd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and was killed in action in World War II.