James O’Connell established himself at Killarney (County Kerry, Ireland) in the early nineteenth century, leasing lands from the Herbert family of Muckross House.

Lakeview House still exists[2] and is in the possession of descendants of Sir James O'Connell.

His estate amounted to over 18,000 acres in the 1870s and included lands in the parish of Ratass in the barony of Trughanacmy (County Kerry).

[1] Sir James was the son of Morgan O'Connell, a general store proprietor, and Catherine O'Mullane - both parents being from a Roman Catholic family.

He was married to Jane O'Donoghue and had five children, the eldest son succeeding as Sir Maurice James O'Connell, 2nd Baronet (1821–1896).