’Connor, or O’Conor, is perhaps the most illustrious of all Irish surnames, though this view would, no doubt, be disputed by the O’Neills, the O’Briens, the O’Donnells and one or two other great and famous septs. It is borne by six distinct septs located in different parts of the country of whom four survive in considerable numbers. The most important are the O’Connors of Connacht—the main branches of this sept being O’Conor Don, O’Conor Roe and O’Conor Sligo. These are descended from Conchobhar, King of Connacht (d. 971), and the last two High-Kings of Ireland were of this line, viz., Turlough O’Connor (1088—1156) and Roderick O’Connor (1116—1198), both of whom were progressive monarchs. Their direct descendant, as certified by the Genealogical Office, Dublin Castle, is the present O’Connor Don: he is a Jesuit priest, and it is interesting to note that this important and aristocratic family consistently maintained its position notwithstanding the fact that they remained inflexibly Catholic. Evidence of this is abundant in all the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century manuscripts."
The O'Connor family in America is immense and numbers many famous and some infamous people. Mostly, however, they show their nobility by living good , dignified and peaceful lives as American citizens. There is no better place to study and read about them than http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/oconnor/
celtic knot courtesy of http://www.webomator.com/bws.