Emmet and Simon O'Connial are the second and third children of Daniel O'Connial and Ruth MacGilligan O'Connial. Emmet was born in 1843, and Simon in 1844 in Limerick in the heart of the famine years. Their family had survived the famine better than most, primarily because of Daniel's involvement in an anti-British group of terrorists called the Ribbonmen, and his somewhat steady work in town. During the day, Daniel would work as a leather worker in Limerick, but at night, he would join his clan of brethren in attacks against the British supporters. Since Daniel was always away with his activities, Ruth was left to take care of all the children, practically raising them all by-herself. Daniel's actions also led the family to be constantly fearful that their father, or even the family would not survive if he were to be caught. After a while, his actions caught up with him, and his nightly activities were fought out. He was then sent off to Tasmania, and Emmet and Simon never heard from him again. Daniel's activities had adverse and different effects on the whole family.

Emmet saw his father as a revolutionary. He hated the British for what they had done to his father, and other Irishmen. So, at the age of 18, in 1861, he took up the cause his father fought for and joined the Republican Brotherhood. Simon on the other hand dismissed his father's beliefs and always followed the laws very strictly. He saw that his brother was following in his father's footsteps he did not like it one bit. Therefore, with his mother's permission in at the age of 17 Simon left for America. His travel to America was slightly better than that of his brethren who had fled Ireland during the potato famine aboard disease and lice infested coffin ships.(1) Upon his arrival in New York in 1961, he faced the common anti-Irish sentiment had grown since the mass exodus of Irish to America since the famine years.(2) Nevertheless, he persevered and found odd-jobs in New York City for the next year, in the process meeting Ann MacDonald, a New York City police officer's daughter. The two became married shortly thereafter. The connections created by the marriage helped him get a job as a police officer. After joining the force, he helped aid in the suppression of Draft Riots that were occurring because of the Civil War in New York. Many of the participants of the riots were Irish, but Simon by nature was a law-abiding citizen, so he saw the rioters as lawbreakers and that alone, so he took many of their lives by his actions against them.

Back in Ireland, Emmet was becoming increasingly involved with the actions of his Republican Brotherhood. Local support of his group grew, secretly that is; no one would publicly support such a group under British rule no one in their right minds, that is. For the most part, though, they were not a threat, mainly because they did not have the money to do much more than minor vandalism to get back at the British. Over the course of his involvement, Emmet met Eleanor O'Kelly, who was the daughter of one of his Republican brothers, and the two were married. A year later the Republican Brotherhood had finally achieved some funds to carry out an attack on the British police in Limerick. Emmet shot one of the officers, and because of this, he had to ask his brother Simon to get passage to America. Although the two disagreed on every aspect of life, and did not get along Simon consented and set up Emmet's passage to America.

Once in America, Emmet found work, as a clerk in the City Commissioner's office, and Eleanor became a secretary in the same office. Emmet became increasingly interested in politics from the job, and joined Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine.(3) From his entry into Tammany Hall in 1863 he became a great leader in the party's efforts, mostly because he, like many Irishmen in New York City, as well as around the country, was seen as a good political organizer.(4) Simon was proud of his brother's success, but still did not like the company he kept. Nevertheless, Simon accepted the position of Assistant Chief of Police when Emmet pulled some strings within the political powerhouse that was basically running New York City.

Emmet and Eleanor continued to work in the Tammany Hall organization, and made quite a successful life for themselves. They had four children, two boys and two girls, who went on to use the family's success in politics in their lives, and it became a family tradition of politics from generation to generation after that. Simon and his wife Ann, lived a modest life, and Simon retired from the police force after being promoted to Chief of Police and holding the position for quite some time. They never had any children.