Ms. O'Connell Biography

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Linda O’Connell is a resident of Sussex County, NJ. She is currently the Pastoral

Assistant at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Haskell, NJ, and also serves as Liturgical

Coordinator and a Cantor. She was born in NYC, and lived in Queens for a few years

before the family moved to New Jersey.

As a youngster, Linda attended the Long Island School of Music where she studied

piano and guitar. When the family moved to New Jersey, her focus shifted to academics

and a future profession. She earned her B.S.N at Jersey City State College. After

several years of nursing practice, she entered law school. She graduated from New

York Law School with a J.D. in 1985 and was honored to have one of her briefs, which

set forth a new standard in calculating damages, accepted and published by the

Appellate Division.

Linda began to learn harp 20 years ago, and studied under the direction of two brilliant

harpists; Aideen O’Donnell and Grainne Hambly. Both are prominent in the harp

community, and are also All Ireland Champions.

After 20 years of litigation, Linda retired from the practice of law, but maintains an active

law license as well as a nursing license. Music has been a constant companion on her

journey, whether it be playing at a traditional Irish session, entertaining residents in a

nursing home, as a recording instrumentalist on CD’s or providing music at Holy Mass.

In addition to playing harp, she plays piano, guitar, tin whistle, and concertina. Linda

believes that the best thing about the gift of music is being able to share it with others.