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Roots: The O’Neill Family

By James G. Ryan

June / July 1999

June 13, 1999 by Leave a Comment

The O'Neill family crest.

There are several different septs of the O’Neills in County Clare (where the name is also spelled O’Nihill), in Waterford and in Carlow. The most famous of the O’Neills, however, are the O’Neills of Tyrone, in the province of Ulster. The name in Gaelic means descendant of Neil or Niall, which was, and still is, a popular personal name in Ireland. In the U.S. the name is sometimes spelled O’Neale and, as with many other names of this form, the “O” is sometimes dropped.

The O’Neills of Tyrone are descended from the famous “Niall of the Nine Hostages,” who was King of Ireland from 379 to 405 A.D. Niall’s name originated from the fact that, during his many raids on surrounding territories, he had captured hostages from all of the five ancient provinces of Ireland, and also from the Scottish, French, British and Saxon tribes. Indeed, St. Patrick is said to have first come to Ireland as a captive taken on one of Niall’s raids on Britain.

The O’Neills were a fiercely independent people and their territories were never taken by the Normans, nor by the English in their early attempts to conquer Ireland. Perhaps the greatest champion of the O’Neills, and one of the great champions of all Ireland, was Hugh O’Neill who successfully defended his territories against a series of encroaching English forces from 1595 until 1601. Ironically, it was the arrival of the Spanish army, to assist him, that led to his defeat. Forced to leave his northern territories to join up with the Spanish who landed in the South, O’Neill was defeated at the Battle of Kinsale.

Hugh O’Neill and the other Ulster families, including the O’Donnells, were the last of the Gaelic chieftains, and their eventual departure from Ireland, in the so-called Flight of the Earls, marks the end of the old Gaelic order in Ireland. O’Neill died in Rome in 1616 and it is significant that the last entry in the Annals of the Four Masters, a medieval Gaelic history of Ireland, is his death.

The O’Neills continued to play a prominent part in Irish history, however. Owen Roe O’Neill (1590-1649), a nephew of Hugh O’Neill who had served with distinction in the Spanish Army, was the leader of the Irish Army during the Catholic Confederacy. Sir Phelim O’Neill also served in the same army and was executed for his activities in 1653.

In the U.S. John O’Neill (1834-1878) carded on the struggle for Irish independence in the U.S. He was born in County Monaghan, emigrated to the U.S. at age 14 and joined the Union Army in 1857.

He served with distinction in the army during the Civil War. Later he joined the Fenian movement and led the ill-fated Fenian raids on Canada in 1866 and after. Although now regarded as foolhardy exercises, the daring exploits of John O’Neill and his tiny army remain widely recognized.

Other O’Neills who played a more significant role in U.S. military history were the 180 who served in the American Revolutionary Army. Eight of them were officers, including Captain William O’Neill who served with great distinction at the battle of the Brandywine; Captain Ferdinand O’Neill of Lee’s Battalion S.C. Light Dragoons; and Captain John O’Neill of the French-Irish Brigade.

The O’Neills of political note include Sir Terence O’Neill, who was Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1963 until 1969 and an advocate of increased North-South cooperation. In the U.S., prominent O’Neill politicians include Edward Asbury O’Neal (1818-1890), a Confederate officer who was later governor of Alabama during the period of that state’s reconstruction after the Civil War; and Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, a prominent politician whose career positions included member of Congress and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1976-1986. Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal is currently serving his third term, and has long been closely identified with Irish causes.

As has been mentioned in previous articles, the political strength of the Irish in Chicago, and other U.S. cities, led to the situation whereby Irish people could easily find stable employment in the police force. This practice was carded to an extreme degree by Francis O’Neill (1849-1936) who was a superintendent of the Chicago Police. His passion was music and whenever he met needy Irish musicians, he gave them stable police employment and time to develop their music.

Other O’Neills who achieved distinction in the arts include Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) who was one of America’s great dramatists and the 1936 winner of the Nobel Prize for literature. His major works include Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day’s Journey Into Night and The Iceman Cometh. Eugene’s father, James O’Neill (1849-1920) was born in Kilkenny and emigrated to the U.S. at an early age. He went on stage at the age of 18 and must rank as one of the most typecast actors of all time. In 1882, he appeared in the role of Edmund Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo and was so popular in the role that he played it some 6,000 times. In the world of sports, baseball hero Paul O’Neill stands tall as a champ among champs.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the June/July 1999 issue of Irish America. ⬥

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