The O’Neill family traces its history back to 360 A.D. to the legendary warrior king of Ireland, Niall Noigiallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), who is said to have been responsible for bringing St. Patrick to Ireland.
The Ui Neill dynasty split into two septs, the Northern Ui Neill and the Southern Ui Neill, around 400 A.D.
The name is derived from two separate Gaelic words, “Ua Niall,” which means grandson of Niall, and “Neill” meaning “champion.”
When Nial Gluin Dubh (Niall of the Back Knee), the King of Ireland from 890 until 919 A.D., was killed fighting the raiding Norsemen, his grandson Domhnall adopted the surname Neill.
The O’Neills were known by the nickname “Creagh” which comes from the Gaelic word “craobh” meaning branch, because they were known to camouflage themselves to resemble the forest when fighting the Norsemen. Another story tells of three O’Neill brothers who were given laurel branches as a result of their victory over the Vikings and added the nickname “Creagh” to their names.
The significance of the red hand on the O’Neill family coat of arms is often debated, and there are many interpretations as to what it signifies. The most prominent myth recounts that two Mileasan chiefs wished to settle a land dispute with a boating contest. The first man to touch the shore with his right hand would be the winner and rightful king. The chief who was about to lose, cut off his right hand and threw it to the shore before his opponent could touch it.
King Aedh “the Stout” O’Neill of Ulster first used the crest during his reign in the mid-1300s. Subsequent generations and kings made their own modifications resulting in the current coat of arms.
The Great Hugh O’Neill (1550-1616) was the second Earl of Tyrone. After a number of years and patriotic Irish actions, Hugh O’Neill was inaugurated as “The O’Neill” in 1595. He defended his lands for six years from the English but left his northern strong-hold to attack them with fellow Irish leader Red Hugh O’Donnell and Spanish allies at the Battle of Kinsale on December 24, 1601.
The Irish forces were defeated and Hugh O’Neill and Red Hugh O’Donnell were forced to leave Ireland, in what is now known as the “Flight of the Earls,” in 1607. The departure of those two Irish chieftains for Europe effectively ended the Gaelic order in Ireland. Hugh O’Neill spent his last days in Rome, where he died in 1616 being buried next to his son in San Pietro. His death is the last entry in the Annals of the Four Masters, the best-known account of medieval Irish history.
After the defeat at Kinsale, many O’Neills fled to Spain and Portugal. The remaining O’Neills split into two septs; the senior branch were called the Tyrone O’Neills and the younger branch were known as the “Clan Aedh Buidhe,” the Yellow-haired Hughs or Clanaboy.
The O’Neills continued to distinguish themselves in the fight for Ireland’s independence. Owen Roe O’Neill organized the return of 300 Irish officers in the Spanish service to Ireland to support the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which was led by Felim O’Neill of Kinard (Phelim O’Neill). Felim also fought with Owen Roe O’Neill during the Irish Confederate Wars, also known as the War of the Three Kingdoms, 1639-51 (an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Ireland, Scotland and England), and was put to death by the British in 1653. Owen Roe’s nephew, Hugh Dubh O’Neill, who was born in Brussels in 1611, also played an important role in the Wars, especially with his defense of Clonmel against England’s “New Model Army” in 1650. Hugh Dubh’s father, Art Óg O’Neill, was among those exiles who made careers for themselves in the Spanish Army of Flanders after the Battle of Kinsale.
In America, O’Neills continued to distinguish themselves as soldiers. Some 175 O’Neills served in the Continental Army, including Captain William O’Neill who served with great distinction during the Battle of Brandywine. And the town of O’Neill, Nebraska, is named for General John O’Neill, an Irish immigrant who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
More recently, O’Neills have been active in politics on both sides of the Atlantic. Thomas Phillip “Tip” O’Neill Jr. (1912-1994) was an outspoken Democrat who served in the House of Representatives and was the second-longest-serving Speaker of the House.
Paul O’Neill, who is successful in both business and politics served as the 72nd United States Secretary of the Treasury on behalf of President George W. Bush until 2002. During his time as treasurer he made a trip to Africa with U2’s Bono. He was asked to resign by the White House over differences he had with the President’s tax cuts.
O’Neills are also well known in the art world, displaying their skills in a variety of areas. Henry Nelson O’Neil (1817-1880) painted historical scenes and was also a minor Victorian writer. His best-known paintings are Eastward, Ho! and Home Again, along with a number of paintings portraying the deaths of Mozart and Raphael.
Eugene Gladstone O’Neill (1888-1953), the great American dramatist who is featured in this issue, was born in New York City, the son of an Irish immigrant, James O’Neill, who made his living as an actor. O’Neill’s first published play, Beyond the Horizon, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1920. In 1936 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He died in Boston on November 27, 1953.
Kevin O’Neill is a renowned illustrator who has contributed to children’s comics as well as several science-fiction series such as ABC Warriors, Nemesis the Warlock and Metalzpic. Most recently Kevin has done the illustrations for the ongoing comic series and recent movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Several O’Neills have made their mark in the sports world. Jonjo O’Neill is a well-known Irish jockey and trainer, Martin O’Neill has managed Scotland’s Celtic football club to huge success in recent years, and baseball player Paul O’Neill made a name for himself with the New York Yankees. Paul’s sister Molly O’Neill, is a food columnist for The New York Times.
Two more O’Neills who have distinguished themselves are brothers William and Tom O’Neill. William is a human rights lawyer, and Tom, a former writer for Premiere and US magazine when it was a monthly, is currently working on a book about the CIA. Their grandfather, Congressman Harry P. O’Neill, was a representative from Scranton, Pennsylvania. ♦
Looking for my Family membes. ?
My maiden name is O’Neal
My maiden name is O’ Neal. I rarely see any one else with it spelled this way
My mothers maiden name is spelled the exact same
My name is similar to ONeill,it is O’BEALE and we come from County Ballyclava and we were in the IRA
where do you live?
i dont think that your related this king. He was black. Henceforth the name Black Knee and the Hand is colored. I think the image of the hand has been tampered with. Everyone in our family have 6 fingers and I bet thats why the hand is used. the Hand is colored. Its not white.
So i dont care who claims what but its important to any black person to be properly portrait ed. thank you.
I am assuming you are American. From the history of America, slavery and all, I would think the surname would possibly be one bourne out of ownership not genealogy.
good day. im just seeing your reply. thank you. some would hope my family name is through slavery or being owned. and if it was it wouldn’t make any difference. but the fact is the white man divided up the European lands which is actually part of Africa actually is Africa. invaded the land killed the people and sold them into slavery and thats starting with the royalty of the land. all thats a part of war. but they took over the culture and heritage for themselves. that part i never heard of because all the European countries are black culture and my heritage. When we know black people are the forefathers to all the lands on this plant. so i still have a greater chance of being a true Oriel than any white person claiming to be Irish.
Leslie, to begin with, half of O’Neills however spelled are not actually genetic O’Neals.
Secondly, many black O’Neals are from the Caribbean and others are former slave descendants.
But our family is very ancient, and we have one of the biggest DNA projects and can either group you as a Royal O’Neill or one of the other groups.
The red color of the hand is blood.
Wikipedia O’Neill Dynasty is a good page although it does repeat some common errors.
Yes, my Great Grandmother was an O’Neill and she was a white Anglo-Saxon.
The .O’Neill surname, unless it was her married name, would make her at least part Irish (Gaelic). The native Irish are Gaels, not Anglo-Saxon.
The Anglo-Saxons would be the partial ancestors of the English. English ancestry is typically Anglo-Saxon and Celtic (the Britons) in varying amounts among other things.
Hi Lesley Oneal,
that is very interesting information.
I am a descendant from an O’Neill. My grandfather was a black Irish man known as Ezekial O’Neill and met my grandmother in Cape Town South Africa. so I’m just here to learn of the O’Neill name and how a black man got the name O’Neill as I was taught to believe O’Neill is a white man’s name.
Many irish people were exported to the Caribbean/South America and Australia as a punitive measure.
Hi my grandmother was a Neely which apparently would have been a oneill had she been in Ireland..Not sure if Neely became a Americanized version of the name or not..As my maiden name is Keefe and married name is the Dutch name Geest..
Came across this thread doing genetic research.
If you share a paternal-line ancestor with Niall of the Nine Hostages,
Your paternal haplogroup, R-CTS6889, traces back to a man who lived less than 10,000 years ago.
My last name is Hart,
On the paternal side of my family, that would be us. My father has been doing the genealogy for his ancestral clan for years. I’ve got two books that are composed of much of that information.
The bloody hand of Ulster.
My name is April Parker
Just came back from Ireland two weeks ago and had found very little about my O’Neil family, Ancestry DNA had the family around Tipperary. Now I am finding out that the O’Neil’s were from Northern Ireland (Ulster).
Looking for any help I can get. First O’Neil in US was Thomas son of Owen in 1857.
My maternal grandfather was the son of Thomas O’Neil and Catherine Dwyer. Thomas was the son of Owen and Margaret. After a trip to Ireland 10/2023, I have been doing more Ancestry research on my O’Neil family. Ancestry DNA has me at 47% Irish.
me
I am certain there are more authentically Irish spellings of O’Neill. O’Niall would be a start.
Just know there are more ways to spell O’Neill than most can count – no one ever bothers to ASK how you spell your name and the spelling makes a great deal of difference if you are researching your family as to the location they came from in Ireland. Good luck!
Sean, I have read a lot of history of the O’Neil in the north but my DNA matched all to the county Kerry with my great grandmother coming from Valencia Island and onto the French settlements of Quebec. Did the O’Neil migrate to the southwest from the north?
That’s interesting. MY entire family are from Nothern Ireland .My father’s side including me have Spanish likeness , dark skinned ,dark skinned ,eyes ,full.mouths but wer all really really tall lol .
Way above average …
Names get mixed like everything else I guess .
Same name..lol yeah 1500’s County Caven O’Neils in Irelend from my family. One of the most famous of the Irish clans.
Mine is spelled O’Neill. Some people leave out the apostrophe. Some people have a lower case N. Some with only one L. Then it goes on from there. I’m first generation in the States. Both my parents are born in Ireland. My father Middletown Ardmargh. Northern Ireland. He always says O’Neill. Is the real way. Lol.
We never changed the spelling in hundreds of years! It’s O’Neill. My Great Great Grandfather was from County Armagh Ireland. Came to US around 1863-68. Settled in Jenkintown, a suburb of Philadelphia.
justmikenow@
msn.com
Hello, I’m a Neeley and i had researched my family history all the way back to Ireland and the O’Neills. I have a different spelling as well as two different variations to my name. But still trying to find the gap between O’Neills/Ireland and Neeley/America. Can anyone help with the connection?
My O’Neal/O’Neills have remained a mystery for the last 45 years I have been searching. The last O’Neal in our family spells it with the O’Neal variation, but in the mid to early 1800’s they were most definitely spelled a more traditional spelling of O’Neill. All of our line came through the Southern US states….but we only have traced back to early 1800’s in South Carolina with a William O’Neill. Not a clue to any other line has been found, or when they actually came to the colonies. We believe the were here long before the revolutionary war, but that is all.They ended up in Alabama when the civil war broke out and the family was split up.
William O’Neill married a Frizzell in 1840 and they had 12 children. They all scattered after the war and as adults to rebuild strong families. We all have been searching for many many years to find a break through beyond William stated above.
My family came out of Carrolina too
Family Tree DNA handles the O,’Neill DNA project.
So far,we are part of the same subclade as the Prince of Clanaboy, but exactly which Clanaboy we descend from is.not certain.
The more members we have, the more we progress.
I strongly suggest any O’Neill who is looking for answers to get tested and join the project.
Born to Micah who was son of Mack O’Neal in North Carolina
yes Im from South Carolina
thats a trip my nickname from childhood was Frizzles. this king was black like myself. Oneal is my family name. Its important that you not act he was white when he wasn’t.
thank you.
I hope you find what your looking for .
My family hail from Tyrone Ireland but I was born and raised in Dublin .I have struggled tracing my roots back so can only imagine the effort and determination it takes you ! Keep going tho …
And if I can help…shout 🙂
O’Neal is my maiden name.
I’m glad to find another with the spelling O’Neal. It’s a rarity to see another with it spelled this way
I’m from Southeast Georgia about an hour from Savannah, and there are “O’Neals” with your spelling, though my Great Grandmother was one & spelled it “O’Neill” I believe…but as is common with any surname, it gets changed over and over and spelled a million different ways as did my paternal family’s German surname.
Hi Joseph,
I believe you had the same problem as me. This is what I found. Rufus K O’Neill/ Neely was the son of Shane Oge O’Neill. However, Rufus, didn’t seem to share his father’s desire to be the leader of Ireland. It seems,, due to the unrest in Ireland, Rufus took a different path. He married Margaret Lamon and appears to have lived in Scotland for a time. His son John Neely married Jone Newling or her first could have been spelled Joan.
My name is Shirley Neely and I believe, thanks to FamilySearch, that Rufus K O’Neill/ Neely is my 12th great grandfather and his dad Shane Oge O’Neill is my 13th great grandfather.
For, myself, I found it sad to think that Rufus somehow became forgotten in history. Can you even begin to understand how he must have felt watching his mother Lady Catherine MacDonald being thrown away by his father in favor for another? He must have been heart broken.
The moment I saw his face I felt like he was reaching out to me. And because of the questions I had about him, we have come to believe Rufus K O’Neill/Neely became the first Neely ever.
By choosing his wife and children over his father’s way of life, it appears he might have been cast out of his father’s life; only to become the father of the great Clan Neely.
I am sure there will be people eager to tell me how crazy I am. However, I can only tell you what I believe is true.. If you look at the Neely Coat of Arms and the O’Neill Coat of Arms you will find them almost identical. When I asked why they looke like, someone laughed at me and said, “Because they are the same family”.
I can only share what a good friend told me. The future or past may never see eye to eye on Rufus K. O’Neill/Neely ,but that doesn’t mean we are wrong. For a man who was willing to choose love and family, over power and fortune, is a great man indeed. And, a great person to become the (Father of Clan Neely). Of course you are free to believe whatever you like.
Hello, I am a Neely and have a great grandfather called Rufus K. O’Neill/Neely.
I can’t help with the connection but I as a Maguire have found that names can be spelled a variety of ways. Maybe Neeeley was Anglicised from O.Neill. We Maguires in Northern Ireland were also married to O’Neills way back before the English started the “Plantation”. Sometimes people just couldn’t write and therefore didn’t know much about spelling. I myself would want to spell O’Neill as O’Neil which is apparently wrong!
Hi,
Thanks for the great article. Notable mention for famous O’Neills should go to Francis O’Neill (1848-1936) for his contribution to the salvation of Irish music while being a Chicago police chief. Check out http://chiefoneill.com for full details.
Thanks
My family came out of Carrolina too
Family Tree DNA handles the O,’Neill DNA project.
So far,we are part of the same subclade as the Prince of Clanaboy, but exactly which Clanaboy we descend from is.not certain.
The more members we have, the more we progress.
I strongly suggest any O’Neill who is looking for answers to get tested and join the project.
My Grand Mother on my fathers side was an O’Neill I am able to track here family to a Euguene O’Neill for Kelly Ireland…how do I get tested and added to the project?
My maiden name is O’ Neal and I am very interested in doing the DNA project, I just never knew where to start. Do you know how I would go about contacting this Family Tree DNA?
Through Ancestry.com I was able to trace my mother’s O’Neil Roots to Alexander O’Neil of County Kerry who emigrated to Windsor Ontario, Canada. His grandson Francis Edward O’Neil was a newspaper editor working for Joseph Pulit,er at the St. Louis Globe Democrat. Pulitzer called him his Master of Letters and his son also Francis EdwRd became the president of Fulton Ironworks.
..
My father’s mother my grandmother was born Mary Elizabeth O’neal and her father was in the navy and his name was John Dargan O’neal. I am from NC but I am very proud of my Irish heritage.
Im an O’Neal. My side of the O’Neals have been a mystery to try and trace back.
If you scroll back to John O’ Neal’s comment He said Family Tree DNA handles the O’Neil/O’Neal project. You may want to do like I would like and reach out to this organization to get answers
My 3rd Great Grandfather was John Henry O’Neil/ll who came South to Alabama from Michigan with a Timber company out of Manistee, Michigan. He settled in Brewton, Ala and married his boss’s daughter, Miss Emma Theis/ss. Not much known prior to his leaving Michigan.. His father might have been named Joseph or Joe who might have lived in Browntown on the river in Manistee. Thanks, David O’Neil Allen
They came to America around 1700…the name got changed from O’Neill to Neill and also Neal. If you are interested, a good place to start is to look up Col. James Clinton Neill and work your way back and then forward thru your history to figure out where and how you fit.
Hi there was your post and had to reply my name Jonathan Neill
And I’m from Scotland I have irish blood from both sides of my family
And I’m part of the O’Neill clan in Ireland and part of the MacNeill clan in Scotland . And all Neill’s whether o’ or Mac or just Neill we are all part of the
Ui Neill or dynasty of Neill .and that goes back to the high kings of Erinn
Anyway love from your Celtic brothers and sisters in Alba.
Thank you for this information. Much love in return
I would be curious as to what you find. My parents where born in Ireland. My father Michael Gerald O’Neill. And from what I know is at the least the 4th. Northern Ireland. County Ardmarg. Most of his family still lives there. I have never done a family tree. Same time he has never mentioned Neely. I know he had it a little rough being Catholic in an area that was mainly Protestant. He moved to the states with his family when he was 19. He met my mother in the states. I’m defiantly going to ask him about Neely. And anything else about the family background. I’ll be more then happy to post anything worth telling.
You should Trace Clan O’Neill back to Israel, Jordan and Egypt and to Ireland and Northern Ireland Year 200.
In 1880 a Harry O’Neal with a heavy accent appeared in Mississippi. He married Isabella Bolton. We have done several dna test and the name that comes up is STOUT. There is more to this, but nothing has turned up yet.
O’Neill, I read somewhere that it’s origin was something back to Mouses era, land it meant the son of the Nile.
My fathers name is Lloyd and mothers maiden name is O’Neil.
My mother’s family came from Kilkenny in Ireland and I’m trying to find I’d I have any relatives who may have immigrated to the US.
Long shot I know .. but worth a try
Thanks
Rachel
My O’Neil family emigrated from County Kerry to Ontario, Canada.
I visited Northern Ireland a couple of years ago and was told the O’Neil family was a prominent royal family. I just started researching ancestors and would like to know if anyone knows anything about my family. My paternal grandmother, Gertrude Sullivan’s parents were John A. Sullivan born 9/16/1865 in Ballard Co., Kerry, Ireland, and Nellie T. Kirby, born April 1869 in Castlecove, Kerry, Ireland. Nellie’s parents were Michael W. Kirby, born 1850 in Ireland and Johanna Shea, born 1849 In Ireland. I believe James Sullivan, born 1829 is John’s father but I am not sure who is mother was. I heard it might be a woman named Kate. Thank you for any assistance you can give.
Hi KATHLEEN PLATT
I would like to find out if our O’Neil families in Sandwich Essex County Ontario are related.
Hi Greg, I’m sure we are related.
Very interesting, I have just started researching.. all I know of my family, O’Neill, we are mainly based in Kingston, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and Eastern USA.. haven’t been able to pinpoint where exactly in Ireland. Yet, I’m early in my journey and I’m sure something will come up.. I only wished I was more interested when I was a bit younger both my grandparents recently passed a few years ago, should have asked more questions.
My grandma is a O’Neil .her great grandfather was royalty in Ireland. This really cool what you can find out about your roots.. my family is also crane.. but anyway. Stay safe.
Well I just traced my black side back to the O’Neill’s of Ireland. They changed the spelling when they came here around 1502 from Earl Shane Proud Tyrone O’Neill. The Neelys were all over South Carolina, New York and Virgina from Ulster. This was an interesting discovery. Hi family. Now is the time to go to Ireland for DNA testing.
I should research more on this, maybe the DNA testing can be done here in South Africa.
I am a descendant of Ezekial O’Neill black Irish or man of color, he was my grandfather and came to the Cape, South Africa from Dublin Irland
My G>G.Grandfather married Louisa O’Neal her father was D’Kalb O’neal
from George County Mississippi, I have a long line of O’Neal’s, that lived here and married lots of local women.
I don’t know much, but I’m a O’Neill, Paul Joseph O’Neill Jr and I lived in Kensington, Philadelphia so how do I fit in, I do know that my Dad’s Sister nickname Sis O’Neill, married a Hueber n Their son became a rear Admiral in the US Navy, all I know is my Grandfather name was James O’Neill or Shemus O’Neill?
My grandfather’s name was James O’Neill….?
I had a grandfather James O’Neill
James Joseph
Try Haruki Murakami’s Desire
Supposedly my relatives landed in Charleston and migrated to Gulfport Mississippi. From there my grandfather Olan O’Neal joined the Navy and finally settled in Seattle Washington. I have checked out the Mississippi area but I really don’t know anyone from that area. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
My grand father was Ed O’Neill , my father is Thomas O’Neill and I know my grandpa told me we came from Ireland that was a O’Neill castle from our Ancestors. Just trying to figure out If we have Family still over there. My grandpa was born in New York . Lived in Marathon New York .
My Grandmother Kathryn Cunat (nee O’Neill) who has passed is Hugh O’Neill‘s sister.
I’m a former Early Childhood Therapist and current Teacher.
I have a son Nicholas Sullivan Jr. who is in preschool and is also related!
Hopefully Ireland’s royal family can stay in touch!
Abby Sullivan (Cunat) 859-533-8251
abbymichellesullivan@alumni.iu.edu
Burlington, Kentucky US
Interested in family history. Any relatives out there? 🙂 My last name is O’Neil. I grew up outside Boston, MA. My 23andMe says I’m most likely from Central and Souther Ireland, and mentions Connacht, Leinster, and Munster. The one L is confusing to me as I can’t find much on the web about it. Everything comes up O’Neill (2 L’s). Except on here – this is the most I’ve found! Thank you!
My maternal grandfather was the son of Thomas O’Neil and Catherine Dwyer. Thomas was the son of Owen and Margaret. After a trip to Ireland 10/2023, I have been doing more Ancestry research on my O’Neil family. Ancestry DNA has me at 47% Irish.. My ancestry tree for O’Neill (ll and l doesn’t matter) end at Patrick O’Neill (born 1750, Carlow County) and Jane (unk),his son Thomas married Katherine Rooche. Which is how so many o’Neils emerged. These families were primarily the families that emigrated to America to get away from the Famine
Don’t get so hung on the spelling, one l or two ll, just different clans. On the Paternal side of my family, we have gone through Ryther, Rider, Ryder they are all from the same line. The problem is that so many O’Neils fled the country due the famine
There are many derivatives of O’Neill, such as Nelson and Neilson,