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Green shades indicate birth in Ireland. Thomas and Patrick branches are expanded. James (1795-1872) branch now includes his wife Catherine Kilmurray. See side Menu for more detail.
This site has a collection of historical and genealogical information about the O'Neill family of County Westmeath and Co. Offaly, Ireland. Sources for this information were from Philip A. O'Neill letters and research by Suzanne (Suki) Norman Malloch, Janet Malloch Morris of Oregon, Bill Sheridan and Tom Barnes of Ontario, Canada, Alice Scott of New York and Sheila Hennessy.
To view the Family Tree, click on the primary names on the left menu and their children will be displayed, or go to the Sitemap on the left. If you have any additional information or corrections, contact wjbarbernh at gmail.com
Prior to the 5th century A.D. , the central plain of Ireland was a sparsely populated area of dense forests and swampy marshes. Its people lived in forts on the uplands and in crannogs on the edges of lakes and marshes. About the time that the boy, Patrick, was herding pigs on the slopes of Slieve Mish, the Ui Neill, the most powerful sept in all Ireland, desirous of enlarging their territory, swept southwards from the northern fortresses, into the great central plain and conquerted for themselves that vast and fertile region.
Part of that region, comprising the present County Longford, the Southwestern one-third of County Westmeath with a small part of north Offaly, was granted by Niall of the Nine Hostages to his fourth son Maine.
The earliest O'Neill chieftains were crowned at Tullaghoge Fort, near Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland from 1100-1600 AD. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tullyhogue_Fort
The focus of this website will be the O'Neill family originating in the northern part of Co. Offaly and the southern area of Co. Westmeath circa 1790-1850. Specifically, they seem to have been in Killare Parish, under the shadow of Uisneach Hill. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_Uisneach
From there, a branch emigrated to Quebec City and Montreal, Canada and eventually to New York State.
Some trace of this branch may have been in Killeenagroagh, Killare Civil Parish in the 1901 Census. Both Thomas and Patrick have their tombstones engraved with their origin as Parish of Killear (now spelled Killare). The Parish of Killare extends from Ballymore in the northwest to Bracknahevla in the southeast, almost to Streamstown. Patrick met his wife to be, Margaret Nolan and was married in the Parish of Tubber and Rosemount near Moate. Current research is ongoing to determine the names of Thomas and Patrick's parents and their origins. But several indications are that they were Hugh Neil and Anne Young. Many of their children were baptised in Ballymore Parish with the surname of Neil. In later years (1840s) the spelling seems to have evolved to O'Neill.
Here is a map of the area where these O'Neills originated in this era.
Details of Killare Parish In 1837
KILLARE, a parish, in the barony of RATHCONRATH, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, on the road from Mullingar to Athlone; containing, with part of the post-town of Ballymore, 3849 inhabitants. This place is supposed by Camden to have been the Laberus of Ptolemy, and is distinguished by a lofty and isolated hill, which bounds it on the north-west, called Knock-Usneach, and said to have been celebrated for the ancient provincial assemblies of the native Irish. A religious house was founded here at a very early period, and subsequently became the head of a small see, of which St. Aid is said to have been bishop in 588; of this establishment, and also of a castle founded by the family of the Geoghegans, there are still some slight remains. The parish comprises 6950 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is principally under tillage; the system of agriculture is improving, and there is a small portion of bog. The principal seat is Mosstown, the handsome residence of Theobald Featherston-H, Esq. Fairs and petty sessions are held at Ballymore. It is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Meath, annexed to the perpetual curacy of Ballymore, or St. Owen's of Loughseudy. The rectory is impropriate in Mrs. F. C. Reade: the tithes amount to £260. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions it is also part of the union or district of Ballymore. There are four private schools, in which about 170 children are taught. In the village, which consists only of a few cabins, are the ruins of the old parish church, with a burial-ground; and opposite to it is a remarkably high mound, at the base of which is another ruin of very great antiquity, with a well dedicated to St. Bridget. In the centre of the parish is Clare Hill, on the summit of which are the remains of a castle and fortifications, said to have belonged to the family of De Lacy. Near Mosstown are the remains of the ancient castle of Killenbrack; and within that demesne, on a small mound, is a burial-place of the Judge family, of King's county.
Lewis, S. Topographical dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis, 1837; 2: 126.
Townlands of the Parish of Killare.
Ardbrennan, BALLYMORE TOWNSHIP (portion), Ballinacor, Ballinaspick, Ballinive, Ballinkeeny, Ballinlavan, Ballyclogher, Ballydavid, Ballymacallen, Ballymacartan, Bessville, Bishopstown, Bracknahevla, Clare, Clinickilroe, Clonboy, Clonnamanagh, Clonnslynagh, Clonybane, Clonyveey, Clyglass, Duneel, Dungaghy, Gibstown, Keenoge, Killarecastle, Killarechurch, Killaroo, Killeenagh, Killeenagroagh, Killeenbane, Killeenboy, Killeenbrack, Lurgan, Maddadoo, Moranspark, Mosstown, Mosstown Demesne, Mullaghcloe, Pottiaghan Commons, Rackavra, Rathskeagh Lower, Rathskeagh Upper, Rowe, Taghnafearagh, Toorcoffey, Toorillon, Tullagh Upper.
Note: An extract from the 1854 Griffith’s Valuation for Killare Parish did not show any O'NEILL in any townland. However, there was a Margaret Nolan in the townland Killarechurch… perhaps the widowed mother of Margaret Nolan O'Neill.
Description of Ballymore in the Parish of Killare in 1824.
The 1824 Pigot’s Directory describes Ballymore, which is the main town in Killare Parish.
A Post and market town, 50 miles west of Dublin, 12 north east of Athlone, and 12 south west of Mullingar, is in the barony of Recondra, and county of Westmeath. The town now consists of one long street, of no very elegant appearance, but was formerly a place of considerable note, being one of the oldest post towns in Ireland. At present the only public building is the Catholic chapel. The neighbourhood is extremely pleasant, and the land very fertile. Population about 500.
Source: Pigot and Co.’s city of Dublin and Hibernian provincial directory. London: J Pigot & Co., 1824: 131.
Description of Ballymore from the 1837 edition of Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland
The Topographical Dictionary can be found at the Library Ireland website at: http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/index.php
BALLYMORE, or ST. OWEN'S of LOUGHSEUDY, a post-town and parish, in the barony of RATHCONRATH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 12 miles (W. by S.) from Mullingar, and 57 ½ miles (W.) from Dublin; containing 3494 inhabitants. An abbey is said to have been founded here in the year 700; but the only religious establishment of which there are any authentic records was a monastery founded by the De Lacy family in 1218, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, for Premonstratensian canons and Benedictine nuns, who occupied distinct portions of the same building. Henry VIII. made, the church of this monastery the cathedral church for the diocese of Meath, which it continued to be for a short time. In the parliamentary war of 1641, this was the principal military station of the English in this part of the country; the garrison had possession of a strong fortress on the shore of Lough Shodie, or Loughseudy, which was accessible from the land only by a drawbridge across a wide and deep moat.
In the war of the Revolution, when part of the English army had fortified themselves at Mullingar, this place was strengthened by a party of the Irish forces from their head-quarters at Athlone, with the view of acting against Mullingar; but they were soon attacked by General De Ginkell, and pursued with loss to Moat-a-Grenogue. The fort of Ballymore, on the, island in the lake, was still in the possession of James's forces, and garrisoned with 1000 chosen men; but the forces of William advancing from Athlone to besiege it, the garrison, on seeing some armed boats launched to act against it from the lake, on which side it was defenceless, surrendered themselves prisoners of war after only one day's defence, and the fort was taken by General De Ginkell, who repaired the fortifications and placed in it a strong English garrison. The town, which is situated on the mail coach road from Moate, extends partly into the parish of Killare, and contains 663 inhabitants, of which number, 510 are in that part of it which is in the parish of Ballymore; it consists chiefly of small houses and cabins, and the only public buildings are the parish church and R. C. chapel. It had formerly a market, which has been discontinued; but fairs are held on Whit-Monday and Oct. 14th. Here is a chief constabulary police station; and petty sessions are held every alternate Friday.
The parish, which is called St. Owen's of Loughseudy, comprises 9189 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about three-fifths of its entire extent are arable, and the remainder is pasture, ,with some waste land and bog. Agriculture, which had been long in a very neglected state, has within the last five or six years shewn some slight indications of improvement. There are some fine limestone quarries, which are worked for building and for burning into lime, but only for private use.
The lake of Shodie, or Loughseudy, is studded with some pleasing islets towards the north. Beyond it is Shinlas, formerly the residence of the Malones, but now in ruins: Emoe, the seat of F. Magan, Esq., and Moyvoughly, that of C. Arabin, Esq., are pleasantly situated about two miles south-west of the town. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Meath, united to the impropriate curacy of Killare, and in the patronage of the Bishop to whom the rectory is appropriate: the tithes amount to £323. 1. 6 ¼., payable to the bishop. The church, a neat edifice with a square tower, was erected by aid of a loan of £1200 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1827. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the same Board, in 1813: the glebe comprises 30 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which comprises also the parish of Killare, each of which contains a chapel. There are seven pay schools, in which are about 330 children. Near the town are the remains of an ancient castle, said to have belonged to the De Lacy family; the only portion standing is a round tower, about 20 feet in height.
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