The clan ascendant: the O'Neill's of PNG

BY PHIL FITZPATRICK

PAPUA NEW GUINEA’S prime minister, Peter O’Neill, probably has the blood of the legendary 5^th century High King of Ireland, Niall Noigiallach, running in his veins.

The surname O’Neill is an Anglicisation of the original Gaelic Ua Néill, which is variously thought to mean “grandson of the champion”.

The grandsons of Niall Glúndub, a descendant of Niall Noigiallach, were the first to use the surname.

The O’Neill’s spread far and wide but they originated around Innishowen in County Donegal in Eire and then spread east into Ulster in Northern Ireland, which they now call home.  In Ireland clans are known as septs.

 

The principal seat of power of the kings of the O’Neill septs was at Tara.

(There is an interesting irony here.  Peter O’Neill is the prime minister of an independent country but the place where his paternal ancestors come from is still a British colony.)

The coat of arms of the O’Neill’s is a red left hand on a grey or white background.

Legend has it that Ireland was promised to the first man able to sail across the sea and touch the land. 

The race was hard fought and the contenders were running neck and neck until a man called O’Neill cut off his left hand and threw it on the beach, thus claiming the first touch and the prize.  Clearly a man able to seize the moment!

There are three principal O’Neill dynasties today that are each represented by the direct descendants of the original independent kings of Ulster. 

The kingly titles were originally passed on under Irish Brehon law and later by other titles through first born sons. 

Today these dynasties are represented in Ireland, Spain, France, Scotland, Portugal, England, America, Australia and now Papua New Guinea.

The O’Neill’s still maintain a confederation of its septs in Ireland that meets annually.  In 2010 the group met to formulate a new global sept and to plan an O’Neill museum to be built in Ulster.

That’s his father’s side of the story.  Fifth century is not so long ago.  No doubt the ancestors on his mother’s side go back a lot further.

Comments

[William Dunlop]

Phil - The Red Hand Fable relates to Lough Neigh, when the hand was said to be cut off to be the first ashore.

I cant remember which battle it was supposed to be.

Archeologists claim clear evidence of organised farming in Ireland, 6-7000 years ago.

[William Dunlop]

Daniel,
Day ye nay ken,
Donegal is in the Provence of Ulster.
Erin Go Bragh.

[Barry O'Neill]

Greetings from an O'Neill in Canada!

Cratloe Castle (County Clare) is where we came from, a few generations back...and some of us have popped back for a visit :-)

[Peter Kranz]

Paulius - the gentle giant.

He's a huge man. About five times my size (and I'm around 5 foot eleven, Pommy measurements). He played for the Simbu Warriors.

I first met Paulius at Kundiawa. I saw them practicing at the oval and took some pictures.

He said, "Why yu take picture bilong mi?":

I said, "Wailo pangarawa wa. Maski yu tambu bilong mi"

He took my head in his arm and said, "Wagai wei angra!:"

Later I met him in Mosbi, and had a good night out. He protected me from various hazards (including the pamuk meris at the 49 Club), and learned he was a wantok.

His cousin is a cousin of Rose. So we are wantoks! Or even tambus!

Then another nine months later I was at the Melanesian Hotel in Lae. This big bloody huge man walked through the doors and grabbed me with all his might - put his arms around me and cried. "Peter! Tambu bilong mi!"

It was Paulius.

Bless him.

[Daniel Doyle]

Donegal is the most northerly county of the Republic of Ireland. It is not part of Northern Ireland, and part of the UK.