Judy Welna and her husband Louis at the Cliffs of Moher this summer.

Looking for O'Neill family links

If you can help Judy find out more about her family, contact us at the Westmeath Examiner, editor@westmeathexaminer.ieEditor,I have worked on our family tree since the 1970s, finding plenty of Irish roots, but only one family whose town is known. We have exhausted records that are currently available for your area. As a last resort, I'm writing in hopes that there might be a descendant of this family still in the area, someone who might have more information for me.My ancestor, Hugh O'Neil, was born in Rosemount, on 29 September 1836, the son of Bryan O'Neil and Mary 'Keenion' (Kenehan, Keenaghan, etc).The Census of Tubber Parish (Jan, 1835) shows this family:Bryan Neil 34Mary 30Bridget 12 (Bedelia?)Nancy 10Anastasia 8Catherine 5Hugh 2John 3 wks (baptised 18 Sep, 1834).This is likely our family, although our Hugh was not yet born (or his birth year might have been written incorrectly, and is the Hugh in the family above). Children born later include Henry, baptised 19 Dec 1842.Hugh came to the United States in 1856 with a sister, Bedelia, and possibly a brother. His father, Bryan O'Neil, wrote to him from Moate in December 1859, to wish him and his sister and brother and their families well. He noted that Mary (Kenehan, his wife) wished to be remembered to all, and mentioned Hugh's brothers John and Henry back in Ireland. He described conditions in Ireland at the time.According to other letters, our Hugh had a cousin, also named Hugh, who lived in Montreal, Canada, and who might have been the son of a James (O) Neil.I am looking specifically for information on the parents of Bryan O'Neil and Mary Kenehan, but would be grateful for any information on Bryan and Mary, or simply to find another descendant of this line. I would be glad to share the information I have on Hugh, if it would be of any interest.My husband and I recently returned from our first trip to Ireland, and cannot say enough good things about its beauty and the friendliness of its people. (We live in Vermont, known as the Green Mountain State, and thought we had the corner on green mountains and valleys and friendly people, but we now know that honour belongs to Ireland!)I look forward to hearing from you.Sincerely,Judy Welna,Milton,VT,USA.• Judy has asked anyone who can help her with information to contact the Westmeath Examiner: call 04493 46700 or email editor@westmeathexaminer.ie.• We checked with Judy about the spelling of the name, O'Neil or O'Neill and this is the message she sent us:O'Neil, I guess either way. Here in Vermont, his descendants have been Neils. There was even some possible bad blood or misunderstanding between my ancestor and a local (Rutland County, Vermont) attorney (supposedly from the same line) who used the O'Neill spelling. When Hugh signed his name, he signed 'Hugh O. Neil'. I just checked Bryan's letter to Hugh (a very touching letter, I think), and Bryan signed it 'B.O. Neil'. Hugh O Neil fought in the Civil War, and his pension record contains many documents, some 'O Neil', 'O. Neil', 'O'Neil', and often, just 'Neil'. He also married a descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, if that's of any interest.