The Geoghegan's / O'Neill's of Bunowen, Co. Galway.

The Geoghegan's / O'Neill's of Bunowen, Co. Galway.


The Geoghegan's are originally from Meath of the ancient Kingdom of West Meath. In 1222 the year when Hugo de Lacy and Aedh Ui Neill joined forces the Geoghegans were one of their opponents in Meath. The Geoghegan sept claim to be descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages thru his son Fiacha. The Geoghegan sept in no point in history have any relation to the O'Neill's what history shows is an opposition to the O'Neill's. In 1657, the Cromwellian Commission transplanted Art Geoghegan of Castletown, Co. Weastmeath to the confiscated the lands of the O'Flaherty in Bunowen, Parish of Ballindoon, Barony of Ballynahinch, Co.Galway, obtaining 900 hundred acres.During this time the Geoghegan's became Protestants, and in 1807 a man named John Geoghegan, for whatever his reasons, envy ,or jealousy changed his surname to O'Neill in lieu of Geoghegan and his descendants. Outside William Chichester adopting the surname O'Neill this man John Geoghegan did the second a great disrespect and disservice to the O'Neill surname in history. Most important of all they have nothing to do with the Red Hand of the O'Neill's , or it's origins.

So, we have after the 1800's, many O'Neill's that are not O'Neill's , but are truly Geoghegan's in reality. In the United States, Australia, Ireland, and in various parts around the world there are O'Neill's that are truly Geoghegan’s. Yes, finding y-dna matches between Geoghegans and O'Neill's is important, and should be looked into, yet you do not hear much about this. I guess many O'Neill's don't want to find out that they are truly Geoghegans.

I see no effort by so called O'Neill and Geoghegan experts trying to find the differences and a common haplotype or Haplogroup between the O'Neill's and Geoghegans.

So, we will remain with O'Neill's that are Geoghegans, and will not find out the truth about their origins, but will remain believing that they are O'Neill's , or are the descendants of O'Neill's.