Происхождение и история

Anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic 'O Neill', meaning 'descendant of Niall', where 'Niall' derives from the Old Irish 'nel' or a Celtic root possibly meaning 'cloud', 'passionate', or 'champion'. The O'Neills descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the legendary fifth-century High King of Ireland from whom the Ui Neill dynasty — the dominant force in Irish politics for over a millennium — also descended. The O'Neills of Ulster were the most powerful Gaelic dynasty of the north, providing the chief resistance to Tudor conquest in the Nine Years' War (1593–1603) under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone.