Proposed family gathering
Fri 30 Sep to Sun 02 Oct 2022
NOW CANCELLED
Dungog family gathering 1994
This was the first gathering (that we know about) of descendant families of William O’Neill & Johanna Flaherty. It took place at the Dungog Showground, organised largely by Pat O’Neill from Cessnock with much help from Marie Daley, now in Canowindra, and Jann O’Neill from Wauchope.
Note – if you have other photos you can contribute to mark this event, please scan and send them to me at Mick O’Neill (mick@oneillfamily.id.au), or email me to arrange to have them picked up, or post them (to be returned) to 21 Days Crescent Blackheath NSW 2785.
Also please let me know if there are any corrections to make to any names; some folk are unnamed at this stage because those who contributed these photos had not known them.
The event was reported by The Dungog Chronicle on 12 Dec 1994:
Gathering of the O’Neill clan
About 300 descendants of William O’NeilI (1795-1866), ‑ and Johanna Flaherty (1799-1873) of County Kerry Ireland, gathered at Dungog on November 26 and 27.
William, sentenced to seven years transportation to Botany Bay in 1822 as a political prisoner for what was described in the records as “insurrection”, was joined by his wife Johanna and son John in 1828. They squatted on land at Brookfield and he was later given a leasehold at Clarence Town. They called the property “Berkley Park”.
William and Johanna had five more children, some of whom grazed cattle and conducted butchers’ shops and hotels in the surrounding district.
Mrs Patricia O’Neill of Aberdare, Mrs Jann O’Neill of Wauchope and Mrs Marie Daley of Sydney researched the records and organised the gathering together of the O’Neill clan, some of whom came from Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and many parts of NSW.
A feature of the two days was the exhibition of genealogical charts, family records, photographs and memorabilia of the forbears of those present. It was a good time for “kissing cousins”.
The Showground Committee of Dungog generously made available the clean and admirable showground facilities. Dungog Apex Club provided barbecue steak and sausage sandwiches with drinks on both days. The friendly service and quality of the food was much appreciated. The visiting families were grateful to the proprietors of the hotels and motels in the area for their courtesy and hospitality.
It was a source of considerable pleasure for the descendants of William and Johanna O’Neill to discover their roots in the glorious country around Dungog.
Royal Hotel, Dungog
Photo gallery
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Rev Fr John Gahan (a relative through Elizabeth Lulham’s family), Jann O’Neill & Pat O’Neill. |
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Pat and john O’Neill (other couple still to be identified) |
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John O’Neill & Ted Gillin, Estelle O’Neill’s husband |
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Kath Richardson (née O’Neill) with (possibly) her daughter Mary Devenny. Kath was almost 89 in 1994 and passed away a couple months short of her 100th birthday |
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Mary McQuade (née O’Neill), Mary O’Neill (to be confirmed) & Colleen O’Neill |
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Patricia O’Neill & Dalma O’Neill |
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Peter O’Neill, Frances Jackson (née O’Neill), Verna O’Neill & Catharine McQuade |
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Terry O’Neill (back) Barry, John, Patricia & Dalma O’Neill (centre) Pam O’Neill, Mary McQuade, Peter & Verna O’Neill |
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unknown, Lindsay Lebreux, Mary Murray, Joan Murray (née Rafferty) |
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Claire Pryke (6th generation descendant) with Catharine McQuade |
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organiser Pat O’Neill, with her brother-in-law Barry O’Neill |
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Kath Richardson (née O’Neill), John Rafferty (Joan Murray’s brother) |
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The four folk on the right: Terry O’Neill, Catherine McQuade, John O’Neill, Ted Gillan |
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same location, with Mary McQuade’s sister Monica Barnett (née O’Neill) standing |
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Joan Murray with Tricia Whittle (née O’Neill) |
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John Rafferty with Joan Murray in background |
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John Rafferty with Mary Murray |
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Tricia Whittle’s brother Anthony O’Neill |
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John O’Neill’s father Russell O’Neill (known as Bob) |
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to be identified |
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Mary McQuade |
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Mary McQuade’s sister Monica Barnett |
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Catharine McQuade |
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Mary McQuade’s brother Terry O’Neill |
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Joan Murray, Terry O’Neill and others |
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Mary Murray |
Gary Johnson, Pat & John O’Neill’s son-in-law
Lock O’Keefe, a cousin by marriage to Jann & Jon O’Neill
Pamela O’Neill
Photos from Jim O’Neill, a great-grandson of P. J. O’Neill of Beechworth and Kempsey. Jim’s mother Ailsie is in third from the left in the back row of the bottom right photo (with a pink top).
ONeillfamily 