(Mac) Sweeney The statement that the MacSweenys are of the same race as O'Neill is somewhat misleading because, though it is true that their eponyumous ancestor was Suibhne O'Neill, this man was a chieftain in Argyle, and the MacSweenys who later established themselves as three great septs in Tirconnell (Donegal) did not do so until the fourteenth century -- there is no mention of them in the "Annals of Connacht" record the death of Murrough MacSweeny, who was grandson of Suibhne. (The name is Mac Suibhne in Irish.) He was one of the famous MacSweeny gallowglasses. This word (gallóglach) denotes a paid fighting man retained permanently as such by an Irish chief, often (though not necessarily) brought over in the first instance from Scotland. Although soldiering was their regular occupation this did not prevent them becoming an Irish sept in the usual sense, or rather in this case, three kindred septs, viz. MacSweeny Fanad, MacSweeny Banagh and MacSweeny na dTuath, commonly called MacSweeny of the Battleaxes, though the words na dTuath actually mean "of the Districts" (in Tirconnell). A branch of the first of these migrated to Munster, where about the year 1500 they followed their hereditary profession under the MacCarthys, and became possessed of territory and fortified castles in Muskerry (Co. Cork).
Generation No. 1
1. DENNIS1 SWEENEY was born November 1855 in New York. He married MARY A. CRONELLY 1878 in Jersey City, Hudson, NJ, daughter of DENNIS CRONELLY and BRIDGET.
Children of DENNIS SWEENEY and MARY CRONELLY are:
2. i. CLEARANCE2 SWEENEY, d. March 02, 1958.
3. ii. MINNIE SWEENEY, b. March 1879, New Jersey.
4. iii. CATHERINE SWEENEY, b. June 1881, New Jersey.
5. iv. GRACE ALOYSIUS SWEENEY, b. November 01, 1883, Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey; d. September 23, 1959, Kearny, New Jersey.
6. v. ELIZABETH SWEENEY, b. November 1885, Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey.
vi. GEORGE SWEENEY, b. July 1888, New Jersey.
7. vii. FLORENCE SWEENEY, b. November 1890, New Jersey.
8. viii. MADELYN SWEENEY, b. July 1894, New Jersey.
9. ix. EDMUND SWEENEY, b. November 1896, New Jersey.
x. FRANCIS SWEENEY, b. July 1899, New Jersey.
Generation No. 2
2. CLEARANCE2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) died March 02, 1958. He married LOUISE.
Children of CLEARANCE SWEENEY and LOUISE are:
i. MARY3 SWEENEY, m. MR. JOHNSON.
ii. CLEARANCE FRANCES SWEENEY.
3. MINNIE2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born March 1879 in New Jersey. She married PATRICK MCCOURT.
Children of MINNIE SWEENEY and PATRICK MCCOURT are:
i. VIOLA3 MCCOURT, m. HENRY TAMKE.
ii. JAMES MCCOURT.
4. CATHERINE2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born June 1881 in New Jersey. She married JOHN KELLY.
Children of CATHERINE SWEENEY and JOHN KELLY are:
i. WILLEY3 KELLY.
ii. BIBBI KELLY.
iii. DAVID KELLY, d. 1944.
iv. KATEY KELLY.
v. MARY KELLY.
vi. JOHN KELLY.
5. GRACE ALOYSIUS2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born November 01, 1883 in Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, and died September 23, 1959 in Kearny, New Jersey. She married (1) THOMAS J. DAVIS September 1909 in Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey. She married (2) WOSFORD FENWICK NEAL 1917, son of PATRICK NEAL and NETTIE PHILBRIQUE.
Children of GRACE SWEENEY and THOMAS DAVIS are:
i. THOMAS JOSEPH3 NEAL (DAVIS), b. June 30, 1910, New Jersey, Journal Square, NJ; d. February 13, 1984, Manahawkin, Ocean, New Jersey; m. KATHLEEN ELIZABETH BURKE, July 10, 1934.
More About THOMAS JOSEPH NEAL (DAVIS):
Burial: Toms River, Ocean, New Jersey
ii. JAMES NEAL (DAVIS), b. July 30, 1913, Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey; d. October 10, 1982, Newark, Essex, New Jersey; m. CEIL NEAL.
Children of GRACE SWEENEY and WOSFORD NEAL are:
iii. EDMUND WOSFORD3 NEAL, b. September 04, 1918, Kearny, Hudson, New Jersey; d. December 30, 1966, East Patterson, Bergen, New Jersey; m. ELIZABETH MARIE MCGOWAN, February 22, 1941, New Jersey.
More About EDMUND WOSFORD NEAL:
Burial: North Arlington, New Jersey
iv. WILFORD JOHN NEAL, b. September 11, 1920, Kearny, Hudson, New Jersey; d. October 02, 1992, Phoenix, Az, Maricopa County, Az; m. MARTHA FREIDA STRAND, August 31, 1942, Elkton, Maryland.
More About WILFORD JOHN NEAL:
Burial: October 02, 1992, Veterans Cemetary, Phoeniz, Az
v. GEORGE ALOYSIUS NEAL, b. September 12, 1924, Haskell, NJ; d. August 24, 1971, Keansburg, Monmouth, NJ; m. MARY JANE WARD, February 27, 1954, Nutley, NJ.
More About GEORGE ALOYSIUS NEAL:
Burial: Belleville, NJ
6. ELIZABETH2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born November 1885 in Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey. She married JOHN SHERRY in Winfield, New Jersey.
Child of ELIZABETH SWEENEY and JOHN SHERRY is:
i. JACK3 SHERRY.
7. FLORENCE2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born November 1890 in New Jersey. She married RICHARD WEBSTER in Brunswick, New Jersey.
Children of FLORENCE SWEENEY and RICHARD WEBSTER are:
i. EDMUND3 WEBSTER.
ii. GEORGE WEBSTER.
8. MADELYN2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born July 1894 in New Jersey. She married MR. FAGLEY.
Children of MADELYN SWEENEY and MR. FAGLEY are:
i. MADELINE (CHUBBY)3 FAGLEY, m. MR. THOMPSON.
ii. CONSUELLA FAGLEY, m. MR. MCCARTHY.
iii. ROBERT FAGLEY.
iv. JACQUELINE FAGLEY, b. February 28, 1929, New Jersey; m. MR. EGAN.
9. EDMUND2 SWEENEY (DENNIS1) was born November 1896 in New Jersey.
Children of EDMUND SWEENEY are:
i. DORIS3 SWEENEY, m. JON SHERRY.
ii. MILDRED SWEENEY.
iii. VIOLET SWEENEY.
iv. PATRICIA SWEENEY.
v. EDMUND SWEENEY.
vi. LEROY SWEENEY.