“What’s in a name, a rose by any other name, a rose is a rose;” pick your cliché, but in the case of MacNeil or McNeill there is more than a wee bit of difference and it may be comparing a rose to a carnation. While there are a great number of variations, the two
In Portola Redwoods State Park in Northern California, a 20-acre grove of redwoods stands as a memorial to Ethel and Herbert MacNeal. Established in April 2008 along the Slate Creek Trail just outside Sunnyvale, the Ethel and Herbert MacNeal Memorial Grove was created for the enjoyment of all, and especially for their Clan MacNeil kin.
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HeritageScottish tartan is a patterned cloth made from criss-crossing bands of different colors and widths. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the highland tartans were only associated with either regions or districts, rather than a particular clan. The colors and designs were made by local artisans using materials and dyes that were available in
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Heritage
What Are Clan Symbols? Scottish clans carry a set of symbols that express identity, history, and allegiance. For Clan MacNeil, those symbols include the coat of arms, the crest badge, and the clan motto. Each branch of the clan — Barra, Colonsay, and Gigha — carries its own distinct versions. The Coat of Arms The
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Heritage
Septs are families that followed another clan’s chief. These smaller septs would then be part of the chief’s larger clan. A sept might follow another chief if two families were linked through marriage, or, if a family lived on the land of a powerful laird, they would follow him whether they were related or not.
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Heritage
The Founding of the Clan Clan MacNeil descends from Niall, a descendant of Aodh O’Neill. Niall stood twentieth in line from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the legendary founder of the U’Neill dynasty of High Kings of Ireland. In 1049, Niall established himself on the Isle of Barra and became the first chief of Clan
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Heritage, History