O'Neill Family Hall (University of Notre Dame)

41.698024°N 86.241873°W / 41.698024; -86.241873

O'Neill Family Hall
University of Notre Dame
Campus quadWest
MottoFratres in Unum (Latin)
Established1996
ColorsBlue and Silver    
GenderMale
RectorFr. Christopher Rehagen, C.S.C. (Interim)
Undergraduates266
ChapelSt. Joseph the Worker
MascotThe Angry Mob
Interhall sportsBaseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Dodgeball, Football, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Racquetball, Soccer, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, O-Lympics, Regatta
CharitiesSouth Bend Center for the Homeless
Major eventsMiss ND Pageant, Recess, Mardi Gras (terminated), 40s for a Cause
Websiteoneill.nd.edu

O'Neill Family Hall is one of the 32 residence halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of the 16 male dorms. Built in 1996, the dormitory was funded by the O'Neill family from Midland, Texas.[1]

History
O'Neill Hall main entrance

Established in 1996, O'Neill became both the first residence hall built on West Quad and the first residence hall constructed for men since Flanner and Grace Halls were built in 1969. The construction of halls on West Quad served to relocate students from Flanner and Grace. These two dorms, which each contained more than 500 students and spanned 11 floors, were converted into faculty, administration, and office space.[2] The majority of Grace residents went to either O'Neill or Keough.[2] The four new dorms (O'Neill, Keough, Welsh Family, and McGlinn) built on West Quad were all of similar plan and build, each consisting mostly of double with some single and triple rooms, and hosting between 262 and 282 students.[2] O'Neill most recently won Hall of the Year in the 2022-2023 academic year.

The move from Grace Hall is represented in the O'Neill mascot, the Angry Mob. Some students, angry about the relocation, held a series of bonfires in protest. When the time came to choose a mascot for O'Neill, residents decided to carry on the memory of their former dorm by naming themselves the Angry Mob.[3][4] Once established and filled with students, O'Neill quickly became known for its signature event, Mardi Gras which was later terminated by the University.[5]

Description
O'Neill Hall viewed from West Quad

O'Neill Hall features 7 residential sections (two for each floor with exception to one section on the first floor). O'Neill has 24-hour social spaces, study areas, laundry facilities on the first floor, and TV lounges on each floor. It also has an exercise room, a chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph the Worker, air conditioning, and modular furniture.[2] A student-run pizzeria operates some nights of the week. The floor plan is identical to that of Welsh Family Hall.[2]

Coat of arms

The O'Neill coat of arms presents the name of the hall, and the year of its founding, along with two Latin quotes. On the lower left, the words “Mobilium turba Quiritium” come from Horace (65BC – 8BC), the leading Roman poet of his time, and are literally translated as “a crowd of inconsistent citizens,” but are thought to be the origin of the word “mob.” O’Neill Hall's nickname on campus is “The Mob.” On the lower right side are the words “Fratres in Unum,” which translates from Latin as “Brothers as One.” The name “O’Neill” literally means “champion,” and the red hand on the upper left side of the shield is a symbol of the O’Neill family motto, “the red hand of Ireland in defiance,” sometimes given as “the red hand of Ireland forever.” The Coat of Arms contains the Red hand of Ulster, part of the coat of arms of the O'Neill family, who donated the dorm, since the 14th century.[6][7]

Notable events/activities
  • Hanging of Christmas wreath "O".[8]
  • Mardi Gras: Terminated by the University, this event was a dorm-wide event celebrated the weekend before the beginning of Lent. The event was later cancelled due to pressure from the University and as noted by then rector, Ed Mack, "It got out of hand."[5]
  • In October, the dorm hosts “Without a Home,” an all-night vigil to raise awareness and funds to aid the South Bend Center for the Homeless. Sunday Mass collections are donated to the Center as well.[9]
  • O'Neill's signature event is the Miss ND Pageant, in which contestants from each female dorm compete for the title of "Miss ND." Proceeds from the event benefit the South Bend Center for the Homeless.[9]
  • At the end of the annual section football season, as the best section football teams from O'Neill and Keough play each other for the right to hold the Grace Cup. This is in remembrance of the fact that students from O'Neill and Keough relocated from the defunct Grace Hall.[10]

Notable former residents

Other sources
  • Notre Dame Office of Housing Profile for O'Neill Hall
  • ND Magazine
  • "tour.nd.edu/locations/o-neill-hall/". tour.nd.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-27.

References
  1. "Helen And Charles Schwab Give $25M to Notre Dame". www.insideindianabusiness.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  2. Blantz, Thomas E. The University of Notre Dame : a history. [Notre Dame, Indiana]. ISBN 978-0-268-10824-3. OCLC 1182853710.
  3. "History // O'Neill Family Hall // University of Notre Dame". oneill.nd.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  4. "Irish Legends: Campus Tour IV". IrishIllustrated.com. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  5. "Mardi Gras: Latest Victim // The Observer". The Observer. 2004-02-23. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  6. "The Red Hand Of Ulster". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  7. Candid. "Notre Dame Receives $25 Million for New Music Building". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  8. "Dorms celebrate Christmas traditions // The Observer". The Observer. 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  9. Dame, Marketing Communications: Web // University of Notre. "O'Neill Family Hall // Residential Life // University of Notre Dame". Residential Life. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  10. Dame, Marketing Communications: Web | University of Notre. "Hall portrait: Grace | Stories | Notre Dame Magazine | University of Notre Dame". Notre Dame Magazine. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  11. "Notre Dame Athletics | The Fighting Irish". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  12. "TARNEWSKI" (PDF).
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