PATRICK (Grandad) O'NEILL 1888 - 1952

This is the earliest known picture of Big Pat as some called him. We knew him as a large person who spoke in a very deep voice and said "By Jingo" to us. He was a soldier at heart with a longing for order and discipline which he didn't find at home. He tried to instil discipline and order at home but was defeated by a very strong character called Mary Ellen who ran rings round him and even tried to pawn his reserve army sword and belt.

If this is Mary Ellen as her son Gerald believes, it was taken in 1925 when Mary Ellen was aged 39. She had given birth to ten children by then and many had died. Six eventually survived.