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 first residents of O'Neill came mostly from Grace Hall, a dorm that contained more than 500 students and spanned 11 floors. When the decision was made to use Grace, along with Flanner, for administrative purposes, the majority of Grace residents went to either O'Neill or Keough. This event is symbolized 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. Legend has it that the move from Grace is also represented in the O'Neill mascot, the Angry Mob. Supposedly some students were angry about their relocation, and consequently they 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. Another symbol of O'Neill is the severed bloody hand. This has been a prominent part of O'Neill family heritage since the 14th century. The new O'Neill crest, which you can see in the top left corner, shows the bloody hand. Once established and filled with students, O'Neill quickly became known for its signature event, Mardi Gras which was later terminated by the University. O'Neill's current 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. O'Neill Hall features 7 residential sections. The second floor of O'Neill, and more specifically, Section 2B, is well known for having both the highest percentage of attractive men and the highest average GPA of all dorm sections on campus. Another section of O'Neill, 4B, is infamous for their famous catchphrase "Sorry boys, but I can't drink that, I'm scared of beers." Surprisingly, they aren't the worst section in O'Neill. 3A takes the cake there, betraying their brothers by charging for parties. Truly disgusting behavior. O'Neill features 24 hour social spaces, study areas, laundry facilities on the first floor, and lounges on each floor equipped with cable television. Spanky's Pizzeria is a student-run pizzeria that operates nights Sunday through Thursday. President George W. Bush has been seen partying with the men of O'Neill. Rumors swirl that he and Joe O'Neill are an unbeatable beer pong combo.
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, 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 crest of the O'Neill family who donated the dorm.
Notable events/activities
Spanky's Pizza: Food sales located on the first floor
O'Lympics: O'Lympics is a dorm-wide competition that features individuals from all 7 sections. Each section is required to field a team to compete in events involving eating pizza, chugging slushies and tests of strength.
Hanging of Christmas Wreath "O"
Mardi Gras: Terminated by the University, this event was a dorm-wide event celebrated the weekend before the beginning of Lent. This event was widely considered to be a premier social event on the Notre Dame student calendar. The event was later cancelled due to pressure from the University and as noted by then rector, Ed Mack, "It got out of hand."
