A 7-foot-tall, 400-pound bronze sculpture of General John O'Neill stands on the lawn of the Holt County Courthouse in O'Neill, Nebraska. Created by renowned Western artist Herb Mignery, the statue depicts O'Neill taking an upward, forward step — embodying his dynamic life and forward-thinking vision. He is shown in a U.S. Army Captain's uniform with his sword half-drawn. The monument is anchored by a plaza featuring an engraved brick shamrock, funded through community and memorial donations.
Dedicated June 4, 2022, the project was spearheaded by the Fenian Women's Auxiliary and funded through community brick sales and a $25,000 grant from the Holt County Tourism Board. The dedication ceremony featured a march led by bagpiper Steve Sexton, the O'Keefe Honor Guard of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and three of General O'Neill's great-great-grandchildren.
General John C. O'Neill (1834–1878) was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States in 1848. He served with distinction in the Union Army during the Civil War — with the 5th Indiana Cavalry and the 17th U.S. Colored Infantry — before becoming a prominent Fenian leader who led several militant incursions into Canada for the cause of Irish independence. In the 1870s he successfully settled groups of Irish immigrants on the Nebraska prairie, founding the city of O'Neill in 1874. The city remains known as the Irish Capital of Nebraska.
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