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From: "Michael Muckian" <>
Subject: [DNA-R1B1C7] Possible research programs - Muckian/O Mochaidhean inCo Monaghan
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:32:02 +0000


Fascinating! I've been wondering about the name Golden, because a James
Joseph Golden matches my DNA on 64 markers out of 67.
Exciting - my closest yet!

Apparently our O Mochaidhean ancestors in the barony of Cremorne, County
Monaghan generally anglicized their names to (O)Muckian, (O)Muckyan,
Muckean, Muckeen, Mackeen or Mackean. At the time of the Great Hunger,
1845-49, many Muckians moved to England, and because they spoke Irish and
were mainly illiterate the spellings of the surname in the records were
many, as officials wrote down what they thought they had heard. So far, I
have found Mackey, McIein, Muckin, Macken, Mucker, Muckein, Muchian, MacKain
and Muckion, all of which became Muckian again by the end of the century as
literacy spread.

In the Twentieth Century, some Muckians changed their names to Mackian or
MacKian, and at least one family to Mackain. All these changes make for
confusion as many of the names chosen, such as Macken, Mackin, Mackeen,
Mackian, Mackean and Mackey are valid names of other families! My hope is
that Genetic Genealogy will help us gradually unravel the story.

In O'Dugan's Topographical Poems (The Topographical Poems of John
O'Dubhagain and Giolla Na Naomh O'Duidhrin, edited by John O'Donovan, 1862),
there is a reference to "O'Mochoidhein, king of Mughdhorna", and this is
possibly the family earlier referred to as Uí Machainéin in the Annals of
Ulster. The Annals of the Four Masters mention Oissine ua Machainén, lord of
Mughdhorna, in an entry for 997.

Michael L Muckian
http://www.muckian.net

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