Scotch-Irish-L Archives

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Subject: [S-I] Live Report from salt lake
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 00:33:47 +0000 (UTC)

Hi folks, it's cold but the Christmas lights are awesome.  Making amazing progress with this family, dropped off by a UFL into Virginia in the 1770s. Not a trace of their roots but for rumors. DNA says they are North West irish and furthermore blue blooded O'Cahans or some close relative. DNA match with man in Australia whose ancestor came from southern Tyrone on the border with Derry. There's a group of them in the late 1700s/early 1800s in various parishes there.  So we know where they came from, but what was their past? How'd some Irish blue bloods end up mascarading as planters and infesting eastern Tennessee?



I have a little data now, largely from the English state papers. these are published in a huge series of indexed volumes.  For example in the 1580s (I forget the date) some O'Cahans were attacked by the English on the right bank of the Bann, about 50 miles from Carrickfergus. th ey had lots of cattle and women with them and could not get the cattle across. Many drowned in the Bann or were killed and a number captured, including for men with a similar surname.  So i have placed them with O'cahans (up to no good on the wrong side of the Bann). 



Was also a Scots clan McCormick in the Glenns at that time. Does anyone know if they survived??



Also learned that many irish, displaced by the Plantation and other nightmares, took refuge in the bogs around Lough Neagh. The surnames there are still 75 to 90% Irish, which is far higher th an elsewhere in eastern Ulster. The book gives the places m any came from. It's amazing. None of the family I am looking for, but one of my surnames: McGeary. they're now gone from there. I thought mine were from Antrim, but that's just some beer talking <grin>. 



Not much chance of finding poor Scots in the Enlish state papers, but it's not bad for early irish.... The DNA places my client's ancestors in southern Inishskillen, though until yesterday, never found the 'surname' there. Did yesterday in some papal registers  -- bishops of Raphoe.  The Cineal Eoghan left this area and did move into Tyrone/Derry area so that may be why.  Their DNA is Cineal Eoghan, the children of Eoghan or Owen, one of the sons of Nial of the Nine Hostages.



I think it's time to go to the hotel since there is no way to get any serious pain killers for my back (squinched over all day) and without pain killers, I'm done.....



Linda Merle (absentee list admin)

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