Finding the McCains, on sale this week

Irish history, Scottish history, Mary Queen of Scots, the McCains, a memoir, biography, and a mystery story solved by forensics.   Finding the McCains is quite a tale.  For those of you who have not purchased yet, the book is on sale this week on Amazon.  Link below.

Barry R McCain with Austin Rock, on top of Loughcrew, Co Meath

 

Link to purchase:  Finding the McCains

 

 

'Finding the McCains,' is an account of one Mississippi McCain’s 40 year odyssey to find his family in Ireland. Senator John McCain and his cousin, novelist Elizabeth Spencer, both include a short history of the Mississippi McCain family in their respective memoirs 'Faith of our Fathers' and 'Landscapes of the Heart.' This history is a romantic tale of Highland Scots who supported Mary Queen of Scots and who fled to Ireland after her downfall in 1568. The search for the McCains became a mystery story with clues, false turns, many adventures, and then ultimate success through Y chromosome DNA testing. In 2008 the McCains were reunited with their family that remained in Ireland, after 289 years of separation. 

 

The McCain history includes people and events familiar to readers of Irish and Scottish history; Redshanks, Iníon Dubh, Mary Queen of Scots, the Earls of Argyll, the Ulster Migration, and the Scots-Irish, are all part of this family’s story. Faint memories of this past were told for generations in Mississippi and as the research progressed the facts behind these memories were uncovered. Another theme in the book is the Scots-Irish. Contemporary histories about the Scots-Irish present stereotyped and romanticized accounts of this dynamic group. 'Finding the McCains' reveals a more complex history and shows the cultural conflation common in Scots-Irish popular history. 'Finding the McCains' is also a genetic genealogy how-to guide for people of Irish and Scottish ancestry.



McCain's Corner: Barry R McCain on the JT Show

McCain's Corner: Barry R McCain on the JT Show: I was interviewed today by JT from the JT show on Mississippi Supertalk.   This network goes over the entire state of Mississippi and parts ...

McCain Musing Late July 2008

(above, Jonathon McKane with his grandmother and Barry R McCain, Drumboe, Donegal)

Time for a little McCain News I think. I am back from my sojourn in Tyrone and Donegal. The one thing relevant to our McCain Family that struck me while there, is I need to do a lot more research in the Finn Valley and the Strabane area of Tyrone. There is a much large McCain presence there than there is in northwest Antrim and it dates back at least to the late 1600s. I have several writing deadlines to met, but when there is a lull in the action I will take up the crayon and see if I can flesh out my thoughts on this more.

Additionally I think I may have located the Hamiltons that are so very connected to our McCain family. I did this when I chanced upon a copy of Hamilton will from the early 1700s in an out of print book. I may have found our Hance Hamilton Senior.

More later,

Barry R McCain

Oxford Mississippi

The Mississippi McCains

Two Mississippi McCains; Leslie GordonMcCain and son, Barry R McCain, circa 1958.

Two McCains in action in Ireland

A photo of Donovan McCain of Oxford, Mississippi, playing an informal session with the great Seamus O'Kane, bodhrán player and maker from Dungiven, County Derry, Ireland. Seamus is a force in the music world of Ireland, his bodhrán unsurpassed in sound, and has a playing style unique and beautiful. He was very kind to two fellow musicians from Mississippi. We had a very lovely time playing this session with him, having tea and farm brack. He is an amazing fellow as is his son. His son, named Murrough, is one of the very best flute and tin whistle players in Ireland who was part of the musical phenomenon called Óige back in the 1990s. Donovan is the one on the left, with the long blond hair, as if you needed to ask... the second photo on the lower right is of Murrough O'Kane and Donovan McCain on stage in Derry. BTW, I also played in these sessions, but alas, I was the fellow with the camera. Seamus O'Kane's web is found at: http://www.tradcentre.com/seamus/