One Very Fast McCain...

From McCain's Corner today I present the case of Anthony McKane, one fast fellar he is...
As many of you know I have spent a lot of time in Ireland over the years. Our McCain family is still very numerous in County Donegal. McCain as a surname is an anglicised spelling of the Gaelic surname Mac Eáin, other common anglicised spellings are McKean and McKane. My own family spelled our surname McKean and McKeen for many years in fact. We know where our people are in Donegal because we did a DNA Y chromosome test to confirm our kinship with our Irish branch of our tribe. We knew who we thought they were, and our Irish branch also knew we were theirs, so to speak, but many of us left Ireland so very long ago, that we all felt the DNA would be the best way to confirm the fact. There are other McCain families, both in Ireland and Scotland, that are not connected to ours.

Last summer when I was in Donegal I met with some 2o or so McCain families. It was great meeting and talking with them and it is great having a large extended family in Ireland. The McCains are by origin Highland Scots, Gaels from mid Argyll. We are not sure of the exact date we relocated to Donegal, but records suggest it was between 1568 and 1595. We settled on clan Ó Dónaill lands, which after the flight of the earls in 1607 became the lands of James Hamilton and his family, which is when we start showing up in the written records. Later some of our McCains moved into Tyrone, Derry, and northwest Antrim, and we did well for the most part.

The account below is a news story from today concerning one of our tribe with a heavy foot, or whatever it is called on a motorcycle! BTW 260 KPH is about 161 MPH!!! Given the roads around Donegal Town, this McCain not only fast, but brave, or foolish. The state police in Ireland are called the Gardaí (plural), one policeman is called a Garda.



Saturday, July 4, 2009
Charges dismissed against bikers clocked doing 260km/h



PADDY CLANCY

FOUR MEN who were accused of driving their motor bikes in convoy at 260 km/h escaped a dangerous driving conviction yesterday.

The charges against them were dismissed after the prosecution evidence against one of them, Enda Connor (27), was ruled unsatisfactory by Judge Denis McLoughlin at Ballyshannon District Court.

The case was brought after south Donegal Garda traffic corps chief Sgt Iggy Larkin clocked four bikers driving at 260km/h along the Bundoran bypass in a 100km/h zone at Finner last September 27th.

Sgt Larkin and his traffic corps colleague, Garda Elaine Gordon, told the court the bikes were going too fast for them to follow.

Sgt Larkin said: “I certainly wasn’t going to risk our lives and the lives of others on the road trying to catch the bikers.”

Gardaí in Donegal more than 20km away were asked to stop them.

Sgt Larkin said when he reached the Tullyearl roundabout outside Donegal town four motor-cycles were pulled in on the left. He showed them the figure registered on his handheld speed-gun.

He said: “Some of them said they couldn’t do that speed.”

The court heard that Mr Connor admitted driving a yellow and blue Honda to Garda Gordon when she spoke to him before later arresting him for dangerous driving.

Judge McLoughlin said he was ruling that evidence inadmissible because Mr Connor had not been cautioned at the time that anything he would say could be given in evidence.

The judge also said the gardaí were unable to identify which bike was clocked at 260km/h. Sgt Larkin had admitted he was unable to read the number plate registrations.

The judge dismissed the charge against Mr Connor, of Sechelles, Rathlee, Easkey, Co Sligo.

When Insp Paul Kilcoyne, prosecuting, said the evidence would be the same in all cases the judge also dismissed dangerous driving charges against Enda McCann (31), of Dartry View, Kinlough, Co Leitrim, Anthony McKane (31), of Ashdene, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and John Donnelly (28), of Cloughfin Road, Sixmilecross, Omagh, Co Tyrone.

Mr Connor’s solicitor, Kieran Ryan, paid tribute to Sgt Larkin for the “honesty” of his evidence.

Judge McLoughlin said: “Like any garda he was extremely fair. He didn’t try to gild the lily and I’m grateful.”

--

McVities and Tea

Working with the Ulster Heritage DNA Project has been fascinating. History is much different in reality than the pre-packaged often agenda driven pulp variety we are commonly asked to digest, and Ulster history is more complex than most. Now this could drive us to tears, but really it should not, as it is wonderfully rich and older than the hills. It is epic and our people have made their mark in the four corners of the world. Hard to top that.

When I started my path to study Ulster history I knew there was going to be trouble when I was reading up on the 16th Century Clann Mhic Dhónaill taoiseach named Somhairle Buí Mac Dónaill. He pretty much ran things from Coleraine east to Cushendun in his day. I read an Irish written account that described him as a ‘Scottish warlord,’ and I then read a different Irish account of him that called him a ‘Scottish pirate.’ Now which was it, lads?

Notions such as native Irish, Ulster Scots, etc., quickly become unravelled when examined through the microscope lens of Y chromosome DNA testing. A new world and more accurate history comes into focus. You will see a Donegal family that has distant kin to a family in the Hebrides, etc., reflecting the movement of clans in days gone by. One family will be quite Irish, one family quite Scottish, perhaps even different religions now, but the same family. When you get your DNA test results in, it is much like having a time machine; you see where your people were living centuries ago, even millenniums ago. A world of families and their long forgotten tribal affiliations appear.

Barry R McCain with his cousins in County Donegal Ireland, a long way for a Mississippi boy!


I created one of the early Ulster family DNA projects, the McCain DNA Project, and it was very successful. My first DNA match was to a McKane gentleman, born in north Antrim. He immigrated in 1979 to the USA. When I was over in fall of 2004, I did stop to visit his (and my) in-laws and relations in Ballyrashane Parish, County Antrim. I pulled up my rented Toyota Matrix and knocked on their door, a rural place, still a working farm. My people left in 1718, so it did take a few minutes of explanation to sort out exactly how we were kin, but I saw the very moment of their realisation. The expression on their faces changed, yes, and they knew how we were connected. Yes, you are ‘our’ McCains… It was McVities and tea and a nice chin wag then.

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee… The Rest of the Story

Let's see, Irish whiskey, good strong black coffee, a bit of sugar, then nice thick cream, poured over the back of a spoon, so that it sits on top of the coffee, whiskey, and sugar mixture; what's not to love. When made right with good ingredients Irish Coffee is the perfect restorative. Last summer on my travels in Ireland I came upon the real story of Irish Coffee, in Ballybofey, County Donegal.



There is a common and widely held myth that Irish Coffee, that most wonderful of elixirs, was first created in the bar in Shannon Airport. It is true this luscious, Gaelic concoction, was served there at a very early date. But… it wasn’t the first place to serve this wonderful drink, it actually originated in County Donegal at Jackson’s Hotel, in Ballybofey.

There was a seaman named Joe Jackson, a Derry man, who served in the Merchant Navy during World War II. It was his misfortune to be on a ship that was torpedoed in the north Atlantic. When he was rescued he was suffering from exposure and was revived with a high proof drink made from coffee and rum, which was a Navy practice of the day. The rest of Joe Jackson’s service was in the eastern Mediterranean and there he was exposed to drinks containing cream, sugar, and spirits.

With the war over Joe returned home to Ireland and married a woman in the catering business in Ballybofey. Joe purchased a hotel in Ballybofey and calling upon his experiences during the war, began to experiment with new drinks. One of the specialties of the house was an ‘Irish Coffee’ which was made of strong black coffee, sugar, Irish whiskey, and then a layer of cream on top. This was circa late 1940s.

In the early 1950s a Scottish motoring magazine published an account of Joe Jackson’s Irish Coffee. The drink was replicated, according to lore, on 10 November 1952, in the bar of Shannon airport, but this was several years after Jackson’s Hotel served the drink. Perhaps it was a public relations coup or perhaps Donegal was in those days too distant and away, for whatever reason, the Shannon airport origin for Irish Coffee began to take root.

The real story is Irish Coffee is the creation of Mr Joe Jackson and was first served at Jackson’s Hotel in Ballybofey, County Donegal, where they still serve it today, exactly as it was created by Joe Jackson in the late 1940s.

Barry R McCain

63F Degrees in Oxford & Michael Jackson

I woke this morning to a lovely temperature of 63 degree Fahrenheit and here were are almost to July. The sun pepping through the trees, the birds singing, my two Manx lads even had their front paws tucked under their body in the morning chill. Well, what passes for a chill in Oxford in summer.

I have not been looking at the TV much of late; the irrational hysteria of the Talking Heads over the demise of poor Michael Jackson just too much for this very sane man. King of Pop... I don't think so, poor man became a laughing stock, a joke. All that plastic surgery, bizarre personal habits; he obviously was no where near the 'star' that the media pretends he was. I could not name you a single song, nor an album he did. The whole garish episode painful. Still, one does not speak ill of those who have passed. He seemed a very unhappy, troubled, person.

I suggest prayers for his soul.

29 June 2009, Life In Oxford

Life In Oxford Mississippi

We have had some very hot days in Oxford recently. My home thermometer has been hitting 98 F for the last few days and the weather station at our wee airport very near that. But, late yesterday a front, or what passes for one this time of year, came through. We had a thunderstorm and some rain. This morning I woke to a stunning (this time of year) 64 F at my house. I opened the doors and drank coffee outside with my two Manx cats, Piscín and Pangur.

The air cool, the sunlight filtering through the trees. A slight breeze in the air.

I live only 5 miles from Ole Miss, a little less from The Square, yet woods are all around me. Such is the way of what is still a small Southern town. As I sat outside, drinking coffee, I heard a local rooster and a wild turkey exchange threatening cries to each other.

Quality lads and lassies.

Fille De Houma

Part of the South; sort of, they are actually Belgian... but do Cajun music very well. These boys are seriously good. Enjoy.

Even more of my man, Doug Kershaw...

what can I say, Doug Kershaw; an icon to us here in the Deep South.

Even more.... Doug Kershaw

More Doug Kershaw

Doug Kershaw, I absolutely love him...

Mississippi Summer Heat

Well, I am enduring the heat of a Mississippi summer. Is it summer yet? Yes, I think so, the solstice was yesterday. Heat. It comes to us every summer. My thoughts turn to Ireland as I have sent much time there in the summer. I was there in late June and July of last year. I love the cool, wet, weather of Ireland. It may drive them nuts, but it is healing to me.

Brandenburg Concerto No 2, 3rd movement

Simply perfect.

Doug Kershaw

I discovered this on the Youtube tonight. Now I grew up in Louisiana and for that reason Doug Kershaw is to me a mythic figure. I do know it is the true misfortune of many people, not blessed to be of Southern ancestry, to not know who or what Doug Kershaw is; well he's one of the finest musicians to ever live, and more than that, he is a Cajun musician. He has a feel for music, a touch for music, that is sublime. Doug Kershaw, one of the very best. Here he is playing our national anthem.