Kane (O'Cahan, O'Kane)

My Kane roots go to my great-great grandmother, Bridgette Kane, who immigrated to America as a young girl in the early 1850's. She stowed away on her Uncle's ship, bound for New York. She married a Belgium immigrant, Joseph Van Dongen, and they settled in Decatur, Illinois. I will post more data on my genealogy in the near future. Meanwhile, I found some interesting info at other web sites, so please read on (sites are linked to below).

O'Cahan Country once stretched from the Foyle to the Bann in North-West Ireland, centred on the Roe Valley, where this company operates. O'Kane is still one of the most common names in this area.

The ancestral homelands of the Clan O'Cahan were in the country lying on either side of the range of hills that pierces County Derry and reaches Lough Foyle below the precipice of Benevenagh. Castles were at old Limavady, Coleraine, Dungiven, and on the island in Enagh Lough near Derry. The O'Cahans founded an Augustinian Priory at Dungiven at a very early date.

O'Cahan was the most important sub clan of the O'Neill dynasty; both clans descended from one of the three favoured sons of OWEN, son of NIALL of the Nine Hostages, who became HIGH KING of IRELAND A.D.379. From 1138 the Clan O'Cahan appears regularly in the Annals of Ulster.

Map of Ireland in 1300




Links to other web sites about O'Cahan, Kane or geneology:

Irish background music is: "Mist on the Mountain" (found at www.ingeb.org/catei.html)

More music is at Ancient Music of Ireland

Note: Turlough O'Carolan composed a harp lament composition for Manus Rua O'Cahan this is extensively recorded in Ireland. The tune is called Manus Rua O'Cahan. Also ALL Irish clans have a march, the March of the O'Cahans is very obscure but it is a very stirring tune recorded to commemorate Turlough O'Cahan the 16th Century Grand Father of Manus and his victory over the MacDonalds[ironic is it not]. All Irish marches though played on the harp where composed for the war pipe. (From: Scottish Civil Wars web site.)




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