Autogenealogical Digression (the Celtic Church)

My surname, McMillan, indicates (I'm told) that the ancestor who originally adopted the name was the son of a monk - marriage being permitted to Celtic monks (fortunately for me and his tens of thousands of other descendants).

The McMillans also (centuries ago) married into the clan MacNeill, who had come over from Ireland where they were known as O'Neills. I also have an ancestress on my mother's side who was a Neill, from the same sept. This was the sept of St Patrick's first convert, Leary O'Neill, who by no coincidence was High King at the time (Patrick being no fool at all, at all). A distant connection, but meaningful to me.

The third connection to the ancient Celtic Church of which I'm aware is that the McMillans have what I'm told is a very fine Celtic cross at their ancient meeting place in Scotland. This is where they used to meet before going out to slaughter their enemies, apparently unconscious of the irony of marking a place used for such a purpose with the symbol of reconciliation.

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This material is copyright 1998 to Mike McMillan. Use for profit is reserved to the author unless otherwise arranged.