Received another nice email from a reader. Here it is:

Hello David,
I am sure you can’t possibly remember me & wife, … but we met some years ago in Ocean Shores at the … Irish Festival. You had your book for sale. We got it a bit later & I started reading it & could not put it down. A number of my wife’s family moved from Belfast to Ballycastle & much of the history of that area was in the book (especially the bad part about the massacre on Rathlin Island).

I know you said you did not write to incite hatred … but it is hard not to feel anger at what the Irish suffered for centuries under that cruel regime. My wife’s family was originally from Donegal & Limerick. The ended up in Derry & Belfast. My ancestors are from Antrim & I think there may be some distant relations in Ballycastle as there are quite a few McCaughan’s in that town & the surrounding vicinity.

Many thanks for this book. It opened my eyes to much history of which I was unaware. As the gaelic saying goes: Maith thu!

And another:

I have found so many connections to clan Donnell through DNA research, and reading your book has been very helpful trying to figure out the movements of McDonnell Gallowglass. I’m an American from the Deep South, and so much appreciate the detail of the family connection of Clan Donnell in Ulster and beyond that you have presented. Thank you so much for your work and time!!!!

He later added:

That is likely the best volume I’ve ever purchased. Quite amazing. Thank you so much!