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The McMicking family can trace its roots in Scotland has far back as circa 350 AD when Corc Maoihtain (also known as Corc MacMaccon) landed on its shores with the Miadhachain people near Carrick (Carrickshire)

Denied successorship to the kingdom by his grandfather, he was given chieftanship of three branches of the kingdom in Tipperary along with the title “Maoth Miadhach”.

The three royal residences in Tipperary were Caher, the old name of which was Caher-Dun-Isga; the present castle, on the rock in the Suir, occupies the site of an old circular stone fort or caher, which was destroyed in the 3d century; and that caher was erected on the site of a still older dun or earthen fort.

Another was Dun-Crot, which is now marked by the old castle of Dungrod, a comparatively modern edifice, built on the site of the old dun.

A third was Knockgraffon, about 3 miles north of Caher, which was the residence of Fiacha Mullehan, king of Munster in the 3d century. The remains of this old palace are still standing, consisting of a very fine higmound; it is celebrated in legend, and the surrounding parish still retains its name—Knockgraffon. He occupied Knockgraffon and his descendants were named Miadhachain. From him the city Cork was supposedly named. To shun the unnatural love of his stepmother, he fled in his youth to Scotland where he married the daughter of the King of the Picts.

He took a large number of Miadhachain with him when he migrated to Ayrshire and Carrick on the southwest of Dalraida (Scotland) around 360 AD. As referenced they took unto themselves the surname “MacMiadhachain” so as to distinguish them from the Miadhachain of Ireland. During the arrival of St Patrick in the region around the fifth century AD, many of the Miadhachain migrated to County Clare (Clare). Most of the clan, however, settled north in an area known as Ballaghmeighan in County Leitrim, which is now Ballymeehan. This is the beginning of Clan Meehan which survives to this day.

The majority of those who settled in County Clare eventually made their way across the Irish Sea to the lands of Scotland which was ruled by Dal Raida at the time. Those that settled in Ballymeehan took the surname O’Miadhachain, while those who migrated to Scotland took the surname MacMiadhachain. In literal terms, both mean “children of Maidhachain”.

The migration of the Miadhachain involved a cross country journey which met with not a few skirmishes along the way. It was actually Corc MacMaccon ur Miadhachain, Fiachaidh’s great grandson, who led this expedition which initially settled on the east coast of Ireland in the region of modern day Dublin. It is from this area that the Miadhachain crossed the Irish Sea to Scotland, but not all at once and not in a short time. The clan took several years to totally migrate to the new land during which many did not wait and travelled westward and southward in Ireland and settled in villages in different communities. This could explain why some O’Miadachains living in Ireland today trace their ancestry through Corc Mac Lughaidh (of whom was named the city of Cork) while others trace their ancestry from Nathfraoch who was Corc Maccoon’s nephew who never left Ireland.

For the next hundred years, the Miadhachain migrated north to the Highlands where they inter-married with Clan Cameron and other clans. But most migrated east and south to the regions of Galloway and Dumfries in Wigtonshire and Ayrshire where inter-marriages took place between Clans Douglas, Clan Donald and Clan Kennedy.

The oldest recorded member of the McMicking family is reportedly Mahun (Maheune), who resided in the town of Girvan, north of the City of Ayr, around 820-870 AD. He was amongst Alpin’s party that invaded Kintyre as recorded in 836 AD. Alpin was the father of Kenneth Alpine (the First), the first “King of the Scots”.

The names (and eventual surnames) of Mahun’s decendants evolved over several centuries from Mahun to MacMahun and MacMichan and eventually MacMickin. Many variations also took place that include such surnames as McMeekin and dozens of others. But all share the same ancestral link with Mahun and Clan Mac Miadhachain.

This website is dedicated to all McMickings everywhere whose ancestors settled in various regions of the United Kingdom and Europe and in the Americas, South Seas and Australia.

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for the "Team" at MFP