Clan MacNeil Association of Australia Newsletter for clan members and friends. June 2013 Editor - John McNeil 21 Laurel Avenue, Linden Park, SA 5065 telephone 08 83383858 Items in this newsletter – Births, Marriages and Deaths • Welcome to new members • Members who have renewed their Deaths membership I am saddened to tell you of the death of Kaye • Births, marriages and deaths Lynne McBride on 14 th May 2013. • Next Australian national clan gathering Our deepest sympathies go to Kaye’s husband th • An update on arrangements for 700 Terry and her family. Anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn 2014 • World clan gathering on the Island of Barra in Scotland 2014 • News from Barra • Our presence at highland gatherings and other Scottish events • Coming events • The Clan MacNeil DNA Ancestry project and clan families genealogy. New Members I am pleased to welcome two new clan families Kaye McBride to our association. Richard & Alyson McNeill of Forest Hill, Victoria Michael & Heather McNeill of Bendigo, Victoria Our next national clan gathering Caboolture, Queensland th th Members and their families who have 11 to 13 October 2013 Our next Australian clan gathering is to be held renewed their membership in Caboolture, Queensland and we hope that During the last 6 months the following people many of you will join with us over this weekend. have renewed their membership as it became due. Please bring your family relatives with you as all Veronica Duffy MacNeil /McNeill/ Neil families are welcome. Graeme McNeil We particularly want to see as many Queensland Ken McNeill families at the gathering as this is a unique Margaret Macneall – Walker opportunity for us all to meet each other again. Bonnie Williams Pat Neil The program will follow the same sequence as in Craig McNeill past years with an informal dinner on Friday Geoffrey Ellison evening, a general meeting of members on Glenice Holmes Saturday morning, a formal dinner on Saturday John McNeil evening and a church service on Sunday Kirsty Almond morning. Andrew McNeil Rod McNeil Melissa McNeil Cliff McNeil This year we are introducing a new item on the innovative attraction with state-of-the-art 3D program and this will be a presentation and battle simulation that transforms the way visitors forum discussion on family genealogy and of all ages learn about Bannockburn. ancestry lead by Neil McNeill. This will probably be held on Saturday afternoon. The centre - developed in partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and Historic While all events have not yet been finalized we Scotland - will deliver a world-class experience have made a firm booking for the Saturday in time for the Battle's 700th anniversary. evening dinner and I would be grateful if you can For more information and to buy tickets, provide me with an indication of whether or not visit www.bannockburnlive.com you will be able to join us at the dinner as soon as possible. Report from the Standing Council of Some of you may not be familiar with the Scottish Clans location of Caboolture. It is a distance of 50 In April this year the SCSC was asked to submit kilometres north from Brisbane and can be its views on the 2014 issues. reached by train from Brisbane airport. Here is a summary submitted by the executive and presented by Sir Malcolm MacGregor. th The 700 anniversary of the battle of Chiefs and Heads of families have arranged Clan Bannockburn, Scotland Gatherings for their Diaspora for many years. The arrangements for the 2014 Home Coming in These events bring much needed tourism and Scotland are still being finalized. Stirling does economic benefits, not only to businesses in the not have the accommodation capacity of Clan heartlands, but also to Scotland as a whole. Edinburgh so it will not be possible for many This is a repeat business that could, and should visitors to walk from their accommodation to be exploited more fully. events as in Edinburgh. Although not run by the SCSC, the 2009 However Stirling is geographically not far from international Gathering of the Clans was a Edinburgh and Glasgow and there is a good train watershed for Scottish Clan Tourism. service from both cities. If the brand was built on successfully, numbers attending in future could be considerably higher. There will be an enactment of the battle of However if a future Gathering is to fulfill its Bannockburn on 28 th and 30 th June played out by potential, the private sector creditors from 2009 a caste of over 200 people. must be reimbursed for their losses. A new visitors’ centre will be open and there may be a clan village. The SCSC was not involved in the arrangements for the Bannockburn program, but was asked for, Travelling to Stirling- and provided advice to the Stirling Council on • Travelling by Road - Take the M80/M9, and the International Gathering for 2014, or Clans exit at junction 9. From here follow the A872 2014. Its cancellation was a huge disappointment, towards Stirling. The centre is a few minutes both nationally and internationally. drive (roughly 2 miles) from the turn off, located There are no other centralised clan events being on the west side of the A872. marketed in place of the International Clan • Travelling by Bus - From the bus station to Gathering as part of the Home Coming 2014. the visitor centre – number 24 (final destination There are individual clan gatherings at a local Glasgow); number X39 (final destination level, but these are being promoted and marketed Glasgow); number 54 (Cowie Circular Route). by clan associations at different times of the year Return to Stirling – 24 (goes to bus station); X39 around Scotland and not on any strategic level (goes to bus station); 54A (town centre – Murray The vast Diaspora who attend these events cannot Place). afford to take time off, or make expensive visits • Travelling by Train - Trains from several to Scotland more than occasionally. cities in Scotland can be taken to Stirling Train They tend to arrange these visits to coincide with Station. The station is approximately 2 miles Clan activities, and short notice changes of from the centre. Buses to the Battle of programs have a disproportionally negative Bannockburn centre are available from the bus effect. station nearby. The SCSC is of the opinion that that it is now too late to plan any other event around the 2014 Next year will see the opening of the brand new Bannockburn event. Many overseas clan families Battle of Bannockburn visitor experience; an need up to two years to plan ahead The SCSC believes that Bannockburn will be successful for the Home families market but the event as it stands may not be large enough to bring the same number of Clan families as occurred in 2009. World Gathering of the Clan MacNeil 2014 on the island of Barra, Scotland Our chief, Rory Macneil of Barra has issued an invitation to all clan families to come to Barra in August 2014. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be held from 1st to 23 rd August 2014. The official web site on I, Rory Macneil of Barra, Chief information about the Tattoo and staying in of the Clan MacNeil, hereby call Edinburgh is as follows – to a worldwide Gathering of the http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/ members of our great Clan, Most of the information on this site is currently wherever they live, on the Isle about the 2013 Military Tattoo. You should also th th keep in mind that the annual Edinburgh Festival of Barra from 4 to 7 August Fringe and the International Book Festival are 2014 held in early August so it is a very busy time in Edinburgh and bookings for accommodation The program will be similar to previous should be arranged as early as possible. gatherings being low key and providing opportunity for the visitors to enjoy the scenery and meeting the local community. News from the Isle of Barra Items published in the “Guth The Clan MacNeil Association of America has developed a Tour of Scotland to coincide with Bharraidh” weekly newsletter. the Barra gathering and details can be found at the following web site Local Residents Recognised in Birthday www.auldcountrytours.com Honours Here in Barra and Vatersay we are delighted that If you want to join this tour which includes the two of our local residents were recognised in the Barra gathering and the Edinburgh Military Queen’s Birthday Honours. Tattoo you could join the touring party at Mrs Margaret Ann Campbell or Peigi Anna as Edinburgh. better known to us, Sub Postmistress of Vatersay village for the past 50 years, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the postal service and the community in Vatersay and Barra. The BEM was re-introduced last year for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Donald Macleod, Coxswain of Barra Island Lifeboat Station, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his ‘inspirational leadership, clear thinking and endurance of the highest order’ in a citation supported by RNLI Chief Executive Paul Boissier. Donald said: ‘It’s a great honour to be awarded an MBE. I consider it a team award for Kisimul castle and Castlebay village, Isle of the unfaltering commitment of the crew at Barra Barra Lifeboat Station, and the support we get from the local community. I Information about travelling to the island of will wear it with pride.’ Barra and accommodation can be found on the following web site – http://www.the-macneils.org.uk/ Our information tent was shared with the Clan Summer has arrived MacLean After the coldest spring for 50 years, temperatures have reached 19C in the last few days and it looks like summer has finally arrived in Barra and Vatersay.