An American man who was showing off his Irish roots in South Carolina last weekend got a great surprise when he bumped into a Donegal native!
Steve Hyland from South Carolina has been researching his Glackin heritage in the Dungloe area since 2022.
He’s travelled to Donegal twice and through DNA and genealogical studies, he’s managed to meet some long-lost relatives.
Last Sunday, Steve had another chance meeting with a Donegal man in Charleston.
“The Irish are everywhere – even South Carolina!,” Steve told Donegal Daily.
“This past Sunday, my wife and I attended a St. Patrick’s Day event at the Cathedral Of St. John The Baptist here in Charleston. To show off my Irish roots, I wore my Co. Donegal football jersey.
“Well, a young lad came up to me and introduced himself and told me that he, too, was from Donegal. His name is Patrick McBride and he is from Crolly, Gweedore and he has family in Rosses and Buncrana.”
Steve Hyland and Patrick McBride in South Carolina
Steve’s Donegal connections are growing by the minute, and he’s now in the process of applying for Irish citizenship.
“I am an American citizen and always will be but I do feel very, very Irish,” he said.
Steve began looking into his family history in 2022. He wasn’t having much luck online but after numerous emails, he finally got a lead from a cousin in New Zealand who led him to another cousin in Scotland.
“From my cousin in Scotland we found that one of my aunts had married a Glackin – still no Hyland,” he said.
A DNA study on familytreedna.com confirmed he was indeed a Glackin. Steve was floored by the match and reached out to Donegal Daily to put out a notice.
“Within 30 minutes or so, I got six replies from members of clan Glackin; most of them centered around Dungloe,” Steve said.
Steve and his son, Steven Jr., planned a trip to Dungloe along with Steve’s granddaughters.
They met Irish and Australian relatives in Dublin, then a cousin in Enniskillen, Joe Glackin, who dubbed them “the Lost Tribe”.
Steve said: “He had information on the other Glackin brother who emigrated to San Francisco but had virtually no information on my grandfather, John Glackin, or his descendants. His comment was “we were looking for you and you found us”.
Steve and his family established their base at the Midway Bar B&B in Dungloe, where they were met with an exceptionally warm welcome from cousins who had travelled from Scotland, Donegal, South Africa, and England.
A significant moment for Steve was visiting the stone house where his father had lived before coming to America in 1901 as a four year old.
“I can’t imagine the courage it took to leave all that is familiar to you and going to places unknown,” Steve said. “Meeting my, now 90 year old, cousin Brigeen Hudson was special, too.”
Since his trips to Donegal, Steve has become a member of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, eager to further his family’s ties with Ireland.
“This would not have been possible without the kind assistance of the Donegal Daily, to whom I am deeply indebted.”
Happy St Patrick’s Day Steve!
