A Northern Ireland newspaper uncovered an ancestral link between John McCain and an officer in King William of Orange's army who fought against Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne.
Documents show McCains great-great-great-great-gr
Not only did he fight but documents show another relative John Coddington, later acquired the Oldbridge Estate in Co. Meath which contains the battle site.
The Coddingtons are understood to have been originally from England but moved to Ireland in the 17th century.
The Irish ancestry of Democratic candidate Barack Obama has already been traced back to a shoemaker in the village of Moneygal in Co. Offaly.
When it was discovered by the Church of Ireland minister, a song entitled "There's No-one as Irish as Barack O'Bama" was recorded in a humerous tribute.
Senator McCain, 71, has been popular with some Irish American voters for his support for immigrants' rights and was once given a standing ovation to renditions of "The Fields of Athenry." It remains to be seen how the Irish American community, with it's extremely long memories, will react to the news that Senator McCain is directly related to one of the very first Orangemen.
