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Are you descendants of the Royal Irish Kings, the Vikings or Niall of the Nine Hostages?
Below are descriptions of genealogical studies groups available for Irish families to trace their ancestry back to the 5th Century possibly to the warlord known as Niall of the Nine Hostages. Requirements are but a few, rewards are everlasting. Allow us to put you in contact with others in our database with similar or matching genetic markers. Find out if others with the same surname are really part of your genetic family?
DescriptionGroup I
For all families of Irish descent and particularly for members of the Irish Genealogical Foundation and the monthly Journal of Irish Families, but open to all. To uncover and identify members of your family throughout the world today. Is your family descended from Vikings who settled in Ireland? What areas of Ireland or America might have family members that match your DNA ? What name spellings show the exact same DNA matches ? Which branch of the Kellys, Murphys or Sullivans do you spring from in Ireland ? A DNA match may be able to help answer some of these questions.
Surnames In This Project
- Donaghue
- Donahue
- Irish
- Loughlin
- MacLaughlin
- O'Laughlin
- O'Loughlin
- Sullivan
Description Group II
The purpose of this project is to link related group members through the use of mtDNA (DNA passed from mother to all of her offspring) testing. The focus of this group is on maternal ancestry in Ireland. Therefore, the project is seeking those who have maternal Irish (Ireland or Northern Ireland) ancestry and are interested in comparing their MtDNA results with others for possible links. At a later date, this project may split into several regional or county projects.
Surnames are not the basis for the study of this group; however, maternal Irish and/or Scottish heritage is important.
Description Group III
A recent study conducted at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, found that a striking percentage of men in Ireland (and quite a few in Scotland) share the same Y chromosome, suggesting that the 5th-century warlord known as "Niall of the Nine Hostages" may be the ancestor of one in 12 Irishmen. Niall established a dynasty of powerful chieftains that dominated the island for six centuries.
In the study scientists found an area in northwest Ireland where they claim 21.5% carry Niall's genetic fingerprint, says Brian McVoy, one of the team at Trinity. The same area of Ireland has previously been the subject of anthropological study...and has shown a strikingly high percentage of men from Haplogroup R1b (98%) versus 90% in southeast Ireland. According to McVoy this area was the main powerbase of the Ui Neill kings, which literally translated means "descendants of Niall".
McVoy says the Y chromosome appeared to trace back to one person. Following the genealogists' trail McVoy comments: "There are certain surnames that seem to have come from Ui Neill. We studied if there was any association between those surnames and the genetic profile. It is his (Niall's) family." McEvoy states: "As in other polygynous societies, the siring of offspring was related to power and prestige." The study mentions that just one of the O'Neill dynasty chieftains who died in 1423 had 18 sons with nearly a dozen women and claimed 59 grandsons.
Niall of the Nine Hostages received his name from the taking of hostages as a strategy for playing mental havoc upon his opponent chieftains. He is known in folklore as a raider of the British and French coasts. Supposedly slain in the English Channel or in Scotland, his descendants were the most powerful rulers of Ireland until the 11th century.
Surnames in this Project
Modern surnames tracing their ancestry to Niall include
- (O')Neill
- (O')Gallagher
- (O')Boyle
- (O')Doherty
- O'Donnell
- Connor
- Cannon
- Bradley
- O'Reilly
- Flynn
- (Mc)Kee
- Campbell
- Devlin
- Donnelly
- Egan
- Gormley
- Hynes
- McCaul
- McGovern
- McLoughlin
- McManus
- McMenamin
- Molloy
- O'Kane
- O'Rourke
- Quinn
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