Are you of Irish Heritage?  Do you have the telltale freckles and red hair or black hair and blue eyes?  Do you call your Mother "ma" and your Father "da"?  If so, a recent article in a Dublin newspaper announced the Irish government plans to introduce a certificate of Irish heritage for the up to 70 million people of Irish descent around the world who do not qualify for citizenship.

Michael Martin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said he decided to proceed with the initiative, which was first approved last year by the Global Irish Economic Forum.  Leave it to the Irish to come up with such a revenue enhancement program.

The certificates will be issued by a third party agency acting under the licence from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is considering charging a fee for each document issued.  The program is not designed to raise a significant amount of revenue and the price to be charged as yet to be determined. 

The exact size of such a market for heritage certificates is unknown but it is anticipated that  many Irish emigrants would wish to buy one to display in their homes or as a gift to another family member.  Irish heritage and/or ancestral origins can be determined by a simple DNA Test at your local DNA collector's office.  In addition to Paternity and other biological test confirmation, your local DNA collector also participates in today's growing hobby of genealogical tracing and ancestral root discovery via non-invasive DNA test. If you contact your local DNA collector, be sure to ask for your ancestral map along with your DNA test to confirm your Irish heritage. 

Some members of the Irish government were critical of the disconnection between Ireland and the members of the diaspora, particularly those unable to qualify for citizenship by virture of having a parent or grandparent born in Ireland.  The forum also highlighted the role that the emigrant network could play iin helping Ireland improves its economic fortunes and global competitive edge.  The Irish do know how to unite to benefit themselves.   

The Irish diaspora is not limited to Irish citizens living in Ireland and abroad but  instead should encompass all those who believe they are of Irish descent and feel a sense of affinity with Ireland.

Certificate processing will be available later this year, according to the Minister.  One incentive to participate in the certification process is to offer discounts to those holding the certificates while visiting Ireland as tourists.

All the commercials are pointing to a new show about the glitterati (SJP and the rest) researching their Ancestry and surprise, surprise - everyone that participated in the show is genuinely shocked to know their true ancestry.  Hollywood is Hollywood and I appreciate the creativity but it seems unlikely for someone to have reached the age of 21, and notwithstanding an adoption or abduction, and not have some idea of your ancestral origins.  This blog is not meant to make light of anyone in a situation where they do not know their parents' country of origin. 

Most of us have celebrated a special day during the year with other close and distant family members that gave you a clue as to your family's country of origin.  Or you have that chestnut Red Hair and Blue Eyes and you know the words to "Danny Boy"  - that gave you a clue, too.  Take the upcoming St. Patrick's Day - celebrated in our house every year with Corn Beef and Cabbage (thank God we only had to eat it once a year), Boiled Potatoes, Green Pistachio Bundt Cake (made by a distant cousin) and Irish Coffee for all followed by a round of "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen, across the ocean...."  Or perhaps, you have eaten the most delicious Sfinge - then you probably celebrated St. Joseph's Day.  If you can say, Baklava three times real fast - then maybe your ancestral origins are of Haplogroup G. 
 
While TV touts that Ancestry testing or DNA Research is for the stars there are countless Main Street offices that can offer the everyday consumer the same genetic insight into your ancestral origins.  Most DNA testing companies offer you access to a database that has genetic matches to you.  You are given a login and password and you are off on a journey of who's who that may possibly be related to you, once or twice removed both here in the United States and in countries abroad.  My own DNA research revealed that my mother's maiden name and my father's surname - actually are part of a family name project that descend from one gentleman known as Nialls in Ireland.   That may explain some family members.... But as with all DNA Tests, it is buyer beware.  Know what you are buying and understand the limitations.  Some Ancestry testing companies only provide you with a bird's eye view of your origins, that is, you are classified into one of the following four categories:

European
Sub-Saharan Africa
East Asian
Indigenous American

Others, can delve more deeply and provide you with information as to what type of Haplogroup you have in your genetic make up.   Understand that it is the information is a comparison of  your DNA to others in a database that have the same genetic patterns at different locations and are therefore classified into a specific category or Haplogroup (see the DNA Lady's previous blogs about Haplogroups). 

If you want to get involved in one of the fastest growing hobbies in North America then recreational DNA tests are for you.  Have a DNA party at your home or prepare for a family reunion.  You can contact one of the local DNA collection centers and find out what type of tests they offer, how the samples collections are performed, the turn around time for results (maybe get everyone tested in May for a family reunion or picnic in July), costs involved and if the collector will offer an interpretation of results or is it just something  you receive in the mail. 

The DNA Lady will come to your family reunion (give her a little Irish Coffee minus the whiskey) and discuss your results for one hour.  Have fun watching the new TV show and remember - you, too, can research your Ancestral Origins - it's fun, inexpensive and keeps family members talking for months afterward with speculation about that eccentric Aunt that never really seemed like one of the family, anyway.

Whatever your interest in DNA Testing, whether it be to research your ancestry, determine your own origins, claim a biological relationship, ie, paternity, maternity, grand paternity, avuncular - today's DNA tests are fast, affordable and non invasive.  

DNA testing has come a long way and today it is being used to trace the ancestry of ancient bones discovered during an archeological dig in Vagnari, Italy. Researchers in Italy are all abuzz because they learned something quite surprising and intriguing when they tested the ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from one of the remains.     Mitochondrial DNA is passed from the mother to her offspring and from generation to generation there are few mutations. People who are related to each other will have similar mutations - allowing the researchers to put them into broad categories or  "haplogroups,".  Haplogroups tend to relate to geographical areas of the world- (see blog entry regarding the 18 Haplogroups) The bones, which date back 2,000 years, show a link to East Asian ancestry or the Haplogroup D.

Thanks to isotopic evidence, researchers have found that around 20% of the bones currently analyzed were not born in the vicinity of Vagnari. The mtDNA points to the assessment that at least this one male individual came from East Asian descent. It shows that the people who resided in the region thousands of years ago were not native and belonged to foreign locations. Researchers theorize they somehow found themselves in Vagnari, traveling across the borders of the Roman Empire. 

One theory regarding the presence of East Asians in the early Roman Empire is that they lived between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. They were most likely slaves or workers. The burial plot had a single pot, which helped archeologists date the approximate time of burial. They were also able to indicate that his burial was disrupted in some way (during the ancient past) and someone was actually buried on top of his body.

Questions left unanswered include how recently the subject or his ancestors departed East Asia and if more people followed his lead.  This one male body could have been the first member of his family in Vagnari or his great grandmother could have been the first to make the migration.  However, by analyzing the oxygen isotope evidence, it is known that he was not born in Italy and that he most likely originated outside of the Roman Empire.

At the time of the burial, Vagnari was an Imperial estate belonging to the emperor of Rome, but controlled by a local administrator. Workers were brought in to satisfy the industrial needs of Vagnari, which included generating tile and smelting iron. The tiles were used to create roofs for buildings and also served as grave covers for the people laid to rest in the cemetery. Researchers have come to this conclusion by finding fragments of tiles in and around Vagnari that bear the markings "Gratus Caesaris." When translated, it means, "slave of the emperor."

Archeologists also learned a lesson by excavating this site. A common practice is to assess grave goods to identify the origin of ancient remains. However, the goods found in the grave are not connected to the descent of the remains.

The research at the Vagnari site was made possible with funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

"On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation" according the U.S. Census Bureau website. If our ancestors had only maintained better family records along the way, we wouldn't have the burgeoning business of DNA testing. Luckily your ancestors left clues in your DNA that can determine your deep ancestral origins. Your local DNA collections expert can provide access to a database of DNA collected around the world. Who would think that Genealogical and DNA testing would become such an important past time in the United States and the world? Genealogical tests are dedicated to helping families find lost relatives, build family trees, establish roots and discover your true past. DNA tests allow you to determine what region of the world your family is descended from including true Native American ancestry.

In July 1776, the nation's population was estimated to be 2.5 million mostly from European backgrounds but without true genetic testing, we're only guessing.  Approximately, 14 years later the first official census was taken by U.S. Marshals on horseback (the first mobile collectors - although they didn't collect DNA then) and the population grew to 3.9 million people which by then were of Native American, European, African and Asian descent.  However, it was not until the Census taken in 1870 (a full 100 years later) that all inhabitants were counted as whole persons.  There has been a census taken every 10 years since 1790.  The estimate headcount for the 2010 Census is 306,800,505 inhabitants in the United States, DC, PR and the Islands and whose descent is from all regions of the world.  The estimated world population is 6,768,138,476 (looks like and IP address)!  The U.S. Census information collected from individuals is not made public for 72 years after the census is taken.  For businesses, the information becomes public after 30 years.    

The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States - but you don't have to be an American to be counted.  If you live or sleep most of the year in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas you must be counted.  This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens.  Prior to 1999, the data extracted from the Census was used for congressional apportionment.  Because it was recognized in the 1990 Census that there was a net under-count (non-response) and a statistical adjustment was created, the Supreme Court ruled before the 2000 Census was taken that the population data could not be used for congressional apportionment. 

The difference in 2010's census vs. previous years is that all addresses will receive a short form questionnaire, whereas in the past everyone received a short form and one in six households received a long form with socioeconomic questions.  The socioeconomic information is now gathered by a separate survey conducted (ACS) every 3 years on a rolling basis from approximately 250,000 addresses per month.  The Census Bureau submits population totals to the office of the President of the United States. 

Here are some facts taken from recent (last 100 years) Census:

FACTOIDS FROM PREVIOUS CENSUS:

Most Common Surnames Occurring in 2000 Census

1. Smith
2. Johnson
3. Williams
4. Brown
5. Jones
6. Miller
7. Davis
8. Garcia
9. Rodriguez
10. Wilson

 Names with similar spellings are combined to create one common surname, as in Smith, Smithie, Smyth, Smythy etc.  Many of these top occurring surnames have genealogical projects in progress available to join.  If your DNA profile is genetically close to someone with a similar surname, perhaps you are related.  Ask your local DNA collections expert, if they have a surname project in your name that you can join to trace the migration of your family to the United States and beyond.   Ancestry testing has become a family reunion favorite activity over the last 10 years.  The common genetic profiles found among family members - both close and distant - keeps families talking and communicating all year until the next family reunion. 

Most Common Spanish Surnames Occurring in the 1990 Census

1. Garcia
2. Martinez
3. Rodriguez
4. Lopez
5. Hernandez
6. Gonzalez
7. Perez
8. Sanchez
9. Rivera
10. Ramirez
11. Torres
12. Gonzales

Spanish surnames can originate in Europe, South, Latin or Central America.  You can find out the family's migration by having your ancestral Y-DNA or Mt DNA analyzed and mapped.  For fun, you can then log onto a website to find others with similar genetic profiles and surnames and are also searching for their relatives and ancestry. Y-DNA is the paternal side of the family and is passed only from father to son; thus we can perform very conclusive Paternity Tests especially in a father/son test.  MtDNA is passed from a mother to all of her offspring.  To gain a complete picture of your ancestral origins, have a male's DNA collected from each generation.  For example, have one male tested to obtain a history of his father's family via Y-DNA testing, which will exclude any influence from the female side of the family.Then have the same male tested to obtain a history of his MtDNA which will exclude any influences from his father's side of the family.The end result will be a genetic profile and map of the individuals in a generation (and therefore his sisters and brothers) both paternal and maternal migration over the past 50,000 to 150,000 years.Make sure you explain to your local DNA collections expert the exact relativity of everyone being tested and if you are interested in logging onto an internet site to find other people in the world with similar genetic profiles.

Leading Country of Birth of a Foreign Born Inhabitant in the 1930 Census  was Italy. This Indicates that the individual was born in Italy, but not necessarily of Italian descent.

To find out if you are truly from Italy, why not have your DNA tested to determine what genetic markers you possess that are in common with other "native born Italians" in our database.   

Leading Country of birth of a Foreign Born Inhabitant in the 2000 Census

1. Mexico
2. China
3. Philippines
4. India
5. El Salvador and Vietnam
6. Korea
7. Cuba
8. Canada
9. Dominican Republic

Arabic Population in the 2000 Census

Is your genetic profile more closely related to Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan or Muhammad Anwar Al Sadat, 3^rd President of Egypt?

• 30% of the inhabitants of the United States in the 2000 Census reported they were of Arab descent. Arab descent includes individuals from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Morocco, Iraq, Arab or Arabic and "other" Arabic countries.
• 42% of the population reported having more than one Arab ancestry.Ethnic questions are based on one's place of origin, descent, roots, heritage and it is usually only asked on Census questionnaires to establish that the respondent had a connection to or self-identified with a particular ethnic group. However, as we have found many times, our connection to a particular ethnic group, does not always include our entire ancestral roots.

There is a number of DNA Ancestry testing options that can outline your ancestral origins. A local DNA collections expert will be able to sort through the testing options most suited for your interests. A recent activity at many family reunions, is to have a local DNA collections expert available for anyone in the family who would like to trace their ancestry and prove the genetic relationship.

To find out more about the current U.S. population, visit the www.census.gov site which provides a host of information in various formats (pdf and xls). All the facts and figures presented here are taken the from the www.census.gov website. The information is meant to inform the reader that we all have our roots in the cultures and traditions of our childhood whether that was in the United States or somewhere else. Each of us has the right to be proud of our culture and we should be able to share our traditions and indeed find the similarities in our traditions with other cultures. However, for today July 4^th, let everyone know you are an American, with a proud history of independence, opportunity, privacy and the responsibility to protect those rights.

How Genealogical DNA Tests Benefit your Ancestral Research

(For privacy purposes, some details have been removed)

I run the SMITH Family Project at a genealogy testing facility, my maiden name was SMITH. Before creating this project, I had been researching my family for years. In these years, I (and others in my family) have not been able to get back any further than John SMITH who was born ca. 1725. There was much speculation on where this John was born and also whether he was actually British or French with such a common surname.

I began researching all the SMITH branches years ago trying to figure out where our branch may fit in. I never found anything concrete to prove or disprove any connection to the British SMITH branches in this country.

When Genealogical DNA testing came along, this gave me another opportunity to prove/disprove a connection to one of the SMITH branches which is why I started the SMITH Family Project. I had a male family member take a beginner's Genealogy DNA test. We started with just a 12-marker test, I soon realized that we needed to test more markers if I was going to find out anything or make any possible connections as there were a number of 12-marker matches with various surnames and it was obvious that more testing needed to be done to rule out those that were definitely not related. Within a couple of weeks of receiving the first results back, I upgraded the test to Y-DNA 37-marker.

I must point out that I was very aware at this time that I might actually be looking for a surname other than SMITH. Some family stories that had been passed down over the years had speculated on a few possible other names, such as Smyth, Smithe, Smithie, Smythie, Smithy, Smythy  all of which could have been changed to SMITH upon entering the United States. 

Once I received the second set of results, a total of Y-DNA 37 markers now, I realized I had much more concrete information. There were no matches to a SMITH (at least not close enough to call them relatives); however, out of the 37-markers tested a male family member's results matched 35-markers with a gentleman named Smithie.

I wrote to this gentleman immediately. He wrote back and told me of the research he had done on his Smithie family name, that they had come from Great Britain; and that perhaps family members had set sail for the USA and had their family name changed or shortened upon arrival.  

Researching this I found that Smithie (a name I mentioned above as being passed down through the family) had been shortened to SMITH in some cases.

Once again, I upgraded a male family member's test from 37-markers to 67-markers. The Smithie man also upgraded his test to 67-markers, when these results came back we were only off by 5-markers.

This Smithie gentleman has a degree in genetics and gives seminars on Genealogy and DNA testing. He believes that this is the line that my family came from even though we have yet to make the family connections. He also believes that if I can get my line back one or two more generations and we should be able to connect the families together. I am very excited about this; however, getting my line back even one more generation is proving to be quite challenging and I'm not sure that I'll be able to find the records to support this theory.

So I said all this, number one to tell my story; but, more importantly, to say that the matches with alternate surname can be useful if you know or believe that there may be a possibility that: 1) your surname may have been changed at some point in time, 2) someone in your direct line may have been adopted or not the natural child of the parents, or 3) there were some indiscretions on the part of your ancestors and so a name change was chosen as a way to create distance. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The DNA Lady
732-632-8830 Phone
732-632-8882 Fax
catherine@dnalady.com 

Visit the  DNA Lady Website

The DNA Lady is now offering Genetic Genealogy testing services. 

We are a locally owned DNA collecting and testing company and have recently begun offering Genetic Genealogy testing services to its clients.  Genetic Genealogy is a relatively new branch of DNA testing that got its beginning around 1998 with the widely publicized Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemmings case. 
Through Genetic genealogy testing, you can discover your past.  From tracing your ancestry through its ethnic origins, to discovering if you are related to someone with the same surname as yours, genetic genealogy testing can help give you those answers.
If you are African American, we can give you clues about a geographical location for your African ancestry.  If you are of Jewish descent, you can discover your Jewish ancestry and if you match others who are of Jewish descent.  Even if you have hit a "brick wall' in your ancestry research, our testing services may assist you in opening up new avenues to continue that research.  Our partner laboratory has comparative databases which are among the largest in the world, containing records of possible ancestors from all over the globe.

To get additional information on how Genetic Genealogy testing services may benefit you in your ancestral research, please...

Call The DNA Lady @ 732-632-8820

The big news published in the early online edition of Science this week is the largest study ever of African genetic diversity, led by the University of Pennsylvania's Sarah Tishkoff. Covering 121 African populations, four African American populations, and 60 non-African populations and scanning 1327 genetic markers, the international team of scientists found among other things that Africans are descended from 14 ancestral populations and that East Africa was the source of the migration that populated the rest of the world, summarizes a news story. Genetic Future's Daniel MacArthur calls is a "profoundly impressive paper," and for a more detailed analysis of the findings, check out full at GenomeWeb Daily News.

April 25 is National DNA Day, a day created to commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, and to commemorate the discovery of DNA's double helix structure.  Today, we also celebrate the release of the total COW genome - see some great questions below from a local New Jersey high school. 

Excerpted from:  2009 National DNA Day Moderated Chat Transcript

Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): HIV has proven to be a formidable enemy. How can our knowledge of DNA help put us a step ahead of the many mutations of this virus and allow us to conquer it?
A: Monica Alvarado, M.S., C.G.C.: One approach that may be promising is gene therapy. Clinical trials are under way to explore the potential for gene therapy as a treatment for HIV.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (10th grade student): Can a trisomy like Down Syndrome, which is identified before birth, be corrected before the child is born so that he won't have the syndrome?
A: Don Hadley, M.S., C.G.C.: As you probably know, Down syndrome involves a person having an extra chromosome 21 in each and every cell of their body that exerts its effects from the time of conception.Therefore, trying to take that chromosome out would be essentially impossible early enough to make a difference. From a slightly different perspective, I would love to take away the medical problems people with Down syndrome experience, but I would not want to change them otherwise.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (10th grade student): I am surprised that cows share so many genes with us. What other animals would I be surprised to find out have such commonalities? (Not including primates.) Stephanie Fisher
A: Praveen Cherukuri, Ph.D.: It all depends on the "degree of sharing" and how one defines "sharing". We share DNA sequence similarity in certain genes to varying degrees with a lot of living organisms. These genes in essence are critical for the maintenance of life. Although the similarity in genes is high (or low for that matter), one needs to be aware that, it is highly critical when (temporal) these genes are expressed and to what degree (levels of protein product) they are expressed.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): What is your position on companies who offer pet cloning services? Understanding that it is the DNA (and not necessarily Fluffy's amazing capacity for tricks) that is being cloned, aren't they taking advantage of a person's emotions?
A: Vence Bonham, J.D.: I believe it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the science, that will help individuals understand what it means to "clone" their pet. Learning science is important!

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): We are in the middle of the 6th mass extinction. As we continue to map out genomes for various organisms, could there be hope for the next version of man to have the technology to 'repopulate' the planet with the amazing organisms that have become extinct?
A: Heather Junkins, M.S.: The idea of recreating extinct populations is highly controversial and needs further examination.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): Advances in technology and the understanding of DNA have enabled for the identification of genes that cause cancer and other diseases. How soon can we turn those genes 'off' so that once identified, they can no longer code for their particular disease.
A: Dawn Peck, M.S.: Many genes have been identified to play a role in cancer. They work in different ways. Targeted pharmacogenomic medicines will probably be useful sooner than turning genes off.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): Is there evidence or the potential for evidence on understanding or determining one's intelligence (or intellectual potential) by merely looking at their genes?
A: Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D.: Intelligence is a complicated concept, with many things contributing to one's intelligence (genetics, environment, nutrition, schooling, etc.). Genes play a role, but these other factors are critically important as well. Meanwhile, we really don't know know which genes are the critical ones, and there are likely hundreds or more that are relevant. In short, we are no where near being able to look at someone's genes and say anything intelligent about their intelligence.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): Somewhat silly question - now that we know that cows share 80% of our DNA (which is more than rats or mice) - will there be building of some seriously new larger labs to house cows as our new lab subjects?
A: Michael Dougherty, PhD: Probably not. Good model organisms for genetics must be inexpensive, easy to care for, and reproduce rapidly, and cows don't fit the bill. Still, the cow genome will allow cattle breeders to be more efficient with their selective breeding.

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): Our classroom houses the Human Genome Landmarks poster which contains a picture of each chromosome with selected genes, traits and disorders - there are a ton of them! We're wondering how many were not included?
A: Donna Krasnewich, M.D., Ph.D.: This is a great question. As you can tell from your poster there are 23 pairs of chromosomes that carry the DNA of the human genome, 46 chromosomes total. The current thought is that there are about 20,000 genes in the human genome. We know what some of them do, others we don't. There is a wonderful data base on line, called the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, or OMIM, that details what we know about the genes. Check out this website for facts about the genome and disease http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Omim/mimstats.html. This database tells us that there are over 12,000 genes with known sequence. 373 genes with a phenotype, or known clinical feature or disease associated with it. There are probably hundreds more where there is not quite enough data to fit into this category. In OMIM there are then listed diseases expected to have a genetic basis but scientists have not figured out which gene. There is plenty of work to do!

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Q: American History HS in NJ (n/a grade teacher): I've just read that the cow genome has been completely mapped out. Was it a surprise to see that their total number of genes averaged only about 2,000 or so less than humans?
A: David Bodine, M.D., Ph.D.: That was no surprise. In fact, I think that as the cow genome is more worked out, we'll find a few more. When the first human sequence came out we were expecting a MUCH larger number of genes. Some of this was because there are a lot of proteins, but now we know that one gene can code for many proteins. The other reason was arrogance, if yeast and worms have 3-5000 genes, and flies have 14,000, the humans had to have many more. However, this is not correct. It is not haw many genes you have, it is how they work together that make a cow a cow and a human a human.

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This blog is created by the DNA Lady, your local DNA collection expert in Metuchen, NJ.  Call 732-632-8820 for information about available DNA tests. 

 

DNA to confirm if Bones are from 19th-century Irish Immigrants

Clues to the mysterious deaths of 57 Irish immigrants came first from a secret file that had been locked in a vault until 1970.  Irish railroad workers sailed from Ireland in 1832, but within weeks of their arrival died of cholera, according to the story.

Two brothers were able to open the file, six years ago.  Both men were historians and believed the Irish immigration story to be just that - a tall Irish tale.  On Friday, that story came to life when 90 human bones were found in East Whiteland Township.

An archaeology research team based at a university in Chester County uncovered 90 human bones that they believe are part of a mass grave containing the Irish railroad workers' remains.

The historians were shocked at their findings.  Previously only animal bones were uncovered.

They are part of the Duffy's Cut Project, an archaeological research initiative that began in 2002 digging began to find the gravesite of the Irish railroad workers.

The immigrants had come from Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry Counties in Ireland to work for Willistown railroad man Philip Duffy. The workers helped build what was then the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, now SEPTA's R5 line.

Some researchers suspect violence in their deaths. The men were buried in a ditch somewhere near Sugartown and King Roads, where they had lived in a shanty and worked.

Their story came to the attention of the Watson brothers about six years ago. They had found a file, once locked in a railroad office vault, that they had inherited from their grandfather, Joseph F. Tripician. Tripician, of Narberth, was the private secretary to Martin W. Clement, who served as president of the railroad for 16 years starting in 1933.

Information in the file about the men and the burial site led to a wooded area near Sugartown and King Roads in East Whiteland Township.

The file also contained stories of ghost sightings of the dead men, specifically three of them dancing on their own graves. While he was working on the project, William Watson said, he saw ghosts of three men on the campus of Immaculata.

Since 2004, the team has been digging near the site, uncovering several thousand artifacts including pots, buttons, and smoking pipes. Team members combed newspapers, diaries, and immigration records to learn more about the men. Members of the Chester County Emerald Society, which represents police officers, helped obtain a historical marker for the site.

A turning point came Friday when the team found bones including two skulls, teeth, and toe and leg bones, which could be remains for as many as four people.

One of the skulls is that of a teenager, who researchers think is John Ruddy. They have compiled the names of 15 of the 57 workers. Ruddy, 18, from Donegal, is on that list.

The research team will continue its excavation, and the remains will be catalogued and examined first by the Chester County coroner, then by researchers with the Smithsonian Institution. DNA testing will follow, with hopes of matching results with remains of family members in Ireland.

Several families suspect that their long-lost loved ones were among the 57 who died.

"They were thrown away by society," William Watson said. Once the bones are recovered, he said, the team "will commemorate them and give them a proper burial."