Several individuals have been and are active in all projects and we maintain a spirit of collegial cooperation in our combined efforts to separate fact from error in the history of the Dál Cuinn, which includes the Uí Briúin Connachta. We have striven to open and keep a spirit of collegial cooperation with various academics and scholars as well, and to keep them apprised of our progress.
However, recently, three individuals we have been keeping informed of our progress have published an article in Peritia: Peritia - Journal of the Medieval Academy of Ireland, Volume 34 (2023), Dr. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, editor, “Tracing the Sons of Brión. The R1b-A259 Y-DNA Subclade and the Uí Briúin Dynasty of Connacht” by Dr. Kyle DePew, Dr. Maurice Gleeson, and Dr. Bart Jaski. There is also a companion blog maintained by Dr. Maurice Gleeson and Dr. Kyle DePew, as well as a series of blog posts on the Family Tree DNA website by Dr. Maurice Gleeson and Dr. Kyle DePew:
- Y-DNA Sheds New Light on the Medieval Genealogies of the Uí Briúin Dynasty of Northwest Ireland, Part 1
- Y-DNA Sheds New Light on the Medieval Genealogies of the Uí Briúin Dynasty of Northwest Ireland, Part 2
Also, the R1b-A259 clade name has been used by the Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project for the past several years in conformance with the nomenclature used by Thomas and Astrid Krahn at YSEQ GmbH. Originally we used the major clade R-A259 nomenclature, as do both Family Tree DNA and YFull, strictly. Note the use of the R1b-A259 nomenclature in the article title.
Below begins a series of email correspondence, papers, etc. that show the chronological progress of the Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project research and the information given to the three authors of the article and blog posts, as well as the editor of the article and various other academics and scholars. This will be an ongoing effort as time permits. There are also the multitude of posts on this Forum concerning this subject. It should be noted that Dr. Maurice Gleeson and Dr. Kyle DePew were both members of this Forum at one time. It should also be noted that most of the posts on this Forum are freely available online. We at the Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project ask the following question: is this an egregious case of plagiarism or not? We leave it to the reader to make their own determination. TO BE VERY CLEAR, THIS QUESTION ONLY APPLIES TO THE REFERENCED WORKS OF DR. KYLE DEPEW, DR. MAURICE GLEESON, AND DR. BART JASKI, AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE EDITOR OF THE ARTICLE, DR. DÁIBHÍ Ó CRÓINÍN. NO OTHER PERSON WHO WAS A RECIPIENT OF ANY CORRESPONDENCE IS INCLUDED IN ANY WAY, FORM, OR FASHION.
Further, plagiarism is not just the verbatim quoting of another author(s)'s work as if it were the plagiarizing author(s)'s work, but also “THE USE OF AN AUTHOR'S IDEAS IN PARAPHRASE WITHOUT ACCURATE REFERENCES OR FOOTNOTES”. That is, the plagiarizing author(s) fails to “CITE QUOTES OR IDEAS WRITTEN BY ANOTHER AUTHOR”. The first quote comes from a definition on the USLegal™ website at https://definitions.uslegal.com/p/plagiarism/. The second quote is from an article by Stephanie Morrow entitled Plagiarism: What is it, exactly? on the LegalZoom website at https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/plag ... it-exactly. Emphasis has been added.
Documentation
Following is a link to a recently redacted copy of the O’Conor Don Report with an analysis of the individual's BigY 700 test results. It was authored by myself with a published date of 2020 December 01. Dr. Maurice Gleeson and Dr. Kyle DePew were two of the collaborating individuals the report was prepared on behalf of, with suggestions and edits provided by all collaborators, as shown in the email dated Fri, 27 Nov 2020. This report is also in conjunction with the email dated Thu, 11 Mar 2021.
https://genelach.org/forum_media/O’Conor_Don_Report.pdf
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2017
To: Dr. Bart Jaski
From: Genealogy Network
Subject: Uí Briúin Descendants Facebook Group
Dr. Jaski,
I hope I have gotten the correct gentleman who did his Ph.D. thesis on “The traditional rule of succession in early Ireland”, 2 vols (Trinity College Dublin, 1994). If not, please accept my apologies.
I am currently working with Paul Duffy, admin of the Ireland Heritage project (now the Ireland yDNA project) at Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). It was he who introduced me to your genealogical tables and research. Back in 2014 AD he started noticing a trend in surnames in the Y-DNA SNP testing results that seemed to indicate that many of the traditional surnames of the Uí Briúin were falling into the R-A259 SNP haplogroup. We now have ~121 men who have tested positive for the R-A259 SNP. Here is a link to the current SNP Tree:
http://genealogy.network/a259vp68wnfaimgf2z7j0bs6x/tree.xhtml [a defunct link]
If the trends continue to hold, we expect to see more Uí Briúin Aí descendants in the R-BY18120 subbranch, more Uí Briúin Bréifne descendants in the R-BY3338 subbranch of the R-A260 subbranch, and more Uí Briúin Seóla descendants in the R-BY11724 subbranch of the R-A260 subbranch. We are currently testing a McDonagh and a McDonough for the R-A10525 SNP under the R-BY11724 subbranch. We have offered to have an O'Flaherty also tested for the R-A10525 SNP, but so far have received no response.
I descend from the same McDaniel ancestor as the McDaniel man listed under the R-BY18145 subbranch, to clarify my interest. We seem to have close STR matches with the McDonough men.
We have recently started a Facebook group called the Uí Briúin Connachta R-A259 Y-DNA Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/129048957793445/
and a Y-DNA testing group at:
https://www.yseq.net/group_alleles.php?gid=337
in addition to the Ireland Heritage project at FTDNA (now the Ireland yDNA project).
We invite you to join our Facebook group if you still have an interest in the subject and the time. We would really appreciate your thoughts and perspective on how the Y-DNA results are matching up with the traditional genealogies. Thank you for your time and attention to this invitation.
Cheers,
David
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2017
To: Genealogy Network
From: Jaski, B. (Bart)
Subject: RE: Uí Briúin Descendants Facebook Group
Dear David,
Thank you for your invitation, I am indeed the Bart Jaski of the PhD (and book) on early Irish kingship, and also of an article about early Irish genetical research (http://www.academia.edu/2563825/Medieva ... _2013_3-17) in which Mac Diarmata plays an important role. So I am indeed interested in this material, so I have taken a look at your chart, which contains much of value. Some of the surnames are quite rare (e.g. O'Rourke), but others quite common, and may belong to a collateral branch, thus complicating the picture. E.g. McDonagh may belong to Uí B. Seóla, but also to Uí B. Aí (Mc Donagh = MacDonnchadha, collaterals of the main Mac Diarmata branch). Perhaps it would be useful to name the most likely branch and dynasty to which a surname belongs, e.g. O'Connor UBA > SM > UC ((Uí B. Aí > Síl Muirdaig > Uí Chonchobair); O'Concennan UBA > SM > UD (Uí B. Aí > Síl Muirdaig > Uí Diarmata), O'Flannagan UA > CC (Clann Cathail), etc. This will show if e.g. UBA, UBS (Seóla) and UBB (Bréifne) and their branches are also related in the SNP 'branches'. Unfortunately I lack the time to be actively involved, I don't work as a Celtic scholar anymore, and in my current job I have little to do with Irish kingship or the like. So I'm afraid I can't commit to making contributions to your Facebook discussions on a regular basis, but I shall check it once so often to see if anything new comes along. I wish you good luck with your project.
with best wishes,
Bart Jaski
Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2018
To: Dr. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín
From: Genealogy Network
Subject: R-A259 Uí Briúin Connachta
Dr. Ó Cróinín,
My name is David Mc Daniel. I am part of a group of amateur genealogists who are researching our ancestry and heritage through Y-DNA genetic testing. Around 2014 A.D., Paul Duffy, a former student at NUI Galway who is now an administrator of the Ireland Heritage project [now Ireland yDNA project] at Family Tree DNA, started noticing a strong correlation between men who were testing positive for the R-A259 SNP genetic marker and traditional Uí Briúin surnames. We currently have about 151 men who have tested positive for the R-A259 SNP. Our complete SNP Tree may be seen here:
http://r-a259.genealogy.network/tree.xhtml [defunct link]
or an abbreviated one here:
http://www.ytree.net/DisplayTree.php?blockID=567
We also have a Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/129048957793445/
We think our results so far are very encouraging in terms of correlating probable Uí Briúin descendants with the R-A259 SNP. We seem to be corroborating the traditional genealogies and histories in general, although we are discovering a few surprising departures. Let me also state that we are well aware it is early days yet, and that our Uí Briúin hypothesis for the R-A259 haplogroup may need to be expanded or altered as more data becomes available.
We are looking for organizations and people, both general and academic, who are interested in exploring Uí Briúin history and heritage with us using both the extant written records and the leading edge technology of NGS and individual SNP genetic testing. If you think working with us would be of interest to you and mutually beneficial, we would love to have you join our group. I hope that we may be able to provide mutual assistance to each other to the benefit of furthering Connachta genealogy and history.
Currently there are 4 separate parallel subclades/branches under R-A259. Two of them were only discovered this year, and as a result, they only have one man each so far in them. One of those two gentlemen has the surname Hart, but he has found indications in old family papers that he may be associated with the Rattigans of Elphin. The other gentleman has the surname Kennedy, but we do not have any of his family history as of yet.
The remaining two subclades are the R-BY18120 subclade, which is where surnames associated with the Uí Briúin Aí seem to be falling, and the R-A260 subclade, which is where surnames associated with the Uí Briúin Bréifne and Uí Briúin Seóla seem to be falling. This latter development makes it highly improbable that Eochaid Tírmchárna could have been a brother to Duach Tenga Uma and Fergna as the traditional genealogies have it. This is one of those surprising departures I mentioned previously. However, the Ó Rourke and Ó Reilly surnames are falling under the same R-BY3338 SNP node.
Another interesting development is that of my own case and of at least one other of our members. It is a situation that we have seen with the R-M222 haplogroup in general, of which R-A259 is a major subclade. My MDKA (Most Distant Known Ancestor) was a James McDaniel, Sr., died ~1774 A.D. in Frederick County, Maryland, USA. The earliest records of him are property purchases in 1747 A.D. Before that, he is a complete mystery.
The first two purchases he made he named "Golloway" [Galloway] and the "Isle of Aaron" [Isle of Arran]. From this we always assumed a Scottish connection; however, this year we were able to show that myself and another Mc Daniel descendant of James Sr. are genetically related to 2 different McDonough men whose ancestors were traced back to the Galway area in the early 1800s before emigrating to Liverpool and then to America and New Zealand. We have also shown a strong genetic connection to the Flaherty surname. Below is the R-A10525 subbranch of our R-A259 SNP Tree:
https://genelach.org/R1b-A10525/ [updated link]
The other member of our group that I mentioned has the surname Clarida/Clardy, which you can see above, and which apparently is a shortening of McLardy which in turn is a shortening of Mac Flaherty. This member is also genetically related to the Flaherty and McDonough gentlemen, as well as myself. We think the SNP node we all fall under, the R-BY18145/R-BY18162/R-FGC65254 SNP node of the R-A10525 subbranch under the R-A260 subclade, may be the signature of the Muintir Murchada Ó Flaherty lineage. It is of course early days, but there is no doubt of the genetic connection among us. The Ó Connollys / Mac Conneelys that branch directly off the R-A10525 SNP node are a complete mystery to us.
The apparent Scottish heritage of both my Mc Daniel and the Clarida/Clardy member families led me to research possible explanations besides the prevalent Ulster Plantations theory for R-M222 being in both Ireland and the Scottish Lowlands of Galloway, etc. I found these 2 possible explanations that predate the Ulster Plantations by 400+ years:The time frame of the mid 1200s A.D. could indeed fit the genetic branching we see between the Flaherty and McDonagh groups, as the traditional genealogies have that split ~1050 A.D.; so migrations after that time, like in the mid 1200s A.D., could certainly carry that genetic split already.
- A military expedition by command of Henry III in 1244 A.D. referenced in Roderic Ó Flaherty's H-Iar Connaught where there was first a rendezvous in Scotland and then a successful foray into Wales.
- A praise poem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_ ... _Rosg_Mall - I believe I read somewhere you are less than fond of Wikipedia references, but this is all I personally could find) that gives an indication that Connacht men, among other Irish groups, may have chosen to follow Donald of Clan Donald fame. The settlement of their descendants in the Scottish Lowlands of Galloway, etc. would not be unlikely then.
It is fascinating discoveries like these that would benefit from your expertise. I apologize for the length of this introductory email, but I wanted to give you a sense of our efforts. I hope you think that working with us would be of interest and benefit to yourself, or any of your colleagues, as well.
Thank you for your time and attention. I eagerly look forward to your reply.
Take care and be well,
David
For whatever reasons, Dr. Ó Cróinín chose not to continue correspondence after this; although he was kept informed of our progress, as will be shown below.Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2018
To: Genealogy Network
From: Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí
Subject: Re: R-A259 Uí Briúin Connachta
Dear David,
Thank you for your fascinating e-mail. Although I'm not an enthusiastic supporter of DNA analysis as a means of establishing medieval historical facts, I do realise that this is the way of the future, so I'd be happy to help your researches in any way I can.
Best wishes,
Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, MRIA, FSA,
Department of History,
School of Humanities,
National University of Ireland, Galway.
Editor, Peritia, Journal of the Medieval Academy of Ireland.
Chair, Royal Irish Academy Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources.
Chair, RIA/IBA/Brepols Scriptores Celtigenae [CCSL] series.
Member of the Irish Manuscripts Commission.
Dir. Foundations of Irish Culture [PRTLI] Project.
http://www.foundationsirishculture.ie
http://www.nuigalway.ie/irish-inscribed-stones-project/
The following two emails are in regard to the effort to recruit the O’Conor Don scion to perform an FTDNA BigY 700 test, which subsequently led to the O’Conor Don Report. Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin and Tim McEvoy, both admins of the Dal Cuinn, Teóra Connachta and the Uí Néill (formerly the Sons Of Aodh) FTDNA project, and myself, as webmaster of this website and forum, were the initiators of the effort to recruit the O’Conor Don scion at this time. Dr. Maurice Gleeson had been invited to join the effort strictly to be liaison with both the O’Conor Don scion and later with FTDNA.Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2019
To: Dr. Bart Jaski, Dr. Paul MacCotter, Dr. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Dr. Kieran Denis O’Conor, Dr. Gianpiero Cavalleri
CC: Dál Cuinn Group FB Admin
Subject: Dál Cuinn_Group Genetic Genealogy 2018 AD Review
Gentlemen:
This is meant as a brief review of the past year for our genetic genealogy project. The first thing is that we have expanded our focus from the Uí Briúin Connachta to the Dál Cuinn as a whole. We have done this in an effort to gain a better understanding of how the traditional accounts of the 4 sons of Eochaid Mugmedón compare with the Y-DNA genetics we are seeing. In general, those accounts seem to be holding up.
We chose the R1b-DF104 clade as the earliest likely basis for the Dál Cuinn. This clade's age has been estimated using the aging method developed by Dr. Iain McDonald to have a median age of 1914.34 YBP (36 AD). The 95% confidence interval is 350 BC to 361 AD. As Conn Cétchathach's reign is recorded as 116 – 136 AD or 122 – 157 AD [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conn_of_t ... ed_Battles], a median age of 36 AD seems conservatively safe. It is possible that some of the subclades below R1b-DF104 may be collateral lines to the Dál Cuinn, but we chose to be overly inclusive, rather than overly exclusive. We have a sample size now of over 1,000 men in the R1b-DF104 clade. Our complete Cladogram / Haplotree may be seen at:
https://r-a259.genealogy.network/tree.xhtml?clade=R-DF104 [defunct link]
The largest subclade below R1b-DF104 by far is the R1b-DF105 clade. Almost all of the surnames associated with the Uí Briúin, the Uí Fiachrach, and the northern Uí Néill fall in the R1b-DF105 clade. Again, using the aging method developed by Dr. Iain McDonald, the median age of this clade is 1560.15 YBP (390 AD). The 95% confidence interval is 149 AD to 592 AD. This dovetails reasonably well with the reign given for Eochaid Mugmedón of 357 – 365 AD or 344 – 351 AD.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eochaid_Mugmedon]
Since we are seeing probable Uí Briúin, Uí Fiachrach, and northern Uí Néill descendants in the R1b-DF105 clade, it is a reasonable assumption that Eochaid Mugmedón himself would most likely have been in the R1b-DF105 clade in order for all of his sons' descendants to also be in that same clade. This would indicate the 3 Y-DNA mutations that define the R1b-DF105 clade, DF105, DF108, and DF109, must have occurred in or before Eochaid Mugmedón. Again, the dates dovetail reasonably well together.
Not all men in the R1b-DF105 clade are necessarily descended from Eochaid Mugmedón, of course. There are attested collateral lines in the genealogies between Conn Cétchathach and Eochaid Mugmedón. What we have observed and tentatively labeled are the following subclades below R1b-DF105:There are many more subclades below R1b-DF105 that we have not been able to identify yet. Perhaps the standout in the data is that it is genetically possible the Uí Máille are descended from Brión, as the traditional genealogies have it; this despite doubt being raised in recent years. However, there are 2 important dynasties historically called Dál Cuinn that most definitely are not: the Clan Colla and the Uí Maine.
- R1b-S588: Cenél nEógain
- R1b-DF85: Cenél Conaill
- R1b-A259: Uí Briúin, Dau (Duach) Galach lineages
- R1b-BY35730: Uí Briúin, Uí Máille line
- R1b-BY35727: Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe, partial lineages
The Clan Colla have been identified as belonging to the R1b-Z3000 clade, which is a subclade to the collateral R1b-DF21 clade that split off from the R1b-DF104 line several hundred years earlier:
http://www.ytree.net/DisplayTree.php?blockID=68
http://www.peterspioneers.com/colla.htm
Using the aging method developed by Dr. Iain McDonald, the median age for the R1b-DF21 clade is 4042.23 YBP (2093 BC). The 95% confidence interval is 2588 BC to 1658 BC.
The Uí Maine have also been identified, but as belonging to the R1b-FGC6545 clade, which is a subclade to the collateral R1b-FGC6540 clade that split off more recently than the Clan Colla, but still several hundred years before the birth of Conn Cétchathach:
http://www.ytree.net/DisplayTree.php?blockID=815
Using the aging method developed by Dr. Iain McDonald, the median age for the R1b-FGC6540 clade is 3137.67 YBP (1188 BC). The 95% confidence interval is 1786 BC to 630 BC.
Within the R1b-A259 clade, which we are tentatively identifying as the Dau (Duach) Galach lineages, we have seen some very exciting discoveries. The first is the correlation of surnames in the R1b-FGC5939.2 subclade with those enumerated in the Muintir Murchadha Tract, AKA Crichaireacht Cinedach Nduchasa Muintiri Murchada:
https://r-a259.genealogy.network/tree.xhtml?clade=R-FGC5939.2 [defunct link]
https://r-a259.genealogy.network/transcript_mmt.xhtml [defunct link]
We hope to see more definition of this correlation as more men in this clade test.
Secondly, as stated in previous emails, in the case of Eóchád (Eochaid) Tírmchárnae, Dau (Duach) Tenga Uma, and Fergnóe (Fergna) the genetics make it nearly impossible, not completely, but nearly so, for 2 brothers to share a common clade, R1b-A260 in this instance, without the 3rd brother also sharing it. That means that most likely only the 2 R1b-A260 clade men, Dau (Duach) Tenga Uma and Fergnóe (Fergna), were true brothers, while Eóchád (Eochaid) Tírmchárnae was some degree of cousin. So the genetics provide pretty conclusive evidence that the traditional genealogies and annals were wrong to say Dau (Duach) Tenga Uma, Eóchád (Eochaid) Tírmchárnae, and Fergnóe (Fergna) were all 3 literal brothers. It is, of course, possible that Eóchád (Eochaid) Tírmchárnae was an NPE (Non-Paternity Event), but his biological father was still some degree of cousin to Dau (Duach) Tenga Uma's and Fergnóe (Fergna)'s father.
Thirdly, we have recently had a Flanagan NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) test results posted. It has established a FIFTH subclade directly under R1b-A259 in parallel with the R1b-BY18120 clade that all previous Uí Briúin Aí surnamed men have belonged to. Looking at Dr. Jaski's genealogy tree for the Síl Muiredaig, the split for the Ó Conchobhair and the Ó Flannagáin lines occurred right at Muiredach Muillethan's sons Indrechtach and Cathal. We are expecting another Flanagan NGS test results soon; so assuming both Flanagans are not in the R1b-BY18120 clade (a safe assumption from preliminary STR analysis), then that yields a "not before date" for the occurrence of the R1b-BY18120 clade of ~700 AD.
Using the aging method developed by Dr. Iain McDonald, the median age of the R1b-BY18120 clade is 1219.79 YBP (731 AD). The 95% confidence interval is 400 AD to 1048 AD; which is pretty well spot on. If we use that median age, then it would appear that the R1b-BY18120 clade most likely occurred in Murgal mac Indrechtaig or his son Tomaltach mac Murgail. There are no dates given for Murgal, but Dr. Jaski shows Tomaltach dying in 774 AD. From that date, Tomaltach would appear to be the best candidate for the occurrence of the R1b-BY18120 clade. Of course, this is all very speculative, but still very exciting.
We are also expecting the NGS test results for a McDermott whose preliminary STR results indicate he is most likely a Síl Muiredaig Mac Diarmadha. His results should help pinpoint the time frame of any further branches in the R1b-BY18120 clade; just as the McManus test results have.
Fourthly, in the Uí Briúin Bréifne clade of R1b-BY3338, we are starting to see signs that perhaps the Muintir Mhaolmordha Muintir Chionaith / Chinaith Mac Conshnámha have also been an incorrectly assigned lineage in the traditional genealogies and annals. We are seeing Ford surnames and now a McFadden surname in the R1b-BY18113 clade that is parallel to what appears otherwise to be the Muintir Mhaolmordha clade of R1b-BY11723. It is early days, but if we do not see any Ford surnames appear in the R1b-BY11723 clade, and more Ford surnames do appear in the R1b-BY18113 clade, then it looks like a similar case to the Uí Briúin Aí.
[https://r-a259.genealogy.network/tree.xhtml?clade=R-BY3338 [defunct link]]
In a final note, I would like to point out the Newell (Ó Tnúthail?) test results on the very far right side of the R1b-DF104 Cladogram (link given above). This gentleman has the fewest Y-DNA mutations in the R1b-DF104 clade, which means he is the closest to the original ancestral state. This is very interesting because this gives an indication the Newell family might provide valuable clues as to the origin of the Dál Cuinn.
I have had no contact with this individual yet, so I do not know his specific genealogy, but I did find a post on a Tuam genealogy website related to Newells:
Newell, O'Connor I'm looking for any information on my grandfather, James Newell. He married my grandmother Catherine O'Connor in Tuam Cathedral in 1907. I found this out when I visited Ireland last year. I know that he was a blacksmith and was a widower with grown children when he married my grandmother. I'm not sure when he died but it was sometime before my mother Nora Newell emigrated to the US. In 1927. My mother Nora Newell was born in Sept of 1908.
[http://tuamfamilyhistories.com/interest ... ts_nop.htm [defunct link]]
This may indicate the Newells have a long connection to the Tuam area. This is interesting because of the legend of the Battle of Damchluain, near Tuam, Co. Galway, between Brión and Fiachra [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brion_(Irish)]. Also, I find the somewhat nearby Inchiquin or Innisquin, Co. Galway to be interesting. What I have found about it is the following:
7. Mellan of noble Inis maccu Cuinn, thou shouldst beseech him
[https://archive.org/stream/martyrologyo ... t_djvu.txt]
Which led to this reference:
VII. February
I. Saint Meldanus born in a noble rank among the Irish, derived his origin from the very noble and very ancient stock of (1) Hua-Cuinn; and was conspicuous for miracles in his life-time, and after his death. But the things which he did in his life-time, although formerly most notorious, the injury of time has removed from our notice, except very few things, which rather indicate his dignity and eminence, than enumerate (recensent?) his miracles. The first is, that he was Abbot in the western district of (2) Connaught; for there in a certain island of the spacious lake, which they commonly called Loch-oirb, or as the ancients {named it} Loch-oirbsean {in which {island} also S. Brendan is known to have first (4) dwelled} he acted the {part of} Abbot in a monastery formerly noble and famous. But that island, and the Monastery founded in it, seems to have taken its denomination from him, and his one, or more brothers german; for it is commonly called Inis-mac-Hua-Cuinn; that is the island of the sons of Hua-Cuinn (5). The second, that he merited to have for his (as a) disciple (6) and spiritual son S. Fursaeus, who afterwards in Ireland, Britain, and Gaul, was conspicuous for the rare sanctity of his life, and for great prodigies (miracles); and who, according to what is to be said immediately, became a great venerator and most devoted client of his master who was already enlisted among the heavenly citizens. Third that he was a distinguished proclaimer of the word of God, and as his merits demanded promoted to the episcopal rank (8), although there is not sufficient evidence as regards the see in which he discharged that office.
[http://places.webworld.org/letters/a183 ... tml?p=6665]
And this:
INCHIQUIN, or INNISQUIN, an island, in the parish of KILLURSA, barony of CLARE, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 miles (W.) from Headford: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated in Lough Corrib, about a mile from the shore, contains 131 acres of arable land, and is the property of P. Lynch, Esq., of Ballycurrin. An abbey was founded here by St. Brendon towards the close of the sixth century.
[https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/I/ ... Galway.php]
The proximity of Inchiquin or Innisquin to Headford is also interesting. Given the Gaelic name of Headford as Áth Cinn, and the meaning of áth:
áth = ford (commonly as scene of battle or single combat)
[http://edil.qub.ac.uk/search?q=áth&search_in=headword]
led to pure speculation on my part that the original name of Headford might possibly have been Áth Cuinn, or Battle Ford of Conn. This conjecture is also somewhat bolstered by the fact that Lough Hackett / Loch Cime, the ancient seat of the Uí Briúin Seóla, is very close by.
All of the above may be pure coincidence that my speculation has linked together in an unfounded fashion; but the enduring legends of the Uí Briúin originating around Tuam would seem to indicate it is not a new or entirely wild concept. And if the Uí Briúin originated in that region, then the origin of the Dál Cuinn themselves there may be a possibility too. As I said previously, investigation into the history of the Newell family may prove quite valuable.
In summary, the traditional genealogies and annals seem to be holding up to the genetics. There are some individual departures as noted above; but overall, the genetics support the majority of relationships given in the traditional genealogies and annals. We are looking forward to many more exciting discoveries this coming year. If anyone has any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to email anytime. Thank you for your time and attention.
I wish you all a prosperous and academically prolific New Year.
Take care and be well,
David
Due to his rather busy schedule, it took several weeks for the O’Conor Don scion to complete and return his sample kit to FTDNA. Everyone involved with the effort was anxious and disappointed about the length of time it took to receive the sample kit to begin sequencing, and discussions about alternative candidates were made. But we were overjoyed when FTDNA finally received the sample kit and began processing it. We continue to thank the O’Conor Don scion for taking the time out of his busy schedule to make this invaluable contribution to the genetic genealogy community.Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2020
To: Genealogy Network
CC: Tim (Gwinn) McEvoy, Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin
From: Maurice Gleeson MB
Subject: Re: O'Conor & Mac Dermott
Thanks David
I agree with all your points and have made the necessary changes in the attached revised
[recruitment] document.Any comments from Grace or Tim?
- I’ll pdf it once it has been finalised.
- I’ll change the signatures on the email as suggested (although technically I am not part
of the project but rather "technical support” or something similar. I’m happy to change
the signature again to reflect this if Grace or Tim prefer).- I’ve normalised to Old Irish spellings
- Big Tree estimates now included
- the triangulation refers to a genealogical triangulation, not a genetic one, but I know
what you are saying and have clarified this in the text
Best
Maurice
Dr Maurice Gleeson MB
Genetic Genealogist
Education Ambassador, ISOGG
http://dnaandfamilytreeresearch.blogspot.co.uk
The following two emails show the utility of using the traditional annals and genealogies for Y-DNA analysis and estimation. The missing phylogenetic node turned out to be the R1b-Y166841 (A24040) clade discussed shortly.Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2020
To: Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin, Tim (Gwinn) McEvoy
From: Genealogy Network
Subject: Re: O'Conor Don, McDermot & McManus DNA
Gráinne,
[Redacted to remove personal information.]
Re the O’Conor Don scion [Substituted for privacy.], independent of Maurice or Janine Cloud [of FTDNA], if and when you two think it is time, and this is ONLY among the 3 of us, I will email Dr. Paul Naessens [a scholastic mentee of the O’Conor Don scion I had been in previous contact with] to see if he can very gently prod the O’Conor Don scion [Substituted for privacy.] to get the kit done and returned. It will be a little intrusive, but it is too important to let slide.
Thanks for the link, Gráinne. It looks like it will be interesting. I wonder how this effort by TCD will integrate with DIAS's ISOS project, or UCC's CELT project.
Stay safe and healthy.
Take care and be well,
David
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2020
To: Maurice Gleeson MB
CC: Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin, Tim (Gwinn) McEvoy, Paul Ó Duḃṫaiġ, Kyle DePew
From: Genealogy Network
Subject: Uí Briúin Aí Branches
Maurice,
Here is another question for Mike Sager at FTDNA.
According to the traditional genealogies:
[Partial table showing Muiredach Muillethan's 4 sons with clade assignments to Indrechtach (R1b-BY18120) and Cathal (R1b-FT12117).]
And according to Alex Williamson's implementation of Iain McDonald's age estimation methodology on The Big Tree:https://www.ytree.net/BlockInfo.php?blockID=2110Big Tree: Information for BY18120
Using the aging method developed by Iain McDonald, the median age of this block is 1219.79 YBP (731 AD). The 95% confidence interval is 400 AD to 1048 AD.
The median age of 731 AD correlates with the genealogy above remarkably well. However:https://www.ytree.net/BlockInfo.php?blockID=567Big Tree: Information for A259
Using the aging method developed by Iain McDonald, the median age of this block is 1516.45 YBP (434 AD). The 95% confidence interval is 185 AD to 661 AD.
I have not been completely sure, but I assume the clade age estimate is referenced to the FIRST mutation that occurred in the phylogenetic node. So using the very rough median rate of 83 years per SNP mutation, then 731 AD - 434 AD = 297 years, and 297 / 83 = 3 to 4 SNPs. So, we SHOULD expect to see a phylogenetic node between R1b-A259 and R1b-BY18120 and R1b-FT12117 that contains somewhere around 3 SNPs and that joins R1b-BY18120 and R1b-FT12117 into a common branch. Kits #FTDNA-728627 and #FTDNA-302748 as R1b-A259* MAY also play into this.
Can you ask Mike if FTDNA has seen ANY indication that the missing connecting phylogenetic node exists, i.e., very poor quality reads that are shared? Thanks.
Take care and be well,
David
The following emails are back to the O’Conor Don Report.Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020
To: David McDaniel
CC: Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin, Tim (Gwinn) McEvoy, Paul Ó Duḃṫaiġ, Kyle DePew
From: Maurice Gleeson MB
Subject: Re: Uí Briúin Aí Branches
Hi David
I’ll ask Mike Sager about this. Of course he might be in a better position to comment once the the O’Conor Don’s [Substituted for privacy.] results are back and he has more data to compare to, but there is certainly no harm in briefing him about what to look out for.
Cheers,
Maurice
Dr Maurice Gleeson MB
Genetic Genealogist
Education Ambassador, ISOGG
http://dnaandfamilytreeresearch.blogspot.co.uk
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2020
From: Genealogy Network
To: Tim (Gwinn) McEvoy, Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin
Subject: Re: O'Conor Don, McDermot & McManus DNA
Tim & Gráinne,
Again, just among us, my apologies for CCing Kyle in the first place about the O’Conor Don scion [Substituted for privacy.]. I did it because I know he has been following the Uí Briúin Y-DNA for years with a lot of interest in the Ó Conchobair Dond lineage because of their pedigree. But now, as far as I am concerned, he is being too divisive to the effort with the O’Conor Don scion [Substituted for privacy.] and I will no longer include him on the CC list for anything I send.
He is being totally disingenuous when he says it is unscientific to start with the assumption that something is true and then try to prove it false. Tim, as you pointed out several times in the SOA AF, it is perfectly valid to assume something is true and try to prove it false as it is to assume it is false and try to prove it true. Where is HIS documentation as to his sweeping statements "which have already been shown to be unreliable and in many cases politically motivated."? And "When I look at the names in sum, I see a lot of cherry-picking going on."? To be blunt, HE is the one cherry-picking surnames. And analyses by modern historians DO NOT count as proof. THOSE ARE ONLY OPINIONS! Proof is ONLY provided by contradictory contemporary documentation of the era, or archaeological or Y-DNA evidence; and as far as I am aware, there is none.
Kyle puts a lot of stock in the Book Of Rights, which has a Munster-oriented interpretation of Connacht rights. And it has been described as:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Rights...the book of rights purports to record the rights of the Irish Kings, the King of Ireland, the provincial kings and the stipends due from the King of Ireland to the provincial kings...
This is what he has quoted to me frequently in the past as to the political motivations behind genealogies. But obviously this "proof" is questionable itself; and as far as I am aware, IT has no external corroboration in other documents of the era.
So let's just leave Kyle out of all further communications, because it is NOT helping the effort. And this IS and has been OUR effort. Everyone else was invited at OUR request, as a courtesy or to lend constructive assistance, like Maurice.
Take care and be well,
David
For complete clarification, I was attributed as the sole author (prepared by) of the O’Conor Don Descendant Report since I did the writing, with EVERYONE else attributed as sponsors and editors (on behalf of).Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2020
To: David Mc Daniel, Paul Ó Duḃṫaiġ, Kyle DePew, Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin, Tim McEvoy
From: Maurice Gleeson MB
Subject: Re: Revised Report for O’Conor Don Descendant
Thanks for the updated document, David.
Folks, I don’t want to rush it through at this final stage so I’m happy to wait till early next week for any final comments and suggestions for revisions / additions. That means that people can read it over the weekend and give it some serious thought.
I also want everyone to be happy to have their name appear at the end of the document, so if there are any concerns then please let me know. I want this to be a truly collaborative effort.
If there are to be any changes to be made then the layout may change again but that is easily done and should be the last thing we do.
Best,
Maurice
Dr. Maurice Gleeson MB
Genetic Genealogist
Education Ambassador, ISOGG
http://dnaandfamilytreeresearch.blogspot.co.uk
The following email is back to the missing R1b-Y166841 (A24040) clade discussed previously.Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2021
To: Dr. Bart Jaski, Dr. Paul MacCotter, Dr. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Dr. Gianpiero Cavalleri, Dr. Darren Mc Gettigan, President Michael D. Higgins, Mr. Michael Dixon, Dr. Paul Naessens, Dr. Lara Cassidy
CC: Tim (Gwinn) McEvoy, Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin, Dr. Maurice Gleeson MB, Alex Williamson, Dr. Kieran D. O’Conor
From: DCG Forum Administrator
Subject: O’Conor Don Y-DNA Confirmed
This is to inform you that a member of the O’Conor Don family has graciously done a Y-DNA Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) test and has permitted the result to be made public. He has been confirmed as being a member of the R1b-BY18115 clade, which data collected so far indicates is possibly the Uí Conchobair clade. The R1b-BY18115 Cladogram, which shows his position in the clade, may be seen here:
https://dcg.genealogy.network/cladogram.xhtml?clade=R1b-BY18115 [defunct link]
This is exactly where he was anticipated to belong. His test result analysis, performed by Alex Williamson on The Big Tree, may be seen here:
http://www.ytree.net/SNPinfoForPerson.p ... onID=12054
For those who are not familiar with all the DNA jargon, a Y-DNA clade is a particular sept or branch of a family established by a single male progenitor. A Cladogram is like a family tree, but it shows the "Y-DNA generations", that is, those nodes and branches where a Y chromosome mutation occurred in an individual man that caused a branching in the patrilineal lineage. This is typically a point where one paternal brother had a particular Y chromosome mutation and the other(s) did not. The other brother(s) may have had their own, different Y chromosome mutation; but whether they did or not, certainly their males descendants did at some point in time. This is the underlying basis for patrilineal genetic genealogy.
The Y-DNA test data that is being amassed from both NGS and WGS (Whole Genome Sequencing) testing is becoming truly astounding. This test result from the O’Conor Don gentleman is an amazing scientific confirmation that while not perfect by any means, the traditional Irish genealogies do have validity up to a point. The work is in puzzling out where the genealogies diverge from the Y-DNA evidence. We are hoping to obtain corroborating Y-DNA test results from members of the Mac Diarmata lineage in the near future.
Best regards,
Dál Cuinn Group
The previous email is to put the following email to Dr. Bart Jaski in context and to give Rob Moore credit for first noticing the important Y166841/A24040 variant and clade.Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2021
To: Genealogy Network
CC: Tim McEvoy, Gráinne Ní Fhlannagáin
From: Rob Moore
Subject: Re: Moore On The Big Tree
Good morning all. I have a question. On YFull they've discovered a SNP (listed as Y166841/A24040) that they have placed as an intermediary in the downline between A259* and the O'Flanagan samples from Clann Cathail under BY200256/FT12347/BY198518 (etc). At least one sample, YF18687, has tested positive for this SNP while also being negative for the various O'Flanagan-exclusive terminal SNPs (which I also tested negative for).
I showed up as unread for this new SNP, and in an email from the admins of YFull they confirmed it to be the case that my ambiguous results prevent me from being given a terminal subclade. I am thus listed as either A259* or Y166841*, and won't be placed under either unless a determination can be made. What are the chances that my BAM file from FTDNA would contain the segment data required to determine whether I'm positive or negative?
If it's unlikely, the money required to get them to give me access to the file could instead go towards something more useful... but if I were to test positive for this SNP, I imagine this would all but confirm the theory that my ancestors belonged to the Clann Cathail branch of the Siol Muireadaigh, as even the five O'Conor and McManus samples that they have tested negative for this SNP, while the O'Conors and McManuses are said to be descended from King Indrechtach mac Muiredaig, who was the older brother of Cathal, the namesake of the above mentioned kinship group.
I know that it was mentioned previously that the Big-Y testing is far from ideal and only covers a certain amount of the Y-chromosome data, but does this mean that the relevant information is nowhere to be found unless I test with a different company?
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2021
To: Jaski, B. (Bart)
CC: Tim McEvoy
From: David
Subject: Source Of Cathal Son Of Muiredach Máel
Bart,
FYI, I recently found the following (see image below) in the addenda to Roderic O’Flaherty's Iar-Connaught by the editor James Hardiman, as another authority besides Hubert Thomas Knox, that Muiredach Máel had a second son named Cathal. Perhaps both citations trace back to the same source, Peter O’Connell ~1700s. However, I have no idea what Peter O’Connell's authority or source was; but apparently his Kings Of Connacht List MS is in the Royal Irish Academy. Again, this is potentially important as it would explain the Y-DNA split we are seeing between the Uí Briúin Aí as R1b-A260- and both the Uí Briúin Seóla and the Uí Briúin Bréifne as R1b-A260+. There are other possible explanations that are undocumented, but this, at least, has the nicety of being a documented explanation, even if it is slightly questionable.
However, I recognize that King #4 in Peter O’Connell's list is in error, but I am sure I know the source of that confusion. The Book Of Leinster has:And King #4 in this list is assumed to be Eógan Bél son of Cellach of the Uí Fiachroí because it (mis)attributes the battle of Sligech to him. However, note that he is listed as the son of Duach, not Cellach. And the time frame is all wrong. Therefore, I think there was a conflation of 2 different men named Eógan, and both MAY have had the epithet "Bél", which is what caused the conflation. As can be seen from the Book Of Ballymote:
- Amalgaid mac Fiachrach .xxxiiii.
- [5720] {MS folio 41a 15} Ailill Molt .xx.
- Dui Galach xix.
- Eogan Bél mac Duach .xxxuii. Fergus & Domnall da mac Meic Erca ro marb Eogan Bel i cath Slicigi
- {MS folio 41a 20}Ailill Inbanda mac Eogain .ix. A marbad i cath Cuili Conaire
[5725] i Cera
[...]
la
[...]ro marbad Ailill- Dui Tengad Umae a marbad i cath Seggissi la Murchertach mac Erca.
Therefore, I am convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that King #4 in both lists is actually Eógan Sríab son of Dau Galach; and that bél in this case is being used with the meaning of "Freq. of replacing in kingship, headship, etc. one who had the normal claim, before, in preference to, in place of", in other words, "usurper" [ http://dil.ie/5607 ]. In this case, PERHAPS Eógan Sríab replaced his brother Ernán as king, and this is why Ernán's descendants are tracked for so long and in such detail.Duach galach dano mc. Briain da mc. lais .i. Eogan sremh .i. rang beag bai na bhel & is uadh in rigraidh
[ https://dcg.genealogy.network/transcrip ... uachGalaig ]
[ Peter O’Connell's “The Christian Kings Of Connaught”, Iar-Connaught as referenced above, pp. 128-129 ]
[ Table IX from Hubert Thomas Knox, The History Of The County Of Mayo To The Close Of The Sixteenth Century, p. 382 ]
Take care and be well,
David
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2021
To: David
CC: Tim McEvoy
From: Jaski, B. (Bart)
Subject: Re: Source Of Cathal Son Of Muiredach Máel
Dear David,
These late sources are wrong, Mael Cothaid and Áed are sons of Fogartach (fl. 789) son of Cathal (+735) son of Muiredach Muillethan (+702), but are misplaced in the regnal list you cite and the Annals of Tigernach (both mistakes are no doubt related) and wrongly attached to Muiredach Mál. Again this underlines that trustworthy genealogical charts are necessary to weed out these mistakes.
Best wishes,
Bart
Date: Mon, 1 May 2023
To: Jaski, B. (Bart)
Cc: Tim McEvoy, Michael Rowley, Rob Moore, Francis Keaney
From: David
Subject: The Y-DNA, The Uí Briúin Aí, And The Síl Muiredaig
I hope you and your family are doing well
The subject line of this email is a play on the title of the old Clint Eastwood western movie The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly; although there is no significance in the order of the subject line. Things are starting to resemble the Wild West with respect to the Uí Briúin Aí. Here are two links to the current Cladogram so you can see the structure that is now appearing.
https://genelach.org/R1b-Y166841/
https://genelach.org/R1b-FGC5939/
Originally, we thought that R1b-BY18120 was the Síl Muiredaig clade because of the Conner and McManus surnames that were falling under it, especially including the O’Conor Don gentleman [Named removed for privacy.]. Parallel to R1b-BY18120 we also had the R1b-FT12117 clade with 2 Flannagan gentlemen. Then both of these clades plus a few smaller clades were brought under a single unifying clade, R1b-Y166841. This made the presumption that R1b-Y166841 was the Síl Muiredaig clade seem very solid; especially since one of the included smaller clades had a Moore gentlemen, whom we presumed was an Ó Maíl Morda descendant.
As you know, to explain this we found the genealogy presented by Peter O’Connell circa the mid to late 1700s, and espoused by H. T. Knox in the early 1900s, that said there were 2 sons of Muiredach Máel: Fergus and Cathal. This left the Uí Briúin Aí descended from an earlier split than traditionally thought, but all seemed well and good as it left the Uí Briúin Seóla and Uí Briúin Bréifne descending from a common ancestor under the R1b-A260 clade, said progenitor presumably being Fergus. However, this left us with a moderately largish subclade under R1b-A260, the R1b-FGC5939 clade, that had no explanation for its origin. Originally, the surnames in the R1b-FGC5939 clade seemed to mirror those found in the Muinter Murcháda Tract: Halloran, O’Toole, Canavan, and a few others. We assumed that eventually the R1b-FGC5939 clade would be unified in a single clade with the R1b-BY11725 clade, which seems to very clearly be the Uí Briúin Seóla clade.
However, this has not happened, and the R1b-FGC5939 clade has grown significantly and has surnames that are not recognizable from the Muinter Murcháda Tract; one such surname being Mannion, who are closely related to the Hallorans. Then came the McDermott and McDonough surnames. We came to the conclusion that the R1b-FGC5939 clade must be the Maicne Eócháda Tírmchárnai, but NOT the Uí Briúin Aí and Síl Muiredaig
BUT!
We are now starting to see some of the missing Síl Muiredaig surnames appear under the R1b-FGC5939 clade. And the structure of the R1b-FGC5939 clade is resembling the genealogy of the nominal Uí Briúin Aí, with 3 major subclades under it. The R1b-BY20602 subclade is appearing more and more to be the descendants of Fergus/Muirguis, while the R1b-TBT10109 and R1b-FT103653 subclades could be the descendants of his brothers Cathal and Cellach; although which subclade descends from which brother is not clear yet.
So we could call the R1b-BY20602 subclade the Síl Muiredaig, with its R1b-A6925 subclade being the Maicne Indrechtaig; its R1b-BY20588 subclade being the Cland Connmaig with its Canavan gentleman; the R1b-FTA43254 subclade being the Cland Cathail, with its 2 Flannagan gentlemen and one Reid gentleman who could be an Ó Maíl Brigde; and the other smaller subclades being as yet non-unified clades representing the descendants of Conchobar and Fothad.
Then when we examine the R1b-A6925 subclade, which is possibly the Maicne Indrechtaig, we have its R1b-FT219063 subclade being the descendants of Murgal with all its McDermott, McDonough, etc. gentlemen; its R1b-FGC36992 subclade being the descendants of Áed Balb with its Fallon gentleman; its R1b-FTD8834 subclade being the
descendants of Murchád with its 3 Murphy gentleman; and the remaining smaller sublcades being as yet non-unified clades representing the descendants of Tadc and Muirthuile. Admittedly, the depth of the samples is too small with many just being one
gentleman. But the breadth of the samples and their structure is becoming very compelling.
In addition, we have some samples from gentlemen who have not done detailed testing, so we do not have their terminal clades yet. In this category we have an R1b-FGC5939+ Headen gentleman who claims an Ó hEttegáin ancestral surname. This could be an Ó hEitecháin descendant of Muirthuile. We also have an R1b-A6925+ Conner gentleman who could be descended from an early Ó Conchobair line. And we also have an R1b-A260+ Concannon gentleman who could be an Ó Con Cennain descendant of Diarmait Find. There may be a couple of other similar cases as well.
The structure the Y-DNA is beginning to assume implies that sometime after Tadc inda Dúir/Tuir Ó Conchobair (fl. 925 – 956 AD) but before Tairdelbach Már Ó Conchobair (1088 – 1156 AD), somehow a descendant of Cathal son of Muiredach Máel crept into
the Ó Conchobair line so that the later Ó Conchobair line is NOT Síl Muiredaig. And as to whom the other R1b-Y166841+ descendants are is a complete mystery. I am beginning to suspect there was a major conflation error in the early genealogies. It is possible
there were Cland Cathail and Síl Muiredaig clands from Cathal son of Muiredach Máel, and then later the same cland names arose from Muiredach Muillethan, a descendant of Fergus son of Muiredach Máel.
So... HELP!!! LOL! I would greatly appreciate any words of wisdom you have to impart.
BTW, do you have tucked away somewhere a list of all the surnames associated with the Síl Muiredaig? I am trying to go through the Book Of Ballymote and collect them, but if you already have such a list it would really help. Thanks!
I only tangentially touched on the Uí Maini issue with some of the surnames we are seeing in the R1b-TBT10109 and R1b-FT103653 subclades of the R1b-FGC5939 clade. We have 2 Leyden gentlemen in the same subclade of the R1b-TBT10109 subclade as the Mannion gentlemen. The Hallorans are in a parallel subclade of the R1b-TBT10109 subclade. I am speculating these Leyden gentlemen MAY be the Ó Lóegacháin chieftains of Calad, which was adjacent to the Ó Mainnín territory of Sogán. We are also starting to see a growing cluster of Donnellan gentlemen in the R1b-FT103653 subclade of the R1b-FGC5939 clade. I am speculating these MAY be the "Uí Maini" Ó Domnalláin family. But we also have one Donelan gentlemen in the R1b-BY198 clade, that I think are the descendants of Ernán son of Dau Galach, and which clade also has several "Uí Maini" surnames, like Mac Áeducáin.
Things are definitely getting interesting; but I am all too acutely aware of the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." LOL!
Take care and be well,
David
Date: Thu, 4 May 2023
To: David
CC: Tim McEvoy, Michael Rowley, Rob Moore, Francis Keaney
From: Jaski, B. (Bart)
Subject: Re: The Y-DNA, The Uí Briúin Aí, And The Síl Muiredaig
Wow, this is complicated! It seems to me you got the connections of the surnames in order (Fallon, Murphy, Concannon, Flanagan, etc.), but the genetic configuration I cannot explain. I don’t have a list of Síl M surnames, but Ballymote is your best guide (from 56r onwards, many are mentioned in Clann Chathail), and Ó Muraile’s edition of the The Great Book of Genealogies. And you know how I think about the Knox theory of Fergus and Cathal, this does not seem to me to be a way out to explain the genetic clades. There is something different at hand here, you got yourselves an interesting puzzle to solve. This is all I can do for now, unfortunately not much.
Best wishes,
Bart
ONGOINGDate: Thu, 19 Oct 2023
To: Francis Mac Dermot, Michael Rowley, Tim McEvoy, Zack Daugherty, Jaski, B. (Bart), Kieran Denis O’Conor, Jessica Cooke, Christina Cleary, Daniel Curley, Paul Cotter, Daniel Bradley, Lara Cassidy, John Kirby, Michael O’crowley, Russell Ó Ríagáin, Granuaile Ní Fhlannagáin, Paul Duffy, Hank Greely
From: Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project Y-DNA
Subject: Mac Diarmata Y-DNA Genetics
We are delighted to announce that Francis Mac Dermot, current THE Mac Diarmata and Prince of Coolavin, has graciously undergone Y-DNA testing at YSEQ GmbH. He is now known to be in the R1b-BY20594 clade, which is a subclade of the R1b-BY20602 clade, which in turn is a subclade of the R1b-FGC5939 clade. Current evidence strongly indicates that the R1b-FGC5939 clade is completely, or at least one branch of, the Uí Briúin Aí, Maicne Eócháda Tírmchárnai, while its R1b-BY20602 subclade is providing strong evidence of being the Síl Muiredaig. This now confirms the three major branches of the Uí Briúin are under the R1b-A260 clade, which corroborates the genealogy of the three sons of Fergus being the progenitors of the three traditional branches of the Uí Briúin.
It does, however, bring into question as to whom the later O’Conor lines descend from, since they are in the R1b-Y166841 clade that is parallel to the R1b-A260 clade. We previously had the gracious participation of a well documented O’Conor Don scion to prove the R1b-Y166841 clade descent. The only recorded explanation found to date for this divergence from the traditional genealogies is given in Peter O’Connell's King List of Connacht that was published in James Hardiman's 1846 edition of Ruaidrí Ó Flaithbertaig's A Chorographical Description Of West Or H-Iar Connaught. In that list, Peter O’Connell shows a genealogy not seen in most other recorded genealogies, and that is that Muiredach Máel, son of Eógan Sríab, son of Dau Galach, son of Brión, the eponymous progenitor of the Uí Briúin, had TWO sons: Fergus and Cathal. This fits with the fork we see between the R1b-A260 clade, the Maicne Fergusa, and the parallel R1b-Y166841 clade, the likely Maicne Cathail. Some of Peter O’Connell's works can be found at the Royal Irish Academy Library.
So it would appear that sometime after Tadc inda Dúir Ó Conchobair, d. 956 AD, but before or with Tairdelbach Már Ó Conchobair, d. 1156 AD, there was an SCE (Surname Change Event) in the Ó Conchobair line that introduced the likely Maicne Cathail line into the later Ó Conchobair lines. We deduce this since Tadc inda Dúir Ó Conchobair was the last common ancestor of the Mac Diarmata and the Ó Conchobair. We are also confident about this deduction because we are seeing other Conner and variant surnames in the R1b-FGC5939 clade, which tends to indicate that other branches of the Ó Conchobair, separate from the Tairdelbach Már Ó Conchobair line, did leave descendants in the Síl Muiredaig line. As far as we know with the current data, it is only the descendants of Tairdelbach Már Ó Conchobair, that are being found in the R1b-Y166841 clade. However, we are NOT saying the SCE occurred with Tairdelbach Már Ó Conchobair, but that he was of the likely Maicne Cathail line is evident by his descendants.
This leaves the Mac Diarmata as being the senior line of the Síl Muiredaig, genetically speaking. While this is an egregious discrepancy with the standard genealogies on the one hand, on the other hand it is confirming these genealogies by showing the appropriate genetic connection between the three traditional branches of the Uí Briúin, all descending from a common progenitor under the R1b-A260 clade. So if you will, this is the exception that proves the rule. This is a very exciting corroboration of part of Ireland's history that in this latter age has been too often scoffed at.
Warmest regards,
David Mac Donagh
Michael Rowley
Tim McEvoy
Zack Daugherty
Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project
https://genelach.org/
