Referring to the probable ancestral haplotype, as indicated in Table 1, six characteristic mutations were initially identified in FTDNA Panels 1-3 (1-37 markers). FTDNA Panel 4 (37 to 67 markers) revealed just one more, but now the recent further extension of STR testing to Panel 5 (67 to 111 markers) has revealed at least six new mutations from R-L21, making thirteen in all. 

It should be noted that the coincidence of four of the six characteristic South Irish mutations in Panels 1-3 has been seen in a kit which proved to be negative for R-L21 but positive for its ‘sister’ SNP R-U152.  However, this kit had none of the seven South Irish Panel 4 and 5 mutations. This stresses the importance of either testing for SNP R-L21 or at least testing the full range of 111 STR markers to validate South Irish membership.

The South Irish haplotype is shared by over 60% of southern O’Donoghues*, about 50% of O’Sullivans, 30% of O’Mahonys and 23% of McCarthys. These names are strongly associated with the Eoghanacht dynasty in the ancient genealogical tracts.

It has been estimated that the common ancestor of South Irish lived about 500 A.D **+/- a few centuries.  This is the period when the Eoghanacht dynasty began to consolidate its hegemony over the other tribes of the south.  It coincides roughly with the time of Conall Corc, from whom the Eoghanacht clans are supposed to have descended. However, other considerably different haplotypes are seen in significant percentages of the aforementioned families as well as the many other surnames said to derive from Eoghanacht sources.  It is improbable that all these surnames did indeed descend from the mythic Eoghan Mór, and there is no way to ascertain whether South Irish was the haplotype of Conall Corc. And of course, despite the claims of the ancient genealogical tracts, his male lineage may have died out altogether.

* The name O’Donoghue has risen independently in several parts of Ireland.  The “southern” groups refer to those of interest to this project and are historically recorded as comprising Eoghanacht Caisil and Eoghanacht Raithlind.

** This may have to be advanced a little on consideration of the FTDNA Panel 5 data. 

Irish Type III (L226)

The second southern Irish modal haplotype identified by Dr Nordvedt, in April 2006, appeared to be most common where origins were stated as the counties of north Munster (Clare, Limerick, with appreciative presence also in neighbouring Tipperary and Cork) where surnames associated in the genealogical tracts with Dalcassian peoples are found most prevalent.  This region of north Munster was known as Thomond in ancient times (the south was called Desmond).  

Dennis Wright’s excellent website at http://www.irishtype3dna.org/index.php provides detailed information on this cluster and identifies estimates which suggest the common ancestor lived roughly between 700AD-1100AD, possibly near the era in which Brian Boru and his immediate ancestors held sway.  The Dalcassians, historically known as Deisi Tuisceart (Northern Deisi) claimed descent from Cas, brother of the Eóghan Mór who gave his name to the Eoghanacht families, their father being King Ollioll Olum. However, this is considered by many a historian a unification of convenience fabricated by Brian’s tribe and later writers; and since South Irish and Irish Type III are unlikely to have common ancestry more recent than 1,000 B.C. they cannot both be direct descendants of King Olioll Olum.

Late in 2009 an SNP, R-L226, was discovered in a L21 Walk Through the Y Test on a representative Irish Type III sample, and this has been found to be positive only in kits clearly displaying the Irish Type III characteristics.

L362 Lineage

Cliff McCarthy, one of the early administrators of the McCarthy Surname Study, identified, in 2004 that 9 out of 32 McCarthys (28%) carried the modal haplotype now associated with SNP P314.2.  At this time only 12 marker tests were available, but fortunately these included three distinctive mutations from SWAMH:

DYS 390                                 24 to 23 (or even 22)

DYS 388                                 12 to 13

DYS (389-2 - 389-1):              16 to 15

By the time of the discovery of SNP P314.2, in a L-21 Walk Through the Y test late in 2009, seven further mutations from SWAMH had been associated with this haplotype in FTDNA Panels 2-4.

The surnames and locations of the earliest known ancestors of the first 100 males identified with this ancestral haplotype indicate a significant presence in north-east Ireland and Scotland, north and south Munster, and occasionally in England.  However, it is evident that the main P314.2 lineage with the above ten-mutation ancestral haplotype then splits into two principal groups, with very little evidence of any exceptions. One of the two branches has mutations from 12 to 13 at DYS 617 then 16 to 17 at DYS 557 (a fast moving marker, thus occasionally showing this same mutation elsewhere), but crucially also a further SNP, R-L362, discovered late in 2010, which appears to have occurred after the DYS 617 mutation. This combination has not been seen in any of the presumed northern participants except a Kelly, if he is indeed of northern origin: almost all of these have their own identifying mutation 19 to 18 at DYS 448 and most have 17 to 16 at DYS 458).  In fact, although much more testing for R-L362 is required, this subclade appears to be dominated by McCarthys, who may account for as many as 70% of all with this profile. The other known non-McCarthy occurrences of L362 tested or predicted positive are (O’)Mahony (3), (O’)Sullivan (2), Peck (2), Carey (1), Driscoll (1) and Newman (1).

This L362 lineage accounts for about 30% of all McCarthys, this surname’s largest grouping with a common ancestor within the past 2,000 years.

INTERPRETATIONS

The three administrators of this project are an O’Donoghue, a McCarthy and an O Mahony, all bearing southern Irish Eoghanacht surnames.  Each has been researching his or her surname, the haplotypes found within their respective surname projects and their association with other surnames found in Munster.  The understanding of the history of these families is inextricably entwined with that of the entire population of Munster, and this project is devoted objectively to increasing our knowledge of the whole.