We have charted the data of all participants of the yDNA Project, comparing their results in several ways to create an overall picture, where it is feasible, of their relationships to each other and to identified lineages.

The Family Tree DNA website (www.familytreedna.com) provides a Tutorial, Glossary and a number of links and sources for participants to read through to gain an understanding of the significance of the raw data which is derived from the testing that is done to the samples provided by the participants. Rather than attempt a ‘DNA 101' here, we recommend that all interested individuals browse through the Family Tree website, which is accessible to everyone, even if you haven't joined the Project yet yourself. If you have individual questions after you have availed of their information, we will try to assist you, or go to Family Tree to find the answers.

In order to understand the terminology used, we will give you a very general overview of the process here, with the help of graphics from Family Tree:

DNA is made up of four base compounds: Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T), and Guanine (G). The order of these bases is called the DNA sequence.

There are a large number of markers, or loci, on the Y chromosome which contain varying sequences of these bases. As each marker/locus is identified, it is given a DYS# (D = DNA: Y = Y-Chromosome; S = Segment), and the STR (Short Tandem Repeat) of the bases at each marker/locus (for example, ATGC ATGC ATGC ATGC) are counted to determine the allele/numeric value of those repeats for each marker tested for an individual. Family Tree provided tests of 12, 25, 37 or 67 markers.

Each individual has his own haplotype (set of alleles/values). Individuals who are related will have the same alleles in their haplotype. However, mutations can occur over time; and the further the distance of relation, the more likely one or more of the markers may have mutated, for example, moving up one from an allele value of 12 to 13 or down one to 11. Some markers are very stable and change very infrequently. The faster mutating markers are indicated in red in the following spreadsheets. If there are differences between individuals in allele values in the faster mutating markers, opposed to the slower moving markers, there is a greater likelihood of a more recent common ancestor.

Each person also belongs to a haplogroup, which is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor, identified by an SNP (Singular Nuclear Polymorphisms). Family Tree are often able to predict a person’s haplogroup (groups of haplotypes with similar alleles) based on their haplotype. Almost all of the Project participants are either predicted or confirmed to be in the R1b haplogroup. This is the single largest haplogroup in the world, located mainly in Western Europe. There is an established Atlantic Modal Haplotype - AMH - which identifies the most common alleles at the different markers for the R1b peoples populating the Atlantic coast, including Iceland, Britain and Ireland.

Due to the size of R1b, participants will often see matches to individuals of completely different names, even at 25 markers, which is indicative of the huge number of members of the R1b haplogroup. There can be numerous individuals who have many alleles in common but nevertheless do not have a common ancestor, except very distant, possibly many thousands of years ago. Family Tree explains this at their link on participants’ personal pages at their website under the heading ‘Understanding matches with different surnames’.

The Group Administrators have access to calculation tables to compare all of the participants to one another and estimate their TMRCA (Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor). The calculations determine the probability of how long ago the individuals had a common ancestor. This is based on the length of a generation to be 25 years. Family Tree has calculated the mutation rate of the markers (how often they change) and use those rates to compare where two individuals’ haplotypes differ. The number of generations is calculated with varying degrees of probability. We use a scale of 95% probability to maximize the potential for accuracy. However, not all genetic genealogists agree with Family Tree’s chosen mutation rates. There are a number of other individuals or groups who have developed their own mutation rates for the various markers, and while there is a degree of difference between each of them, their rates, combined with some using 30 years for a generation rather than 25 as Family Tree does, are usually longer than Family Tree’s. It is unfortunate that the genetic genealogical community as a whole has not adopted a consistent set of rates for everyone to use, but it is indeed a difficult task for the statisticians to arrive at what can be considered accurate estimates which can be relevant to the past as well as the present when studying genetic histories.

A point to keep in mind is that all of these statistics are just probabilities. With an exact match at 37 markers, the Family Tree calculator predicts TMRCA within eight generations with 95% probability. We have a father/son pair in the Cavan/Breifne Group A whose haplotypes match exactly at 37 markers. In this case, the distance is just one generation. However, two members of the Mór group also match at 37 markers exactly, yet their common ancestor (of which they were unaware until they researched their paper records upon finding their yDNA match) dates back to the early 1800’s and six generations back. Then, we have another pair of brothers who show several mutations between them, and the probability of their common ancestor is within 22 generations, when it’s only one. In addition, Family Tree admits that the accuracy of their calculator diminishes the greater the genetic distance between individuals. This all puts into perspective the caution with which we need to approach comparing the results of individual tests. The numbers are a guide, but only that.

It’s possible that the connection to other members of the tribe to which you belong is actually closer, or more distant, than the figures you will see. There will never be a way to be sure beyond the information provided by a paper trail or family history you may have. For those of you who have close ties – less than 600 years distant – the odds are greater that you can rely more upon the accuracy of the statistics you see. For connections further back than that, it’s best to consider the dates a general indication of time of relatedness.

To begin sharing our results, we first have Spreadsheet A which comes directly from Family Tree. This chart contains all the raw data, identifying each participant's individual haplotype for the markers that have been tested. The haplogroup of the participant is also indicated. If it has been predicted by Family Tree, they indicate the haplogroup in red in their spreadsheet. If they are not sure, they use a ‘-’ in the column. They offer Deep Clade tests, which confirms your haplogroup and can possibly identify a subclade/subgroup. For those who have been Deep Clade tested, FT enters the haplogroup in green in their chart. The list is in ascending numeric order based on the allele values of the haplotypes. There are two members of our project who tested at other DNA labs. Their results have been inserted into the spreadsheet. The other testing companies do not test all the same markers, so there will be some blanks in their haplotype.

Download Spreadsheet  A

We have additional charts which provide further clarification of the heritage of the O’Donoghues. The Historical Origins link, http://www.odonoghue.co.uk/guests/history/tribes.php, and other areas of the Society website provide knowledge of the different tribes of O’Donoghues from ancient times. By studying the level of genetic match and comparison of common alleles amongst the various participants, patterns emerge. Ancestral haplotypes have been identified for some of the tribes, and further charts contain additional information about these groups. We have identified an ancestral haplotype for the two Kerry Eoghanacht O'Donoghues and several groups of Cavan/Breifne Donohoes (unrelated to the Eoghanacht).

The Eoghanacht have a long and detailed history in the Irish annals and various other papers and genealogies recording Ireland’s heritage. They are not all O’Donoghues, and some of them faded into insignificance long before surnames were adopted, so it’s difficult to know what their genetic legacy now may be. One thing that genetic genealogy has been able to clarify, accompanied by archaeological evidence and historical records, is that there does seem to be a correlation between all the family names who are traditionally associated with the Eoghanacht tribes of the early centuries AD, though not always what a historian might expect.

Aided by the historical pedigree of Geoffrey The O'Donoghue of the Glens, Chief of the Name of the Glens tribe, along with the family tradition of Tighe O'Donoghue/Ross descending from the Mór/Ross O’Donoghues and others who match him with family records placing them in the territory of the Loch Léin O’Donoghues, we have been able to identify the ancestral haplotypes of both the Kerry Eoghanacht tribes. The Mór tribe’s ancestral modal is the same as the AMH except for one difference at DYS456, a 15 rather than 16. Significantly, the vast majority other Eoghanacht tribes also share that same value. In addition, there are four other markers where the alleles are consistently different between the Glens from the Mór tribes and easily distinguishes them. Spreadsheet B will indicate those markers with colour coding.

Spreadsheet B also contains a worksheet with the Cavan/Breifne Donohoes, indicating the identifiable haplotypes that unite them. There is more information available about the Cavan/Breifne Donohoes at http://donohoeclan.org, the website for the Breifne Clans yDNA Project, in which Joe Donohoe, the Group Administrator, has researched a great deal of information in his annual reports. The reports are available on the main page of the yDNA Project link.

In addition to the Kerry Eoghanacht, we have tentatively classified several smaller groups of matching individuals to be part of the Eoghanacht Ruis Airgit, the Eoghanacht Ninussa and the Osraighe O’Donoghues. There is also an ‘Unidentified Clusters’ and ‘Unaffiliated’ section containing a group of so far unrelated individuals and the members who belong to other haplogroups, R1a and I. These are all listed in a third worksheet in Spreadsheet B.

There is a new column in Spreadsheet B to indicate the SNP results of anyone who has been tested beyond the basic R1b1b2. Some participants have had Deep Clade tests done before the newer SNP’s were discovered, so they would need to order additional tests to confirm their current position on the Haplotree.

Download Spreadsheet B

Spreadsheet C is the TMRCA and genetic distance for the Glens and Mor tribes. Those participants with only 12 markers are not included here, since the very limited number of loci makes predicting the TMRCA very inexact and the results would not be terribly meaningful. The level of accuracy is also much improved with 37 markers opposed to 25, and at times has made dramatic differences in the statistics. Hence, we continue to encourage everyone at 25 who is able to upgrade to the higher 37 if at all possible. Since Family Tree have introduced their 67 marker test, a number of the participants have upgraded to this highest marker test, and it is proving to be of much use in identifying trends amidst not only the individual tribes but the Eoghanacht as a whole.

This spreadsheet contains a page with guidelines to interpret the results contained on six sheets of data. Using the Dean McGee Y-Utility at http://www.mymcgee.com/tools/yutility.html?mode=ftdna_mode, we first determined the number of years to TMRCA at 95% probability for both Glens and Mor, listed on separate sheets, then the number of generations to the MRCA. The first set of numbers indicates how long ago a common ancestor may have lived. The second set of calculations are the results a participant will see on his personal page when comparing close matches he may see there. In addition, there are two sheets which contain the actual genetic distance of each member from the others in his tribe.

Download Spreadsheet C

Spreadsheet D contains the Cavan results, formatted similarly.

Download Spreadsheet D

Spreadsheet E includes similar calculations for the Eoghanacht Ruis Airgit, Osraighe O’Donoghues, Ninussa and the other matching participants.

Download Spreadsheet E

There are several individuals whose haplotype is significantly different from any of the established tribal haplotypes we have identified. While they are listed in the main spreadsheet A, their alleles do not match any of these ancestral haplotypes closely enough, nor is their TMRCA close enough to other participants, to be able to identify the tribe to which they belong. We await the addition of new participants to broaden our database and hopefully identify more of the O'Donoghue tribes.

For those who are interested in delving deeper into the significance of the various haplotypes, modals, allele values and the interpretations we have made from this data in forming our classifications, see our Interpretations link.

Interpretations

This page has been updated with new material and some of the data has been moved to the Interpretations link. We hope returning visitors will read through again. Please contact us with any unintended errors/omissions. As new information is added to the link, it will be noted in blue to identify it as new material.

Updated January 2010