In
February 2006, I took a 43-marker y-DNA test with DNA Heritage and posting the results on
GENEALOGY-DNA@rootsweb.com
I received a response from
Dr Ken Nortdvedt who said that my markers matched a small cluster that he had identified that centred on the counties of Clare,
Limerick and Tipperary in
Ireland. He detailed the markers that defined the cluster and I matched. I was most surprised by this as I had expected my roots were in
England. As two other Irish clusters had been identified
as "North West Irish" and "South Irish", I started calling this cluster "Irish Type III" and the name has stuck.
The definitive markers Ken identified for this cluster are:-
| DYS 439 |
11 |
| DYS 456 |
15 |
| DYS 459 |
8-9 |
| DYS 464 |
13-13-15-17 |
| DYS 463 |
23 |
|
As no one else had taken an interest in researching this cluster, I started to gather examples from Ysearch, Sorenson
(SMGF) and various Surname Projects. In December 2006 I started these webpages to share the data I had collected. We now have over
250 members of the cluster.
Common Surnames are O'Brien/Brien/Bryan/Bryant, Butler, Casey,
Crow(e), O'Donoghue, Hart, Hogan, Kennedy, McCraw/McGraw/McGrath, McNamara. Most seem to be Dalcassian clans, the descendants of Cormac Cas and Brian Boru. There is other evidence that this is the signature of Brian Boru and Kings of
Thomond.
***
I
wish to acknowledge the great assistance given freely by
member Roger Rines in the development of this new
website. It is greatly appreciated - Dennis Wright
