Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project™ Forum

Maybe in can obtain some opinions on the following selection of halpogroups under DF97 and surname clusters:

ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>[FGC8840] O'Doherty and MacDavett, chieftain of Cenel Conaill
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>S666 the MacDowell and Clugston of Galloway?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>BY3343 the MacKee and Boyles of Galloway?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY35771>BY193442 Boyles
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY35771>BY35771 Rafferty Co-arbs of St. Columcille on Tory island?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY21154 the O’Donnells of Tir Connaill?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY21154 Noonan
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY21154>BY21160 McGinnis + Leach
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY21154>BY38577 Duffy
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>BY3346>FGC19846>FGC19840 Duncan likely related to O'Donegan chiefs of Tir Breasail?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>BY3346>FGC19846 Kernohan, likely the O'Kernaghan chiefs of Tuath mBladhaigh?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>BY18299 Strain, related to Sitric O'Strain, chief of Clann Snedhgile?


The identification of O'Doherty and MacDavett, chieftain of Cenel Conaill, is practically certain given the SNP test of the O'Doherty's chief's brother Pasqual O'Dogherty.

There is also a cluster of O'Donnells under DF97+. If these are assumed to be the O'Donnells of Tir Connaill, due to their genetic relationship with the O'Dohertys, then a comparison can be made between their pedigrees and their halpogroups:

ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>[FGC8840] the O'Doherty cluster
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY21154 O’Donnells of Tir Connaill?

Setna>Lughaidh>Ronan>Garbh>Cennfaeladh>Fiaman>Maongal>Dochartach – originator of O Dochartaigh
Setna>Lughaidh>Ronan>Garbh>Cennfaeladh>Maelduin>Airnelach>Cennfaelach>Muircertach>Dalach – and hence O Domhnaill

And thus a case could be made that Cennfaeladh mac Gairbh marks a fork in D97. With his son Maelduin giving rise the line Z29319+ and his son Fiaman to the line of FGC8840+ and maybe the BY21203+.

This could answer, if true, who are the Boyles that we have a pedigree from Maelduin mac Cennfaeladh mac Gairbh? For we have two Boyle clusters under DF97+:
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>BY3343 Boyles
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY35771>BY193442 Boyles

A comparison of the pedigrees of the O'Donnell's and the O'Boyles, would suggest that the Z29319+ Boyles are the ones from Tir Connaill:

Setna>Lughaidh>Ronan>Garbh>Cennfaeladh>Maelduin>Airnelach>Cennfaelach>Muircertach>Dalach – and hence O Domhnaill
Setna>Lughaidh>Ronan>Garbh>Cennfaeladh>Maelduin>Airnelach>Cennfaelach>Muircertach>Bradagain>Baoghal - hence O’Boyle


Noteworthy is that after Cennfaeladh mac Gairbh, the supposed O'Donnells and O'Boyles of Tir Connaill, share 4 common ancestors:
Maelduin>Airnelach>Cennfaelach>Muircertach

These DF97 O'Donnells and O'Boyles also share 4 SNP after DF97:
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY35771>BY193442 Boyles of Tir Connaill?
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773>BY21154 O’Donnells of Tir Connaill?

i.e. ZZ36>FGC19851>Z29319>BY35773

Thus implying that the following associations:
Maelduin originator of ZZ36
Airnelach originator of FGC19851
Cennfaelach originator of Z29319
Muircertach originator of BY35773

I am worried it is a little too good, however the DF97 Strains do a positive association. The surname Strain is associate in Tir Connaill with Sitric O'Strain, who was chief of Clann Snedhgile. The assumption being that the O'Strain are a descendants of Snedhgel.

The Strain's yDNA is as follows:
ZZ87>DF85>S673>S668>DF97>ZZ36>FGC19851>BY18299 Strain. This would imply that the BY18299+ line descends from Airnelach mac Maelduin, but not through his son Cennfaelach.

Sadly their is no pedigree for the O'Strain, however Cennfaelach mac Airnelach mac Maelduin had a brother called Snedhgel. Hence, if the above assumptions and conclusion above hold true, then it is like Snedhgel mac Airnelach mac Maelduin is the originator of Clann Snedhgile. I much the manner his brother Fiangus is likely the originator of Clann Fiangus.

I thought I would share and see what people think.
Bernard.

Bernard,

Excellent work.

We have the R1b-BY157503 O’Boyle cluster with no nearby O’Donnell men.
We have the R1b-BY35772 O’Boyle cluster also with no nearby O’Donnell men, although the R1b-BY21154 O’Donnell are well spotted.
We have the one R1b-FT81271 O’Boyle man with one nearby O’Donnell man.

All of these are R1b-DF85, which I am 100% confident are the Uí Néill, Cenél Conaill, but I have never been able to puzzle out these 3 different clades of O’Boyle. Sadly, we don't have the huge sample size the O’Doherty have. Would that ALL families had a comparable sample size.

I should also point out there are 2 major branches of O’Doherty: R1b-BY471 and R1b-BY21203. I am not sure how that fits into the genealogies, since my focus is more on the Uí Briúin and we have not had anyone looking at the Uí Néill, Cenél Conaill as a whole.

Bernard and David, I've been doing a little work on these clades just recently. Bernard's work has been very helpful. According to MFirbis Muirchertach had 5 sons; 1.Cearnachan- from whom are Clann Chaernachain (Carnahan) 2. Maol Gaoithe from who are the Ui Mhaoil Gaoithe (McKee/Gee/Kay etc) 3. Maol Foithil from whom are the Ui Mhaoil Fhoithil (surname?) 4. Bradigan from whom descend the Clann Bhradigaigh (Boyle) and 5. Dalach from who are the Clann Dalaigh (O' Donnell).
Looking in more detail at how the clades and names align, it would seem that Maol Gaoithe would have to actually descend from Mailduinn directly rather than descend from Muirchertach since all the other surnames showing here are under FGC19851. This would make Airndelaigh the first to carry FGC19851 (as well as Clann Snedgile). Maol Gaoithe is BY3343. See attached

It seems like Donovan (in my last pic on this subject) Reeves also place Snedghile under Luighdach etc, although somewhat incorrectly.

As stated in my earlier post, we still do not have a good sampling of either Ó Domnaill or Ó Baígell men yet. And according to Rev. Woulfe:

Ó Maolghaoithe—I—O Mulgehy, O Mulgey, Mulgeehy, (Magee), Wynne; 'descendant of Maolghaoithe' (chief of the wind); the name of a Tirconnell family who were seated originally in the parish of Clondavaddock, Co. Donegal; now more common in Connacht, where, however, it is generally disguised under the anglicised forms of Magee and Wynne (for Wind).

Mac Gaoithe—IV—M'Giehie, MacGeehee, (MacGee, Magee), and, by translation, Wynne; probably a shortened form of Mac Gaoithín, which see; now merged in Mag Aoidh, which see. It was a Donegal surname in the 16th century.

Mac Aodha—IV—M'Ea, MacKay, MacKey, MacKee, MacCoy, MacHugh, Eason, Hughes, Hueson, Hewson, etc; 'son of Aodh' (a common Irish personal name, now anglicised Hugh); a very common surname, especially in Ulster and Connacht. There are several distinct families so called. In the barony of Clare, Co. Galway, Mac Aodha, of the same stock as the O'Flahertys, was chief of Clann Choscraigh. The MacKays of Strath-naver were a well-known Scottish clan, some of whom are, doubtless, to be found among the MacKays of the north of Ireland. The anglicised form MacCoy is almost peculiar to Co. Limerick, whither the family migrated from Ulster more than three centuries ago. See Mac Aoidh and Mag Aodha, which are variants.

So, McGee/Magee/McKee/McKay are more likely derived from Mac Áeda than from Mac Gáethe or Ó Maíl Gáethe.

What would really help is any Y-DNA sequencing from the remains of Red Hugh O’Donnell which were purportedly exhumed in Valladolid, Spain in 2020 AD. AFAIK, no Y-DNA sequencing data has been released yet. Since he died and was buried in 1602 AD, there should be a pretty good sequence through the upper tiers of R1b-DF85, if it was indeed his remains that were exhumed.

I found a second set of McKays etc under FGC19851, this allows Muirchertach's son Maolghaoithe, to be his son again. O'Dugan has 'O'MAOLGAOTHE, chief of Muintir Maoil-gaoithe. Some of this name have been anglicised to Mac Ghee, and others to 'Wynn''. Mackay/McKeague etc are popular names in Canada, some are pronounced sounding as 'i' at the end, others as 'ee'. The BY3343 McGee's/Kee's etc would be the McAodha's you've noted above. Yes this is all theoretical at this point.

Tim,

Understood. We still need a larger sample of Ó Domnaill and Ó Baígell men to lock down the appropriate clade. And a Y-DNA sequence of the remains of Red Hugh O’Donnell would clinch matters.