New Subclade Added To R1b-BY11724

[Webmaster]

FTDNA added the R1b-FT109135 clade to their public Haplotree today. This is a very exciting addition because it adds a third direct subclade to the R1b-BY11724 Uí Briúin Seóla clade. The R1b-A10525 subclade gives every evidence of being at least part of the descendants of Amalgaid Airchorach, one of Cenn Fáelad mac Colgáin's recorded sons, and some of whom later adopted the cland name Muinter Murchada, of whom the Ó Flaithbertaig were the chief family. The other existing R1b-FGC42414 subclade gives reasonable evidence of being at least part of the descendants of Dúngal, the second recorded son of Cenn Fáelad mac Colgáin, and who later adopted the cland name of Cland Coscraig, of whom the Mac Áeda were the chief family.

But there has always been another cland mentioned in the Book Of Ballymote in connection with the Uí Briúin Seóla that has never shown up in the Y-Haplotree before: the Uí Colgáin. Colgán is the father of Cenn Fáelad and he is credited as the progenitor of the Uí Colgáin:

920. ...Amhalga earchoraigh m. Cinnfhaeladh m. Colgon a quo I Colgon...

920. ...Amalgaid Airchorach son of Cenn Fáelad son of Colgán from whom the Uí Colgáin...

[ Book Of Ballymote ]

They are mentioned again one stanza later in the Book Of Ballymote rescension of the Muinter Murchada Tract:

921. ...taisigh scuir I Flaitbertaigh & I Colgon o fuil I Colgon Fir Brataighe I Flaitbertaigh...

921. ...the cavalry chiefs of Ó Flaithbertaig and Uí Colgáin o fuil I Colgon Fir Brataighe I Flaitbertaigh...

[ Book Of Ballymote ]
[ Wikipedia ]

And in yet another rescension of the Muinter Murchada Tract:

The O’Colgans of Bally-Colgan are the standard-bearers of O’Flaherty.

It is obvious from these references they were considered an important member of the Muinter Murchada vassal / retainer families, although there is little or no mention of them made elsewhere. It is very easy to speculate that this new R1b-FT109135 clade may be at least part of the Uí Colgáin sept. There is one known member of this new sept, Coleman #FTDNA-51172. It is even easier to speculate on the similarity of Coleman and Colgan, but cland names were usually different than the later surnames, so it is probably safest not to read too much into the similarity between cland name and surname. As always, more data is needed to expand our understanding of how R1b-FT109135 exactly fits.