As part of the expansion of the IHDP website, we are hoping to be able to provide queries on Irish surnames, both past and present. This page contains a lot of useful links, if you wish to get historical advise on your surname just contact one of the administrators. Margaret Jordan will look after Munster, Barra McCain will concentrate on Ulster and Austin Rock on Leinster and Connaught. Emily Aulicino will look after the Irish Diaspora.

The important feature of this service is to primarily locate surnames in Ireland and help people establish their historical connections to Ireland. It is beyond the scope of this project and the administrators to do a detailed research, but we will help in gathering data and reviewing data that people may already have.

Here is a useful informative PDF of an article in the Irish Examiner Newspaper - written by Richard Fitzpatrick on finding your Irish Roots Irish Examiner PDF.

Using DNA to trace the Location of your Irish Ancestry

Here is a simple way and easy way to find the most likely location of your ancestors. You must examine closely all your higher exact matches, for example 25/25 or 33/37 or higher, the 12 Marker test is not much use for this exercise.

• Examine and note your higher exact matches (25/25, 33/37 up to 37/37) to different surnames.
• Check the exact matches stated Last Known Ancestors geographic location in Ireland.
• Check were these matching surnames (and your own) were located in the 17th century in Ireland, a good Irish Genealogy book will confirm this or try www.ireland.com/ancestors and type in your surname.
• By doing this it may be possible to pinpoint a specific area or region for further research.

Note: If all your exact matches are to Irish people (Mostly that is, depending on the Haplotype you may have many matches)and all in a specific location, it is there you should target your family genealogical research. This is one example of how you can "Leap-frog" the "Brick-walls".

Important: In Irish genealogy the matches between different surnames is complicated by the close genetic relationship between different surnames and in particular Irish Kinship. For example, O'Farrel branched off from MacRannell in the late 13th Century. Other examples, MacMahon from O'Brien, even in the later Middle Ages, the Clandeboye O'Neills who already branched off the O’Neill, then in turn broke into three separate dynasties. There are five dynastic branches of the MacCarthy's, seven of the main O'Neill dynasty and even then you get further. Even the great Norman Lordships fractured into different dynastic branches, with about five branches of the Burkes. But in general these branches and this dynastic fracturing took place BEFORE records begin, this important point should be borne in mind.

With Matches of 32/37 or less, generally these indicate a more distant connection, before the widespread use of public records. Matches of 33/37 can also be ambiguous and should generally be interpreted in the context of family history.

See also IHDP's DNA FAQ - Look up the following sections - "TMRC" and "Matching Results, Relatedness and Common Ancestry:"

One Name Studies and Surname Projects

A one-name study should be a project, carried out by a single person, or a group, researching all occurrences of a particular surname and its variants, over all recorded time.

Typically, researchers will study the etymology of the surname and its geographical distribution. Sometimes, especially if the surname is also a place name, they will try to identify a single place of origin of the surname. IHDP encourages this concept, bear in mind in the course of a One-name study you may unearth many variations and many points of origin to a given surname. This is especially true of Irish surnames.

Before you can start on a one-name study, you need to know if the surname is not so common so as to make the study too difficult. The more common and widespread the surname this may make it impossible on an Ireland wide scale. But it might be less difficult if narrowed it to Ireland or areas within Ireland. Before you begin, you do need to have mastered the general principles of regular genealogy and be familiar with the usual source materials.

IHDP can help you start if you wish to start a clan/family surname site.

The key to setting up a genealogical family websites, aside from some technical expertise are:

• History - The historical background and the origin of a surname in ireland
• Location - The location and distribution of a surname at any given time in history
• Variations - Understanding the many variations and possible points of origin of any surname
• Research Resources - The availability and types of written records
• DNA Surname project - This is a most important feature

Genealogical Associations

TIARA - http://www.tiara.ie/ - The Irish Ancestral Research Association to promote Irish Ancestral research.

The Clans of Ireland - http://www.theclansofireland.ie/ - Check to see if there is an existing Surname Project.

Fianna Guide to Irish Genealogy - A very extensive website on all things related to Irish Surnamess

To Establish Where and When Your Surname Existed in Ireland

You can quite easily and quickly establish if your surname existed in Ireland. You can do this by searching the on-line resources of the following two websites.

Ireland.com

Irish Census of 1911

The Irish Census of 1911 is published online, you can search: 1911 Irish Census

Familysearch.com