Y-DNA
Only males carry Y-DNA, allowing its genetic mutations to act as markers that enable researchers to trace male human lineages down through time.
R1b (aka HG1) is one such lineage. It arose in Central Asia, and in the second millenium BC spread west across the Alps and Mediterranean islands to Atlantic Europe. Its tracks can still be followed today. Modernly it is the dominant genetic signature in Turkmenistan, pockets of the Caucasus, Spain and Portugal and coastal France, Belgium, Britain and Ireland. Its highest frequency occurs in western Ireland.
The western European R1b signature is called “the Atlantic Modal Haplotype” (AMH), R1b1c. It is at least 2,550 years old. All males within a genetic drift of 1+/- mutation of a seven-marker series are included in a larger group called the Atlantic Modal Cluster (AMC). In Ireland the “O’Neil” and “Irish Type III” subtype signatures appear to define groups within the AMC that are from northern and southern Ireland respectively; ITIII appears to identify a major branch of the Dál gCais kin-group.
The table below compares the Atlantic Modal Haplotype 37-marker signature to its Irish subgroups and O’Brien and Noonan samples. The Munster O’Neill column represents O’Neills from the north that settled in the south many centuries ago.
The loci that define the Irish Type III (by their difference from the AMH) are depicted in blue; in all cases the Noonan alleles match the ITIII; curiously, all but one differ from the O’Brien sample. The red entries mark differences between the ITIII and Noonan signatures. As more Irish Y-DNA is sampled and compared, a very definitive track will emerge showing the branching relationships between Irish families.
Thus far Y-DNA research has confirmed the genealogical relationships claimed by the Irish manuscripts. There is no reason to believe that expanded data won’t continue to affirm the ancient records. In the case of the Noonans, a bigger database is likely to eventually reveal an ancestral map that is clearer than the sketched genealogy preserved in the manuscripts.
Y-DNA Comparision
|
AMH |
O’Neill |
O’Neill |
Irish |
O’Brien |
Noonan |
||
| Locus | DYS# |
M222+ |
Munster |
Type III |
sample |
Greg |
|
| 1 | 393 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
| 2 | 390 |
24 |
24 |
24/25 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
| 3 | 19 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
| 4 | 391 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
| 5 | 385a |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
| 6 | 385b |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
| 7 | 426 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
| 8 | 388 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
| 9 | 439 |
12 |
11/12/13 |
11/12 |
11 |
12 |
11 |
| 10 | 389-1 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
| 11 | 392 |
13 |
13 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
13 |
| 12 | 389-2 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
|
| 13 | 458 |
17 |
17 |
17/18 |
17 |
17 |
18 |
| 14 | 459a |
9 |
9 |
8/9 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
| 15 | 459b |
10 |
9/10 |
9/10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
| 16 | 455 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
| 17 | 454 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
| 18 | 447 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
| 19 | 437 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| 20 | 448 |
19 |
19 |
18/19 |
19 |
18 |
19 |
| 21 | 449 |
29 |
29 |
29/30 |
29 |
30 |
29 |
| 22 | 464a |
15 |
15 |
13 |
13 |
15 |
13 |
| 23 | 464b |
15 |
15 |
13 |
13 |
16 |
13 |
| 24 | 464c |
17 |
16/17 |
15/16 |
15 |
17 |
15 |
| 25 | 464d |
17 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
| 26 | 460 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
| 27 | GATA H4 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
| 28 | YCA II a |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
| 29 | YCA II b |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
| 30 | 456 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| 31 | 607 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| 32 | 576 |
18 |
17/19 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
18 |
| 33 | 570 |
17 |
17/18 |
17 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
| 34 | CDY a |
37 |
35/37/38 |
36/38 |
36 |
35 |
36 |
| 35 | CDY b |
38 |
37/40/41 |
38/39 |
38 |
37 |
39 |
| 36 | 442 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
12 |
| 37 | 438 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
Irish Type III definitive clusters
DYS 439 = 11
DYS 456 = 15
DYS 459 = 8,9
DYS 464 = 13,15,17
DYS 463 = 23