Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Debbie Kennett - Presentation 1) DNA for beginners: the three tests; and Presentation 2) Chromosomes, conquerors and castles: DNA testing and the Cruise/Cruse/Cruwys one-name study

Name - Debbie Kennett

Biographical details
I am a member of the Guild of One-Name Studies, the Society of Genealogists, the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Society of Authors and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. 

I also belong to three local family history societies: the Berkshire Family History Society, the Devon Family History Society, and the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society.

I was appointed as an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London in July 2013.

I am the author of two books, both published by the History Press:
- DNA and Social Networking (2011) (http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/genealogy-books/family-history-dna.html)
- The Surnames Handbook (2012) (http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/genealogy-books/the-surnames-handbook.html).

Day Job - My background is in publishing. I now work as a freelance editor, proofreader, genealogist and writer.

How did you get into genealogy?
I started my family history research in 2001 after the death of my father-in-law. We inherited a collection of family photos but were unable to put names to faces. I started writing letters and sending e-mails to relatives to ask for help with identification. I soon became addicted to genealogy. I’d been fascinated by my rare maiden name CRUWYS since childhood, and this interest gradually developed into a full-blown one-name study.

What about your involvement with genetic genealogy?
I first became involved in the world of genetic genealogy in 2007 when I launched my first DNA project – a Y-chromosome DNA project for the surnames Cruse, Cruise, Cruwys and associated variant spellings. I started the Devon DNA Project in March 2009. I joined the mtDNA Haplogroup U4 Project as a co-administrator in September 2009, and became the Group Administrator in 2013. In 2010 I founded the ISOGG Wiki in collaboration with Tom Hutchison, and continue to be a major contributor. The Wiki has now developed into a major educational resource for genetic genealogy.

So what will you be talking about?
I will be presenting two talks. My first talk will be aimed at beginners and will explain the three different types of DNA test that can be used as an aid to family history research: Y-DNA testing, mitochondrial DNA testing and autosomal DNA testing.

My second presentation will provide an overview of my CRUISE/CRUWYS/CRUSE one-name study and DNA Project. CRUISE/CRUYS is a Norman surname that first appeared in Ireland around the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1169. The family were once powerful nobles with lands in County Meath and Dublin. The surname is still found at the greatest concentration in Dublin today. The related surname CRUWYS can be traced back to the small parish of Cruwys Morchard in North Devon in the twelfth century. The family have been Lords of the Manor continuously from the 1200s to the present day. I will show how Y-DNA testing can be used to explore whether or not different variant spellings are related and how it can fill in the gaps where the paper records have not survived.

What DNA tests will be discussed?
My first talk will cover all three of the main tests.
My second talk will focus on the Y-DNA test.

To what surnames is this topic relevant?
CRUISE, CRUWYS, CRUSE and all their variants (in my second talk).

Where can people get more information about you or your topic?


Download Debbie's slides here
- DNA for Beginners
- Chromosomes, Conquerors, & Castles: DNA testing and the Cruise/Cruse/Cruwys one-name study

Download Debbie's handout here - this gives a very useful list of resources.

Watch Debbie's presentations below.



DNA for beginners: the three tests
Published on 19 Oct 2013
Debbie discusses the basics of DNA testing and explains how each of the three main DNA tests work - Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Saturday 19th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.


CRUISE/CRUYS is a Norman surname that first appeared in Ireland around the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1169. The family were once powerful nobles with lands in County Meath and Dublin. The surname is still found at the greatest concentration in Dublin today. The related surname CRUWYS can be traced back to the small parish of Cruwys Morchard in North Devon in the twelfth century. The family have been Lords of the Manor continuously from the 1200s to the present day. Debbie shows how Y-DNA testing can be used to explore whether or not different variant spellings are related and how it can fill in the gaps where the paper records have not survived.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Friday 18th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.

The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).

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Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Finbar O'Mahony - Speaker Profile

Name - Dr. Finbar O'Mahony

Qualifications - DBA, MBA, BA, Dip. Psych., FRPSL

Member - ISOGG

Day Job - very much retired. Worked as a lecturer (DIT), former HR Director (FIPM and FIITD), and qualified as a psychologist.

Project Administration - I am Administrator of several DNA projects - the O Mahony yDNA project, and the Moriarty and Hartnett yDNA projects; Co-administrator of the Munster Irish project.

So tell us about yourself, Finbar!
I am a Corkonian, I live in Dublin and am married to Fidelma (nee Campbell with an Eagleton maternal line). We have three married adults and six grandchildren. In my past I was the first Director of the Limerick branch of the Samaritans, Chairman of the Care of the Aged Committee, and founder member of the Castleconnell branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Past President of the Irish Philatelic Society, past Chairman of Stampa (Irish National Stamp Exhibition), former board member of Clans of Ireland and now I'm enjoying myself volunteering for the administration of DNA projects and recruiting participants for those projects.

Busy man! And how did you get into genealogy? Indeed, where did you find the time?!
I attended my first lecture on the O Mahony Family in the Dairy Science lecture theatre, UCC in the middle 1950s, attended some O Mahony Gatherings in the 1960s and 1970s and in 1976 I started our family tree. I wanted to capture the myths, stories and family tales and see how many facts still remained. Both my maternal grandparents were sole survivors into adulthood in their families, so reliance on documentary evidence was a necessity. Genetic genealogy became a passion from my retirement date more than five years ago. It has paid me back handsomely.

Tell us about your involvement with genetic genealogy? 
I tested with FamilyTreeDNA in 2008 and had some success with both their Y-DNA and FamilyFinder tests and so I tested for mitochondrial DNA. Next I went for the Walk The Y project. More recently I tested with 23andme and Geno 2.0. By now I had discovered I was not only R - L21 positive but also CTS4466 positive and by then I was hooked. So now I have tested for the Full Y-DNA Genome. The search goes on. Genetic genealogy is a journey, not a destination.

So what will you be talking about? 
I will be concentrating on the O Mahony Y-DNA project, the objectives, the recruitment over time, particularly in the past few years, and the major haplogroups within the project. I will also be looking at the results so far, the various genetic families within the project, how these tie in with traditional genealogy, what questions they answer, and (perhaps more importantly) what questions they raise.

 And where can we get more information about the project? 
Just click on the link below:

You can download a pdf version of Fibar's slides by clicking here ...

Watch Finbar's presentation here.


Finbar O'Mahony - The O'Mahony surname study

Published on 20 Oct 2013
Finbar runs the O'Mahony surname project and this summary of the current state of his research demonstrates how beautifully he has blended traditional genealogy with DNA testing to bring us closer to an understanding of the genetic signatures of the ancient Irish genealogies.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Sunday 20th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.

The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).
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Sunday, 4 August 2013

Geoff Swinfield - How DNA ruined my family tree

Name - Dr Geoff Swinfield

Affiliation - Fellow of the Society of Genealogists, Licentiateship of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies (Canterbury), PhD in Genetics (Nottingham University)

Member - Society of Genealogists, International Society of Genetic Genealogy, Guild of One-Name Studies, Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives

Day Job - Professional Genealogist for more than 30 years. Founder of Geoff Swinfield Genealogical Services in 1999.

How did you get into genealogy?
In 1972, I decided to trace the history of my very unusual surname. Indeed, at that time, I knew only three other people with my name, being my father and mother and my widowed grandmother. Whilst at University in Nottingham, I set out to visit Leicester Record Office, the area where I was told my great-grandfather had come from. There I bumped into another Swinfield who took me home to meet his wife and four children! He proved to be my 4th cousin who had recorded a very large tree on a roll of wallpaper. I was hooked! 

What about your involvement with genetic genealogy?
After becoming a professional genealogist in 1979, I lead projects for several medical teams who wanted to construct larger genealogies for their patients who had been diagnosed with hereditary diseases. These included ovarian cancer, young-onset Alzheimer's, Von-Hippel Lindau's disease and later, glaucoma for Moorfields Eye Hospital. By extending the family trees, it was hoped that the defective gene(s) could be identified and mapped. Those at risk could be identified by genealogical screening and treated if possible.

Later I collaborated with Dr Turi King of Leicester University (now famous for her work on extracting DNA from the bones of Richard III and proving him to be the long-lost king) with her project on Y-chromosomes and rarer surnames. This led me to an interesting discovery about the Swinfields which I have worked on for the next two decades. We also identified and researched a Yorkshire family which has one of the oldest forms of the Y-chromosome.

So what will you be talking about?
I will illustrate how I have used DNA testing to learn more about my paternal ancestry and the story of my English surname of Swinfield. By integrating Y-chromosome testing with a one-name study, I have unearthed what is to me, and I hope to you, a fascinating story about my direct ancestral line and others who share my rare surname. The techniques used are applicable to all who want to use genetic testing to look critically at their genealogical tree or who are seeking evidence of how others with the same surname may be related.

What DNA tests will be discussed?
Y-DNA

Where can people get more information about you or your topic?
The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).

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Tyrone Bowes - Pinpointing Your Irish Origin using Commercial Ancestral DNA Testing

Name - Tyrone Bowes

Day Job - I am a Full time Genetic Genealogist doing mainly personalised Irish, Scottish, and English Y-DNA Case Study Reports for my customers!

Tell us about yourself?
I am Dr Tyrone Bowes and I am originally from Dublin City. I am an experienced Biotechnologist with a 1st Class honours Degree in Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Neuroimmunology. Prior to founding my own business (Irish Origenes) in July 2011, I had worked extensively as a Scientist in both Academia and Industry. Since 2011, I have also founded the Scottish and English Origenes websites and hope to launch a Welsh Origenes website later this year. I am a member of ISOGG and have given numerous presentations on pinpointing ones origins using commercial DNA testing.

How did you get into genealogy?
I have always been interested in ancestry and in particular surnames. Growing up in Ballymun with my ‘Bowes’ surname (which has a distinctly English sound to it) I was deeply curious to know how my ‘Bowes’ ancestors arrived in Ireland. I wanted to know whether I was descended from 11th Century Norman or 16th Century Elizabethan settlers in Ireland. However this question could not be answered by exploring my ancestral paper-trail. As a scientist when I first heard about commercial ancestral DNA testing I was curious to know what it could reveal about my ancestors. I tested in 2004 but it was not until 2010 with the release of the 1911 census of Ireland that I discovered that the DNA results clearly demonstrated that my ancestors were actually Gaelic Irish from County Laois and that my English-Bowes surname is simply an anglicised version of Gaelic Irish O’Boy. I realised that the surnames of the people with whom I shared a common male ancestor, as revealed by the Y-DNA test results, were all associated with County Laois and had arose among related males living in Laois over 1000 years ago. Subsequent DNA testing of people called Bowe in County Laois conclusively confirmed my Gaelic Irish Roots! Historical and placename evidence demonstrate my long ancestral link with Laois. I realised I could interpret other people’s DNA results and so my new career as a Genetic Genealogist began.

What about your involvement with genetic genealogy?
In 2010 I began working on the Irish Origenes surnames of Ireland and castles of Ireland databases, and on producing the Irish Origenes Clan territories, Castles, and Clans of Ireland Maps, in addition to an interactive castles of Ireland map, all tools which one can use to pinpoint one’s own Irish origin based on one’s DNA results. Irish Origenes was launched in 2011, followed in 2012 by Scottish, and English Origenes. I also began giving talks on Genetic Genealogy starting at Family Tree DNAs 2012 conference. Since July 2012 I have been doing personalised Case Study reports.

So what will you be talking about?
In my talk I will demonstrate how the surnames of the people with whom you share a common male ancestor as revealed by the Y-DNA test (which explores the direct male line) can be used to pinpoint to within a single townland where ones direct male ancestor lived when he first picked his surname approximately 1000 years ago. I will detail how this test can determine whether your paternal ancestors were of native Gael, Viking, Norman, Scots-Gallowglass, or later Plantation Scot (or English) origin. I will show practical examples including my own Bowes Y-DNA results which demonstrate my Leinster roots, and a Mr McClelland’s DNA results which places his Scots-Irish ancestry back to the Inishowen peninsula in Ulster in the 10th Century AD. I will also detail the results of the Durkin and Hart Case Studies which lead back to specific townlands in Connaught and Munster respectively.

What DNA tests will be discussed?
Y-DNA primarily

To what surnames is this topic relevant?
Bowes, McClelland, Durkin, Hart ... and many other surnames to which they are directly-related.

Where can people get more information about you or your topic?
For more information just click on the links below:


 Watch Tyrone's presentation here


Tyrone Bowes - Pinpointing Your Irish Origin using Commercial Ancestral DNA Testing

Published on 19 Oct 2013
When Tyrone set up irishorigenes.com, he had no idea how much in demand he would be. Here Tyrone describes the methodology behind his use of your Y-DNA to help pinpoint the precise location in Ireland where your direct male line ancestors may have came from. Using case studies as examples, Tyrone paints a vivid picture of the potential behind this technique.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Saturday 19th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.

The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).



You can watch a video of the 2014 presentation by simply clicking on the image below. To watch it in Full Screen, click on the "square" icon in the bottom right of the screen.



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Friday, 2 August 2013

Adrian Martyn - The Medieval Families of Galway Town

Name - Adrian Martyn

Tell us about yourself
I was born in Galway in 1975. I've published some thirty articles since 1998 on various subjects, mainly concerning families of Galway town and county. My book "The Tribes of Galway" is due out in 2014.

How would you describe yourself?
I'm a Medievalist (i.e., anything up to 17th century), with particular interest in the origin of Gaelic Irish surnames in the era c.950-1200, and their subsequent medieval history.

How did you get into genealogy?
Both sides of my family were good oral historians, so since childhood I knew my genealogy back as much as six generations on at least six ancestral lines (Martyn, MacLoughlin, Doherty, Gegan, Gibbons, Lally). I lacked a decent career guidence counsellor at Secondary School and while repeating the Leaving Certificate, spent some time in the Irish music business instead of getting involved in historical research. I began researching the Martyn 'tribe' of Galway in 1996 purely out of curiousity, encouraged by the late Shevawn Lynam, then left the music business at the end of the same year, and have been involved in historical research ever since. My pet project is the origins and history of the fourteen merchant families of medieval/early modern Galway, known since the 17th century as the Tribes of Galway.

What about your involvement with genetic genealogy?
I became very intersted in the ramifications of genetic genealogy in very early 2000s, because most of us in Ireland cannot trace ourselves generation-by-generation beyond circa 1800. In spring 2003 I established the Martyn DNA project on FamilyTreeDNA but because of serious illness was obliged to leave it and much else aside for several years.

So what will you be talking about?
My presentation will focus on the Medieval Families of Galway Town (and why we need DNA studies on them), with especial reference to the Tribes of Galway (see names below).

What DNA tests will be discussed?
Y-DNA primarily.

To what surnames is this topic relevant? 
The fourteen Tribes of Galway, namely Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Darcy, Deane, Font, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martyn, Morris, Skerrett. 

Where can people get more information about you or your topic?
For more information just click on the links below:


The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).


Update (Nov 2016)

Adrian has just published the long-awaited book on his research and it is available now at his website www.adrianmartyn.ie.



"Fourteen families from the medieval Irish lower-classes rose to become Galway’s prime merchant families, nicknamed the tribus Galvia in the 1600s.

The families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Darcy, Deane, Font, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martyn, Morris, Skerrett, have been THE TRIBES OF GALWAY ever since.

Over the course of four centuries, they and their fellow Galwegians survived and often thrived against warlords and sieges, during economic booms and busts, times of plenty, famine, and plague. All within Europe’s most westerly urban settlement. This is their story."








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Cynthia Wells - Exploring the Mysteries ~ Exploding the Myths ~ Expanding your Family History with DNA

Name - Cynthia Wells

Member - ISOGG, GOONS, Hampshire Genealogical Society, Somerset and Dorset Family History Society

Day Job - Administrative Manager overseeing the accounting, human resources, and administrative departments at Hart & Hickman located in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Night Job - Administrator/Co-Administrator of four Surname DNA Projects, ISOGG Regional Speaker for North Carolina, USA, Assistant Director of the Reedy Creek Family History Centre

How did you get into genealogy?
As a young child my family would entertain me with stories about my ancestors. I love history, like to research, and love my family so genealogy research was the perfect hobby for me. My marriage brought new genealogical research for my in-laws and when my children got married I had a whole new set of in-law genealogy to start. The last decade has seen a treasure trove of new genealogical tools. I never tire of finding new ancestors and learning their histories.

What about your involvement with genetic genealogy?
I learned of genetic genealogy back in 2004. A sceptic at first, I realized how helpful using DNA for genealogy could be after seeing test results and learning how they could supply clues to further research, prove or disprove the paper trail, and advance the understanding of my surnames of interest.

My first dna surname project started in 2005 and I have gone on to co-admin three more. I’ve sponsored the testing of family/extended family members to expand my personal genealogical research and helped others choose the right DNA test for what they want to find out and what to make of their results. These tests include Y-DNA, mtDNA, and atDNA. I’ve also been lucky enough to travel to WDYTYA in London multiple times and volunteer at the FTDNA booth. FTDNA sponsors the annual International Conference on Genetic Genealogy. Since 2005 I have attended each conference to listen and learn from the experts in the field.

So what will you be talking about?
The presentation will include examples of how DNA has helped explore the genealogical mysteries, explode the myths of incorrect/non-existent paper trails and family stories, and expand the understanding and knowledge of family history. These examples are gleaned from all three types of DNA tests [Y-DNA, mtDNA, and atDNA] and come from my surname projects and personal research.

What DNA tests will be discussed?
Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and autosomal DNA

Watch Cynthia's presentation below.


Cynthia Wells - Expanding your Family History with DNA

Published on 19 Oct 2013
Cynthia discusses how DNA has helped her in her own personal family tree research and gives examples of how Irish American genealogy in combination with DNA can help people in Ireland to trace their Irish ancestors.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Saturday 19th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.

The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).


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Wednesday, 24 July 2013

John Creer - How DNA testing and analysis has transformed the knowledge of a Manx family’s history – so far!

Name - John A Creer BSc JP

Member - ISOGG, GoONS and the Cheshire and Manx Family History Societies

Day Job - I am a retired pharmaceutical company director with a science background. I live in Cheshire, but my paternal family line comes from the Isle of Man. In the 1500’s the family name was McCrere.

Night Job - I run the following websites - 

What is your involvement with genetic genealogy?
I am the coordinator of the Creer One-Name study as well as the Creer Y-DNA and Manx Y-DNA projects, and have been using DNA testing and analysis in support of my family history interests since 2005.

So what will you be talking about?
The presentation will illustrate my personal journey of discovery into my own Manx family history and show how the use of several types of DNA testing and analysis (Y-DNA and autosomal) have answered questions and solved problems, that the conventional paper sources and records available could not!

The talk will conclude by looking forward to the new levels of understanding into our families’ past that are being gained through Y-SNP testing, with specific reference to the Creer and Manx Y-DNA studies. This may, in time, reveal more about the shared earlier Celtic (and Viking?) history of the Irish and Manx people. 

Where can people get more information about you or your topic?
For more information just click on the links below:

 What DNA tests will you be discussing?
Y-DNA mainly, but also autosomal DNA

Watch John's presentation here.


John Creer - How DNA testing and analysis has transformed the knowledge of a Manx family's history

Published on 20 Oct 2013
John Creer is the first person to complete a Y-DNA project. Having exhausted all documentary resources, John turned to Y-DNA to help him break through the Brick Wall he had with his Creer line, and when that didn't provide the answer, autosomal DNA did. In so doing, John has traced the genetic ancestry of every Creer alive today.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Sunday 20th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.

The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).


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