Insights Into the O’Neills of Ireland from DNA Testing

Edwin B. O’Neill and John D. McLaughlin

The O'Neills of Ireland are one of the best known and important families in Irish history, descended from a long dynastic line that for centuries were Kings of Ulster and High Kings of Ireland. By traditional pedigree they are patrilineal descendants of Niall "of the Nine Hostages" who was the semi-historical High King of Ireland who died in 405 and who was the founder of the famous Ui Neill dynasty. But an examination of DNA data on males with the O’Neill, McLaughlin, O Cathain, McShane and other related surnames has led to a theory that the Royal Tyrone O’Neills of Ireland, from some point forward, were not, as history records, patrilineal descendents from the line of the Ui Neill. An analysis of available Y-DNA data on 102 males with the O’Neill surname reveals the existence of two different O’Neill Y-STR clusters, both primarily located in the region of Ireland associated with the Ui Neill line and the Royal O’Neills. Results of testing the Y-SNP M222 indicate that the two groups of O’Neills are distinctly separate. Documented Irish history, coupled with Y-DNA data on surnames linked to the Ui Neill line at different time periods (McLaughlin, O Cathain and McShane) suggest the approximate time frame of a non-paternal event (NPE) in the Royal O’Neill line occurred between the 900s and 1500s.

Address for correspondence: E. B. O’Neill, vix3205 (at) cox.net

Received: 10 July 2006; Accepted: 27 September 2006

Introduction

The purpose of the present research was to determine if available DNA and other data provide new insights into the O’Neills[1] of Ireland, including the relationship of the O’Neills to Niall “of the Nine Hostages,” the traditional founder of the Ui Neill dynasties in Ireland.

Irish Historical Background

One of the most important surnames in Irish history is O’Neill; persons bearing that surname were kings or rulers in Ireland for most of the period from 956 to the early 1600s. According to history/legend/myth, the O’Neills are patrilineal descendants of Niall Noigiallach (Niall “of the Nine Hostages,” herein referred to as N9H), King of Ireland 380-405 and the founder of the Ui Neill dynasty. Over the years the Ui Neill line separated into the Northern Ui Neill group, centered in the province of Ulster, and the Southern Ui Neill group, centered in the province of Leinster. By history/legend/myth Niall was also ancestor to persons bearing numerous other Irish surnames, including O’Donnell, Bradley, O’Gallagher, O’Doherty, Flynn, McLaughlin, Byrne, etc.

Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) Studies

Y-DNA testing can help separate Irish history from legend and myth as in a study series conducted by Trinity College, Dublin (TCD). In their first study (Moore 2006 and Suppl), 796 males (no surnames identified) from all areas of Ireland were tested for selected SNPs and 17 Y-STR markers, revealing the existence of a unique cluster of haplotypes, the modal values of which they labeled as Irish Modal Haplotype (IMH). The IMH, along with a one-mutational-step which TCD called IMH+1 (one-step difference up-or-down at one marker from IMH), accounted for 8.2% of the island’s sample of 796 males. A much higher percentage of IMH was found in northwest Ireland. Of the 796 participants, 85.4% belonged to the R1b3 haplogroup (R1b-M269, currently called R1b1c, see ISOGG, 2006).

To examine further the question of whether the IMH was consistent with patrilineal descent from the Ui Neill line, Moore et al. (2006) tested another 59 participants, all with surnames linked to the Ui Neill line (but not including O’Neills), at 19 Y-STR markers, the results showing “. . . a significantly higher affinity with the IMH . . . than with a general R1b3 northwestern Ireland geographic population . . . .”

Independent of, and prior to the TCD studies, Wilson (2006) identified what he named the NWIrish Variety Modal Haplotype with a higher percentage occurrence in northwest Ireland. At markers TCD tested (fewer than were included in the NWIrish modal haplotype) modal values are the same as NWIrish. IMH is possibly a smaller and more-recent subset of NW Irish. TCD estimated the IMH Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) as about 1,730 years ago while others believe the NWIrish line is 3,000 to 5,000 years old. For example, the estimate by McEwen (2006) is 3,362 years. For the remainder of this article, the modal haplotype for all IMH and NWIrish haplotypes will be referred to as the Northwest Irish Modal Haplotype (NWIMH) and haplotypes that cluster around the NWIMH will be referred to as the Northwest Irish Variety (NWI).

Through 19-Marker Y-STR tests a second TCD study by McEvoy and Bradley (2006) (data, shown at McEvoy (2006)), examined 1,325 males of selected surnames including 80 O’Neills from all areas of Ireland. Other than their surname and location in Ireland, the O'Neill participants were anonymous.

Methods

The present study used the Y-STR data on the 80 O’Neills identified in the TCD surname study, supplemented with data from six additional DNA sources on O’Neills (and McLaughlins, O Cathains, McShanes and others). These sources were, the Y-STR database of Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), Y-Base, Y-Search, the surname projects of Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), the Clan McShane-Johnson-MacSeai’n (McS) website and a separate McShane Family website.

SMGF has an extensive collection of haplotypes from samples donated for research purposes with online access and a surname-search capability. The Y-Search and Y-Base databases also allow for searches by surname. The FTDNA projects provide Y-DNA test results for specific participants, many of whom have also uploaded their results to Y-Search; these participants are identified by kit number. McS includes Y-DNA test results for several McShane, O’Neill and related surnames while The McShane Family website shows results for several McShanes. Y-STR haplotypes for 22 O’Neills were extracted from the six sources, which were then added to the 80 haplotypes from the TCD study, resulting in an overall total of 102.

Results

A most important finding was the presence of at least two distinct clusters within the 102 haplotypes, one associated with NWI, the other not. We have named the second cluster the O'Neill Variety (ON) and the modal haplotype for this cluster, the O’Neill Modal Haplotype (ONMH). Restricting the clusters to those haplotypes which are one-step up-or-down at two markers or less from NWIMH or ONMH there are twelve O’Neills in the NWI group but more than twice as many, 30 haplotypes, in the ON cluster. The remaining 62 O’Neills were apparently unrelated to the two largest clusters, representing multiple independent origins of the surname.

Table 1 displays those 12 O’Neills who form the NWI cluster. The authors have arbitrarily included in this table only those haplotypes within two mutational steps of the modal values, but a later table will include haplotypes of more mutational steps, but confined to territories associated with the Northern Ui Neill and the Tyrone O’Neills (O'Neills from in and around County Tyrone). Because the great majority of subjects was from the McEvoy and Bradley TCD study, the table displays only the 19 markers used in that study. More markers were available for the non-TCD-study participants, but those are omitted in Table 1. The TCD study tested a few markers not available in the other sources, so, where appropriate, some values are left blank in the table. “ON-X” denotes a participant from the TCD study, “O-N29907” and “O-49120” are from the FTDNA O’Neill Project, showing their kit numbers, and “N-2274” is from the FTDNA Neal-O’Neal Project, also labeled by kit number. It is noted that 2 has been added to the DYS values of the TCD study for DYS 461 to make it compatible with conventions used by FTDNA, DNAH, DNA-FP, etc. Y-Search, Y-Base, SMGF and the two McShane sources did not yield any additional O'Neills beyond those included in Table 1.

Table 1 O’Neills with NWIrish Variety Haplotypes

DYS	19	388	390	391	392	393	434	435	436	437	438	439	389-1	389-2	460	461	462	385a	385b
NWIMH	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
ON62	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
ON31	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	15	11	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
ON68	14	12	25	10	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
ON76	14	12	25	10	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
ON1	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	14	12	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
O-N29907	14	12	25	11	14	12						12	13	29				11	13
ON57	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	13	13	29	11	12	11	11	14
ON44	15	12	25	12	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	12	13	29	11	12	11	11	13
ON22	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	29	11	11	11	11	13
ON19	14	12	25	11	14	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	29	11	11	11	11	13
O-49130	14	12	25	11	13	13				15	12	12	13	29	11			11	14
N-2274	15	12	25	12	14	13						12	13	29				11	13

Table 2 shows the Y-STR haplotypes for the 30 O’Neills of the O'Neill Variety. Of the 30, 13 had identical 19/19 matches, 2 had 16/16 matches, 10 had 18/19 matches, 1 had 15/16, 2 had 11/12 and 2 had 17/19. The table illustrates that this ON Variety is a very tightly clustered group, indicative of a very recent origin. Expanding the restrictions to 3 mismatches, yields only two more O'Neills. It is noted that, using only their 80 O'Neills and haplotypes within one mutational step or less of ONMH, McEvoy and Bradley estimated the TMRCA of about 1,100 years (about the year 900), very close to the time frame of the grandson of Niall Glundubh, Domhnall “of Armagh”, said to be the first to use the surname O’Neill. It is also noted that, in the TCD surname study, there were only two non-O’Neills closer than a 16/19 match with ONMH (McNeice and McVeigh).

Table 2 O’Neills with O'Neill Variety Haplotypes

DYS	19	3 8 8	3 9 0	3 9 1	3 9 2	3 9 3	434	435	436	437	438	439	3 8 9-1	389-2	460	4 6 1	4 6 2	3 8 5 a	3 8 5 b
ONMH	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
O’N^13	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
S1	14	12	24	11	13	13				15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
S5	14	12	24	11	13	13				15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON5	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON29	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON30	14	12	24	10	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON38	14	12	24	10	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON27	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	12	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON32	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	29	11	12	11	12	15
ON35	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	10	12	11	12	15
ON80	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	13	11	12	15
O-36315	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	11	15
McS-1	14	12	24	11	13	13				15		11	13	30				11	15
O-42891	14	12	24	11	13	13				15		11	13	30				11	15
ON21	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	16
S2	14	12	24	11	13	13				15	12	12	13	30	11	12	11	11	15
ON59	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	13	15
ON60	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	29	12	12	11	12	15

In Table 2 O’N¹³ designates thirteen O’Neills from the TCD study (ON2, ON3, ON11, ON16, ON24, ON25, ON39, ON41, ON43, ON53, ON61, ON65, and ON71), all with haplotypes identical to the ONMH; other ON’s identify other TCD O’Neills; “SX” designates a SMGF participant, “O-X”, a FTDNA O’Neill Surname Project participant with his kit number, and McS-1 an O’Neill listed at the McS site. Note: one repeat has been added to DYS 461 on all the SMGF haplotypes for compatibility with current standards.

Table 2 O’Neills with O'Neill Variety Haplotypes

DYS	19	3 8 8	3 9 0	3 9 1	3 9 2	3 9 3	434	435	436	437	438	439	3 8 9-1	389-2	460	4 6 1	4 6 2	3 8 5 a	3 8 5 b
ONMH	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
O’N^13	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
S1	14	12	24	11	13	13				15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
S5	14	12	24	11	13	13				15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON5	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON29	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON30	14	12	24	10	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON38	14	12	24	10	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON27	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	12	13	30	11	12	11	12	15
ON32	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	29	11	12	11	12	15
ON35	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	10	12	11	12	15
ON80	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	13	11	12	15
O-36315	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	11	15
McS-1	14	12	24	11	13	13				15		11	13	30				11	15
O-42891	14	12	24	11	13	13				15		11	13	30				11	15
ON21	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	12	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12	11	12	16
S2	14	12	24	11	13	13				15	12	12	13	30	11	12	11	11	15
ON59	14	12	24	11	13	13	9	11	12	15	12	11	13	30	11	12