DNA is an evolving science that is affecting what we believe about history and mythology. The testing of the “Y” chromosome is looking back to the origins of the paternal line. Another way of saying that is it traces back the family name back hundreds, maybe thousands of years. I loved the stories of fairies and leprechauns as a child and then read to my son out of Irish Myths and Legends when he was young. So I was very interested when I heard about a project that was working to take Irish mythology and tie it to proven history. I had my Dad’s Y-DNA tested to see if our “Duffy” was part of the Duffy Clan descended from one of the mythical Kings of Ireland, the Three Collas. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Collas)
Various websites have altering stories about the Duffy clan and whether it is one clan, three clans, or more. Some only list the Duffy clans of Ireland, others insist all the Duffy clans part of a single are Scottish clan. DNA tests are sorting these things out, and what is clear is there is not just one clan. The rest is still a little fuzzy.
With help from Peter Biggins, Administrator of Clan Colla 425 Null Project, and from Paul Duffy, Administrator of the Ireland Y-DNA Project, we have eliminated some possibilities. I am sad to say the first possibility eliminated was the genetic tie to the Three Collas.
My great-great-grandfather, Michael Patrick Duffy, was born in Killoe Parish in County Longford, Province of Leinster, Ireland about 1809. County Longford is in the Northwest corner of Leinster with its West/northwest edge bordering Connaught and its Northeast edge bordering Ulster. The Parish of Killoe is in the Northwest corner of County Longford and has those same borders as the county with Connaught and Ulster.
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| www.Our-Ireland.com |
The Duffy’s of Clan Colla generally are from County Monahan in the southern part of Ulster. The other two primary known clans of Duffy are from County Donegal in Ulster and County Roscommon in Connaught.
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| Ireland’s Counties |
Killoe in County Longford sits about halfway between Roscommon and Monaghan counties and is nowhere near Donegal (northern-most county in Ulster). DNA conclusively says we are not part of the Monaghan clan. Without further DNA testing (and more other people doing the same), I don’t have anything to prove one way or the other about being part of the Roscommon clan. It looks promising, but the best DNA match Paul Duffy found for me says our closest common ancestor was someone living back in the Medieval time frame (maybe 700 years ago). There are a lot of blank names in my family tree between 1809 and 1300-ish. So no research shortcut here for the Duffy tree!
Link to Clan Colla Project: https://www.familytreedna.com/public/clancolla425null/
Link to Ireland Y-DNA Project: https://www.familytreedna.com/public/IrelandHeritage/
You are correct!
I think you mean 700, not 7000 years ago.
I think you mean 700, not 7000 years ago.