DNA evidence questioning how many of the O’Mahonys, McCarthys, O’Donovans migrating to West Cork c 1250 AD are of the families.
Recent advances in DNA is calling into question the presumptions of genealogy. In essence families such as the above were displaced by the Normans from South Tipperary and Limerick and migrated to West Cork.
Everybody with the name assumed that they are of the migrating families. Looking at the genetic evidence it appears as if some if not a lot ave marked more associated with the pre existing population in West Cork.
What may have happened is that the migration did take place but perhaps of an elite in the manner of the Celts. The local people where they med to them emulated them taking on their names.
West Cork History 
Interesting post. Can you provide a source for those who wish to read about these advances in Y-DNA?
Currently, I believe there a bias in the sampling of genetic tests. Since it’s generally up to the individual’s curiosity and finances to go through with it, surname groups are quite heavily populated with the descendants of Irish immigrants to the US. However, in my own specific case it proved a direct common paternal ancestor to another family in the US yet our common ancestor with other McCarthy groups, was going back over two thousand years.
At least genetic testing has proved that both our families who share the same surname were at least calling themselves McCarthys back to the 1500s. At least that’s something I suppose.
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And to clarify, I’m not knocking the drive and ambition of Irish-Americans to find the corner of Ireland that they hail from considering many lack any physical historical records of their arrival in the US.
Studies on the common paternity of Irish surnames should focus on the very descendants who still reside within these family name’s traditional heartlands. However, this is impossible as it’s not like the administrators or members of these projects have the sort of money to test a few thousand McCarthys, O’Mahoneys and O’Donovans spread across West Cork.
One can always hope for that Euromillions win.
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Will revert next week
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