The Irish Surnames Study

Do You Have Viking Genes In You?

Are you descended from the Vikings either directly or through Norman blood? Well, depending on your surname and where your family live, there is a possibility you may well be…..

A cross-disciplinary network of academics consisting of geneticists, historians and linguists have come together to investigate the population of Ireland’s Viking cities and their hinterland. This group – led by Dr Catherine Swift of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and Dr Turi King of the Department of Genetics, University of Leicester are using modern scientific techniques and the traditional tools of the historian in an attempt to identify what percentage of the Irish population are descended from Vikings. They are also hoping to examine the extent to which the Vikings in different parts of the country intermarried with the native Irish. To do this, the experts have identified specific surnames which are found in the medieval records and townland names from different parts of the country: Limerick and Galway on the west coast and Wexford on the east coast. People in Roscommon are also being tested as a control group.

Venues for the testing are

Most people get their surnames from their father and men also inherit specific genetic material (DNA) from their father too. This is the Y chromosome which is responsible for making males. We know that a Y chromosome type can relate to a particular surname and we also know that most surnames are linked to particular regions. By sampling men with specific surnames and with medievally-attested ancestry in each region we will be able to identify the particular characteristics of the mixed population of local people and incoming adventurers settled there.

Located at the edge of the known world, Medieval Ireland represented the Wild West of Europe and as such, it attracted daring men and women from the whole of north-west Europe – this project aims to pinpoint their origins more precisely, their contribution to the Irish population as a whole and the extent of internal migration within the early Viking and Norman colonies.

How were the surnames chosen?

The surnames have been taken from family names embedded in townland names in the relevant counties and from the medieval sources for each region. As well as the universities and I.Ts participating in this research, expert assistance has also been provided by Limerick City Museum and the Placenames Branch of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. For lists of the relevant surnames and to register for the project see www:leicestersurnamesproject.org.uk.

Will information obtained in the study be confidential?

The information given by volunteers will be strictly confidential. If information gained about a volunteer’s DNA is ever published in scientific papers, it will be completely anonymous.

Will I be contacted again about the results?

At the end of the study we will return your individual Y-chromosome results to each volunteer and provide a detailed description of the historical conclusions arising from our study on our websites. The conclusions will be published in peer-reviewed journals and will also form the basis for the development of innovative teaching materials on Ireland’s Viking and Norman past for primary and secondary students.

Catherine.Swift@mic.ul.ie; Tel: 086-0679708
www.leicestersurnames.org.uk; www.vikingage.mic.ul.ie

Surnames involved are

Limerick

Adam, Apple, Archer, As/Ashe, Baggott – Baggat, Begg/Small, Bennett , Blake , Bonfield, Bowles, Broder, Brown(e), Breathnach/Walsh, Bryan/Brien, Burgh/Bourke, Cahill/O’Cahill, Cashel, Clare, Cleary , Colley – Cole, Conell/O’Connell, Conyers, Coughlan/O’Coughlan, Creagh, Dene/Dean, Duane, Duff, Doyle, English/England/Angland , Fanning , Fant, Flahive/O’Flahive, Fleming, Gibbon/Fitzgibbon, Gilbert, Giltenan, Hammond, Harold/Harrol, Hay/Haye, Hart, Houlihan, Howard, Hubert/Herbert, Jordan, Keating, Kemmy/ Kemmey, Kirby, Lamb/Lambe, Macessy, Maurice/Morris, Martin, Maxey, McAuliffe, McEnery, Miniter, Mullony/O’Mullony, Nash, Neil, Nolan/O’Nolan, Noonan/O’Noonan, Norris, O’Carran/Curran, O’Casey/Casey, O’Donovan, O’Flyn, O’Grady, Ogriffa/Griffin, O’Regan/Regan, Owen, Payne, Palmer, Perrot, Power/le Poer, Raley/Raleigh/Rawley/Ralley, Rede/Ready Rice, Riddle, Roche, Ronan/O’Ronan, Russell, Sheedy, Simon/Simmons, Stackpoole, Stephens/Fitzstephen, Stokes, Ston/Stone, Stritch, Sugrue, Swayn/Swain, Tankard Tancard/Tancred, Thomas, Thursteyn/Tursten, Troy, Wall/Vale, Waters, White, Williams, Wolf

Galway:

Athy, Barrett, Blake, Bodkin, Brangan, Brannach/Brannagh, Broder, Broderick, Browne, Burke, Carr, Casey, Clancy, Collins, Connellan, Connor/O’Connor, Conry /McConroy, Cooge/McCooge, Coolahan, Cooney, Cosgrave, Clarke, Cleary, D’Arcy, Dolphin, Donnellan, Fahy/O’Fahy, French Gildea/Kildea, Hackett, Hynes/O’Heyne, Joyce, Kelly/O’Kelly, Kenny, Kirwan, Lally, Lee, Lennon, Lynch, MacEgan, Madden, Managan, Mannion, Markham, Martin, Marshall ,McWard/Ward, Mongan, Moran, Morris, Mullen, Murray, Naughton, Nelly/Nally/McNally O’Flaherty, Regan, Rush, Ryder, Scarry, Shaughnessy/O’Shaughnessy, Sheedy, Silk/Silke, Skahill/Skehill/Scahill, Skerrett, Tighe, Tully, Walsh

Wexford:

Allen, Bardon/Bardin, Barnes, Barron, Bolger, Boggan, Bowe, Blake, Brazil, Breen, Brennan, Browne, Bryan/Brian, Busher, Butler, Canavan, Cleary, Codd, Cogley, Connick, Conway, Cousins, Cullen Darcy, Duggan, Doran, Doyle, Edwards, Fardy, Farrell, Fisher,Fitzharris/Harris, Foley, Fortune, Furlong, Harpur/Harper, Harvey, Hay/Hayes/Hey, Hore, Howlin, John/Johns, Jordan, Kavanagh, Kelly, Kenny, Kennedy, Lacy, Lambert, Larkin, Lewis, Loughlin/O’Loughlin, Mernagh, Morris, Murphy, Owens, O’Brien/O’Breen, O’Connor, Petit/Pettit, Pierce, Redmond,Rickard/Rackard, Roche, Roe/Rowe, Ronan, Rositer, Rowe, Scallan, Scurlock, Siggins/Shiggins, Shannon, Shortall, Somers, Stephens, Sutton, Turner, Wadding/Wadden, Waddock/Waddick, Welsh/Walsh, Whelan, Whitty

Contacts Details

For all enquiries, please contact the organizers:

Dr Turi King, Dept. Genetics, University of Leicester
Dr Catherine Swift (Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick)