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Subject: [R-M222] Connachta Origins of M222
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 11:34:21 +0000 (UTC)
In-Reply-To: <354500155.6131231241628587.JavaMail.root@sz0128a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>


"If there is one thing that is known about the Breifny M222 clans it
is that they are said to be pre-Nial, descending instead somehow from
the Connachta tribe from which Nial sprang."

The Breifne clans are mostly Ui Briuin, descending from Brion, a half-brother of Nial of the Nine Hostages, according to ancient genealogies. They are called the Ui Briuin Breifne, and other main branches were the Ui Briuin Seola and the Ui Briuin Ai.
The Briefne Clans project shows that about one-third of its 250 members are M222--a high percentage. Unfortunately, there are not many DNA samples among names associated with the more southern branches of the Ui Briuin--the Seola, Ai, and a couple of minor offshoots called the Sinna and the Maille--but Ann Stansburger's page plus some Ysearch checks of what is available show that there is M222 among associated surnames such as Healey, McManus (of Roscommon), O'Connor, Flaherty, Beirne, MacDermot, MacDonagh, MacGeraghty, O'Flanagan, and O'Malley.
I haven't checked much among the Ui Fiachrach--the other line descendant from Fiachra--another half-brother of Nial--but its O'Dowd chieftains al least seem to have been M222.
The theory that M222 began with Nial was long ago abandoned, but in many minds M222 still has a strong Donegal strongest association.Obviously, the largest concentration today is in Donegal, but that does not mean it started there. Since Nial's Ui Neill and Brion's Ui Briuin Briefne were Connachta in origin, doesn't it follow that M222 spread north from somewhere in present day Connaght? But from where in Connaght?
Just some random thoughts.
Paul
Paul

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