As many of you will know DNA testing allows the male and female lines to be traced back over long periods. At the instigation of the Clan Chief Michael J.S. Egan we are undertaking the Clan Egan DNA Project as part of an attempt to bridge some of the major gaps in the documented genealogies particularly those occuring pre 1800.
The use of DNA in genealogical research is gathering momentum very quickly. As we are a family who had a major responsibility in documenting the law and history of old Ireland we are perhaps morally obliged to be part of the action. In the greater Europe names were often associated with trades e.g. Smith for blacksmith, Baker for baker etc. In Ireland however the gaelic names were tied to families. This makes the prospect for our surname project very good indeed as Egan is a recognised ancient name of Ireland.
The Clan has selected FamilyTreeDNA in Texas for its DNA Study. They have provided an excellent explanation of DNA testing in one of their newsletters however you may also wish to consult their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) link.
FamilyTreeDNA offers a range of tests. The 37 marker test is the one adopted by the Clan. Upgrades are available to a higher number of markers without submitting a new sample. IMPORTANT: to receive preferential prices you should first go to the Projects page, follow the links to the Egan study and enter your details there -(direct - caution may change). At the same time as you send your kit in please contact us giving your Test Kit Number. If you wish, please also advise an email contact and your earliest known ancestors details (names, country and county/state of birth) for display on the DNA study WWW site.
The test involves wiping the inside of your cheek with a “toothbrush” like instrument – quite painless – sealing it in a container before returning it to FamilyTreeDNA in Texas.
IMPORTANT: you only need to conduct the test on one member of your immediate tree. By immediate tree we mean one that goes back say two or three generations. You should choose one of the youngest family members as the guinea pig as this, the Clan hopes, will help encourage them to take an interest in family history research. In our case one test is enough for a few tens of people – makes it quite inexpensive.We may be contacted by email or by regular mail at:
PLEASE participate. Current results are interesting but we need more participants to make it really interesting.Clan Egan (Australia)
C/O Greg & Sue Egan
5 Richardson Road
Croydon 3136
AUSTRALIA.
Mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA for short) is inherited exclusively through the maternal line. Maternal lines can be tracked back as far as 150,000 years, revealing that almost everyone in Europe, or with maternal roots in Europe, is descended from one of only seven women. Each of them founded a clan whose descendants make up over 95% of modern Europeans. Please contact us if you are interested in mtDNA tests.
There is a useful Genetic Distance Calculator off the McGee Family Surname Site.