The O’Leary DNA Test Project.
by Peter O’leary
I hope my readers will remember the outline of
this Project which we reported on last year.
This is the point at which this year’s
Report starts.
We assume you now
have in mind the general nature of DNA
and how it is used to further genealogical
research way beyond the boundaries which we get
to by researching Church Records etc.
The first phase of the O’Leary family project
has now been concluded with a Final Report from
the Laboratory on our first batch of 18 men, all
of course (O)Leary by name.
12 of these turned out to be from the
main stem of the family within the past 1000
years or so.
The remaining 6 men branch off from this
main stem many years before that.
This random testing will continue to be
available to any (O)Leary
who wishes to join and to subject himself
to this most useful test.
A further extension is also now agreed and will
start this year.
This will be more tightly controlled and
directed as a study of the structure of the
(O)Leary Clan, such as we have never been able
to have before.
The Tests will be exactly as before,
but the candidates will be selected to
allow us to study the relationship between
different branches of the (O)Learys.
Terms like “candidates” and “selected”
are used because this will have specific
objectives, and will be funded by the Clan
Gathering Organisation and the donations of it’s
members.
There will be no charge made to (O)Learys
who cooperate at this stage.
You might say that Phase 1 was rather tentative
and to see what could be achieved.
Now we realise the enormous potential of
this technique, we also realise that we have to
control our objectives much more closely, and
not leave it to chance.
It does also mean that the success of the next
phase will depend on individuals making
themselves available for testing if approached.
If we ask you to take a test it will be
because your family play an important role in
our investigation into the structure of the
Clan.
We earnestly hope that we will get the full
support and cooperation of any (O)Leary who
falls into this group.