- News
-
- Sport
-
- Entertainment
-
- Advice
-
- Roots
-
41 Comments
Larger Text
Print
E-mailIrish DNA isolated for first time ever
May provide important clues to genetic diseases
Published Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 7:14 AM
Updated Tuesday, September 7, 2010, 7:16 AM
Prof Brendan Loftus, with colleagues Dr Amanda Coogan at the UCD Conway Institute
University College Dublin scientists have sequenced the complete genetic code of an Irish person for the first time ever.
The 3.1 billion sub-units of DNA were mapped by the team from the Conway Institute at the university led by Professor Brendan Loftus.
The Loftus team used DNA from an anonymous Irish male who had a confirmed sole Irish ancestry of three generations.
Prof Loftus said the individual chosen was considered a good example of Irish DNA and “showed variation typical of the island”.
“We have a better chance of understanding disease biology and susceptibility if we can stratify different populations on the basis of their genes,” he told the Irish Times.
The study provides the first ever complete genetic picture of the Irish branch of the European ancestral tree.
irish are knwn to be mroe susceptible to several diseases including cystic fibrosis. Differences between the DNA of Irish and others may provide a clue why that is so.
An “Irish genetic signature” will eventually be developed said Professor Loftus.
Most recent of 41 comments - See all comments
It may take several minutes for your comment to appear.
Report abuse
Posted by Snowdrop on Sep 12, 2010, 05:20 AM EDTResponders appear to be clashing Irish machismo, energy better served by uniting to prime that beautiful Ireland economic pump! Elected leaders attemt devisive tactics.
Show them. Unite. Think English and Roman empires; Who wasn't invaded? As for DNA & global warming, these are facts. Surely tracing the DNA of a man with 10 generations of proven Irish ancestry t'would be more valuable. Who makes these decisions? Get active and stop yer moaning. Also, I propose eliminating the polite meaningless term "Great Irish Famine" and replace it with the more historicaly accurate "Great Irish Starvation." By using correct labels, we face truths, and avoid the name calling, boys.
Posted by Temerity on Sep 11, 2010, 01:00 AM EDT
Finger prints and now DNA it is interesting isn't how unique
each person is?All interesting stuff but will it make a difference to the Irish?
Posted by jamieLM on Sep 10, 2010, 06:48 PM EDT
Agree with Seamusdhu - 3 generations is nothing in genetics and genealogy. I'd want to test a bloodline that goes a lot farther back than that.
Posted by jamieLM on Sep 10, 2010, 06:43 PM EDT
Dompedro: I was just curious - no putdown intended - since you agreed with Citizenwhy more than with krissangel and jimgordo1. I thought they all had good posts. I've had a mitochondrial DNA test through a legitimate medical lab and have had some genetic courses in my medical training. You've provided an interesting post - just looking for info.
Posted by Dompedro on Sep 10, 2010, 06:27 PM EDT
response to jamieLM-- I reviewed my post and didn't see where I claimed to be an expert in DNA testing and am not sure whether you are looking for information or a putdown -- but to answer your question, you could try reading books (Cunliffe, Rafterry, Sykes, Fagan, Oppenheimer, Ellis) or published papers on the subject from the past ten or fifteen years from various labs throughout Europe --- and krissangel is correct about the invasions into the British isles, but the Norse and Normans (root word is not a coincidence) and Anglo-Saxons apparently left remarkably little, although detectable, DNA inheritance in the islands' populations ------ and while lostgold (terrible calamity?) appears correct about the lack of henges and burial mounds like those in the Boyne Valley in the Basque country, there are huge dolmens in Gallicia which are remarkably similar to those such as Poulnabrone in the West of Ireland (which may well predate New Grange and Stonehenge) and whoever and however many migrants may have come from northern Spain , they also may have predated the henge and mound builders
Posted by Seamusdhu on Sep 10, 2010, 10:19 AM EDT
There is a work on the market called "Erins Blood Royal"the Gaelic Noble Dynasties of Ireland " by Peter Beresford Ellis detailinf what happened and where are the descendants of many of Irelands aristocracy whose lands were held forfeit by the British crown. Some of these families can give evidence of their pedigree back centuries with real historic knowledge and even further to the time of the Milesians if you asses ancient legendary material as having any worth. Why didn't Dr.Loftus and his team do DNA sampling on these people not some individual from the streets of Dublin whose DNA goes back only three generations i.e 60 to 90 years. Why not someone like Samuel Trent McCarthy whose bloodline can rightly be called and I hope I have the Gaelic correct ;Priomhlittera nan derb na Eber" Head letter of the blood of Eber.Not some street fuzz from Dublin whose great grandfather could have wandered in from anywhere in Europe.
Posted by kurtjohnson on Sep 09, 2010, 09:16 PM EDT
"My Y chromosome signature shows a relationship to Faeroe isles Norse Vikings and Dalriadic Scots"
How do you distinguish between the Irish and Dalriadic Scots genetically?
Posted by kurtjohnson on Sep 09, 2010, 09:14 PM EDT
"All Irleands problems are created by the cronyism and corruption of Ireland, no one else."
This is the result of the post-colonial client state phenomenon which is still predominant in many third world states (i.e. South America). That Ireland has had much more stability and relative prosperity than most other post-colonial countries is telling given it's relative lack of natural resources and the fact that it's modern political origins result from a destructive civil war and artificial colonial division. Moreover, you ignore what was given up by Ireland with EU membership including currency autonomy and fishing rights.
Posted by kurtjohnson on Sep 09, 2010, 09:07 PM EDT
"A better test for a "typical Irish DNA" would be to test someone who can document their family history a lot further back than 75-100 years. I would imagine that the majority of the Irish results would be Norse/Norman or Continental."
Why even bother posting this completely unsubstantiated speculative nonsense. In the cases where the issue has been closely examined, results strongly suggest that the majority of the Irish in the regions tested suggest majority descent from ancient haplotypes such as Irish Type III or R-M222 Mutation.
http://www.bowesonenamestudy.com/dna_project_pages/participants/haplogroup_r1b/r1b1b2a1b5b/
http://www.irishtype3dna.org/index.php
A 2006 study found very little Viking blood in the Irish:
http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/v14/n12/abs/5201709a.html
Moreover, Norse/Norman and "continental" can be very different things. Even in the most general sense, it is undisputed that the RIb haplotype is most heavily concentrated in Ireland (and among the basque) and dilutes as you move east through britain into the continent.
Posted by lostgold on Sep 09, 2010, 12:45 PM EDT
naughtios I was not speaking about the EU I was speaking about Europe as it was during the Great Famine. Even so it strikes me as strange that ships from the Ottoman Empire reached Ireland before that of European states . Could they have bought into the British prejudice that the Irish are pigs so let them die anyway.They must have known what was happening before the Turks did. As for the idea that the Basques were the original people of the British isles perhaps and I assume that these were the Stonehenge and New Grange builders.Why do we not find anything like Stonehenge in Spain where Basque migrants came from. As for the DNA project itself I hope its not part of the National Geographic Genographic Project based upon mistakes like declaring and still sticking to the idea as far as I know that Robert Peary was first man at the north pole their track record isn't so hot.Books like "Peary at the Pole Fact or Fiction?"and "The Coldest March"by Solomon doubt this conclusion. In short I hope National Geographic doesn't do to the DNA based human migration project what they did to polar exploration.Many students of Polar exploration think Peary lied in his diaries.
Posted by naughtius on Sep 09, 2010, 09:11 AM EDT
Here's a good blog on a bit more info on Irish genetics if yo want to hear from people that know what they're talking about.
hhttp://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2010/09/genetic-differences-within-european-populations/
Posted by naughtius on Sep 09, 2010, 09:01 AM EDT
Lostgold, you do know the Eu didn't exist the time of the famine. If it wasn't for EU money Ireland would be a bigger basket case than it is now. Some people seem to be thining of a country that only existed in DeValeras wet dream. All Irleands problems are created by the cronyism and corruption of Ireland, no one else.
Posted by naughtius on Sep 09, 2010, 08:55 AM EDT
George Dillon,
irish peolpe will be gone in ageneration, give me a break, you almost manage to out Paisley Paisley. The only place they will be going is overseas because of Angloo.
Posted by Meniskos on Sep 09, 2010, 12:28 AM EDT
Are these researchers doing serious work? Or are they going to start selling a test to find out how inbred Irish you are?
Posted by lostgold on Sep 08, 2010, 09:54 PM EDT
I agree with George Dillon completely but I also think that if an Irish government of the future tried to get rid of these foreign immigrants the first cry that would go up would be racism and who do these Irish think they are. However there was little or no help from other European nations when millions of Irish were dying of hunger during the great famine or when thousands of Irish girls had to sell themselves as whores on the streets of London and Birmingham to make a living.First ships to reach Ireland during the Great Famine with aid were from Islamic Turkey our European brothers stood strangely silent. Also while DNA knowledge is good according to E.Curtis in his "History of Ireland" the modern Irish people were formed when the old Norman stock that remained Catholic threw in their lot with the old Gaelic stock that remained Catholic As for that Basque genetic element hinted at in the book "Celts,Saxons and Vikings" so what nobody in our own country cares anymore that the first Americans were paleolithic people from Siberia.As a matter of fact it was the lowland Scotch plantation in Ulster that were given the former Irish Catholic lands is the origin of the present problem in the North of Ireland who when they migrated to the American continent became the great Indian fighters that helped drive native Americans off their land. See any good biography of Davy Crocket, Kit Carson, Daniel Boone they were all Scotch-Irish Has anyone checked Scotch-Irish DNA?
Posted by Buffalobrave on Sep 08, 2010, 05:22 PM EDT
BULLSHIT!!
Posted by Dublinjas on Sep 08, 2010, 05:03 PM EDT
I am descended from the Norse, My great great Grandfather was Dublin born as I was myself, but some years ago I participated in the Denmark Viking Y-DNA Project and was found to have DNA closely related to that of the Norse....My Y chromosome signature shows a relationship to Faeroe isles Norse Vikings and Dalriadic Scots, Who at some point found their way to Dublin. Exciting stuff this DNA.
Posted by jamieLM on Sep 08, 2010, 04:55 PM EDT
Dompedro: What makes you an expert on DNA testing?
Posted by Dompedro on Sep 08, 2010, 02:27 PM EDT
article is uninformative, as are most of your commentators, who haven't been doing their homework ..... CitizenWhy is far closer to the accumulated knowledge than are krissangel or jimgordo1
Posted by jimgordo1 on Sep 08, 2010, 02:11 PM EDT
As male DNA is passed from father to son, male (Y-DNA) reflects surname. And that is only good back to around the 12th century when surnames came into general use. Female DNA (mitochondrial DNA) is passed from mother to children and can be used to confirm distant origins (think "Seven Daughters of Eve"). From my experience with DNA as co-Administrator of a surname DNA Project, to say that because a man has a documented family history of three generations that proves him to be a "good example of Irish DNA. The only thing that shows is that his grandfather (or great grandfather, depending on how they're counting generations). I've not had experience with testing associated with any Irish surnames, but I imagine that lIrish haplogroups (DNA ckassification best detemnined from female mtDNA) are as varied as any other group of people. A better test for a "typical Irish DNA" would be to test someone who can document their family history a lot further back than 75-100 years. I would imagine that the majority of the Irish results would be Norse/Norman or Continental.
Posted by WoundedKnee on Sep 08, 2010, 12:49 PM EDT
Padraig8: So you don't think the arrival of huge numbers of Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Africans etc. in Ireland will irrevocably change the Irish gene pool? Go read up a little about genetics before posting nonsense. (By the way, what the hell does your dual citizenship have to do with the topic? Your mentioning it makes you look like a fool.)
Posted by krissangel on Sep 08, 2010, 12:46 PM EDT
There is no such thing as "pure" Irish - the island was invaded by the Norse, the Iberians, and the Normans, just to name a few!
Posted by CitizenWhy on Sep 08, 2010, 12:43 PM EDT
Other genetic research (Oxford U) shows that the Irish, English, Scots and Basques are closely related genetically and are different genetically from other Europeans. The first people into Ireland came from Spain and spoke a language close to Basque. Same for Britain. The Celtic and Saxon overlays came later. These original immigrants from Spain are still the major genetic pool for the inhabitants of Greta Britain and Ireland. ... The Irish are indeed different from the British due to later genetic developments, as the Dublin study shows. ... But to find out more about the 16,000 year old genetic unity of the Irish, English and Scots Google: Irish English Scot genetic New York Times
Posted by CitizenWhy on Sep 08, 2010, 12:09 PM EDT
I was on a DNA testing site in the USA a week ago and they had a test for Irish DNA. They also has discovered that one Irish strain is quite different from the others - Irish Type III, Dalcassians, descendants of the families related to Brian Boru, with the highest incidence, not surprisingly, in Clare Limerick and Tipperary. You can Google Irish Type III to learn more.
Posted by joanmoody on Sep 08, 2010, 11:44 AM EDT
Gee, I would love to know exactly what my DNA would say. I live in the US and my mother's people were Irish and German and my dad's were Scot's, Welsh and maybe English.
Posted by maloney on Sep 08, 2010, 11:43 AM EDT
GeorgeD...Freedom of speech should be world wide. no matter how crazy or bigoted or violent the speech may be. Are you saying you are glad the DNA was done before Ireland is to muddled or are you saying Ireland should stop immigration to keep the blood pure?
Posted by Yerffac on Sep 08, 2010, 10:27 AM EDT
Thickheaded and stubborn, aye, for sure, and proud of it. Is it worth being anything but Irish?
Posted by boomerbob on Sep 08, 2010, 10:05 AM EDT
GeorgeDillon
"It is good that this research has been done while there still remains a distinctive Irish nationality"
I quite agree with you on this. There are fewer distinct cultures and nationalities left in a world of cultural blending. With mobility easily at the hands of most, we're rapidly becoming a culture of mixed mush, often losing character, individuality and traditions that accompany the distinctiveness of cultures.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot that can be done to prevent the phenomenon. We now have the unique opportunity to learn what it feels like to lose our cultures, much as the Native Americans did during European Imperialism and westward expansionism under Manifest Destiny attitudes, or as the Aboriginal culture did during the time of assimilation in Australia.
Although the circumstances are much different now and the gradual enculturation of newcomers to Ireland and other nations is nowhere near as brutal as others have experienced, the end of the game will be the same.
Posted by mairdemalone on Sep 08, 2010, 10:04 AM EDT
DNA began its journey in a small area of Africa! Over several millions of years, some of these nomadic humanoids crossed Africa, (while others roamed across the southern hemisphere) and made their way to Persia, Europe, and the outer islands, one of them being Ireland. So we are all related! Thanks to centuries of abuse by overlords, Irish as well as English, French, Spanish and especially those of the Holy Roman Empire, and ethical governments, the lack of sunshine, nutrition and feelings of instability, has pounded the health of the average Irish land dweller. -I would hazard a guess and say within the DNA of Ireland's dwellers, there will be found a connection to all other down trodden ethnic groups.
Posted by killowen on Sep 08, 2010, 09:52 AM EDT
Will DNA help them understand the important usage of their
harp symbol by their occupier neighbour - which is ongoing?
- Cardinal says Vatican and Pope Benedict should.
- John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban,...
- How much? A round up of property prices from...
- IRA victim’s daughter calls for public release.
- Former NY Cardinal denies knowledge of sexual...
- Canadian province looks to Ireland to fill...
- Obama’s Irish cousin wants out of jury duty...
- JFK intern and former mistress Mimi Alford...
- Teenage girl (16) dies in Dublin after drive-by
- Irish parents urge their children to leave...
- Senator Scott Brown says Irish E3 immigrant...
- Bridget Moynahan snipes at her ex Tom Brady,.
- Spanish police rescue Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary
- JFK intern and former mistress Mimi Alford...
- How much? A round up of property prices from...
- Buy yourself a two-bedroom cottage in rural...
- Olivia Wilde goes topless for FHM - SEE PHOTOS.
- John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban,...
- Mystery American bets billions on Ireland’s...
- Cardinal says Vatican and Pope Benedict should.
- How much? A round up of property prices from...
- Buy yourself a two-bedroom cottage in rural...
- Teenage girl (16) dies in Dublin after drive-by
- Obama’s Irish cousin wants out of jury duty...
- The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow...
- Mystery American bets billions on Ireland’s...
- John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban,...
- British take over Obama White House on St.Patri
- Canadian province looks to Ireland to fill...
- Polish immigrant becomes most famous Pole...
Most Recent Blog Posts
