DNA test done

Finally I decided to get a DNA test done. I had my reservations for a long time- around privacy, around 'unexpected outcomes' and what I might have to do about them... but in the end I went to a few lectures about DNA in genealogy and how it was a new tool that offered many benefits. And I went ahead and did a DNA test with Ancestry who have the biggest database of matches. Thanks to Michelle Patient and also to Fiona Brooker who delivered the lectures I attended, including such informative material. And also to the Feilding group of NZSG who organised the day-long workshop with Michelle that I attended, and to Auckland Libraries who had Fiona and Michelle speaking at their weekend genealogy expo. Interestingly, in both places, I seemed to be among the minority who hadn't had their DNA tested.

At one of the courses I went to, patientgenie talked about the importance of building a 'wide tree', so while I waited for my test kit to arrive from overseas, then make its journey to Dublin and through the testing process, I built a wide tree. The 'wideness', including as many siblings of my grandparents, grt-grandparents etc as I knew, was to show some instant benefits once I got my results and my DNA matches, and I recommend it. (Though I have to admit I built it quickly, and might have relied on a few too many Ancestry 'hints', so definitely have to re-check it all soon!!)

It came as quite a surprise to see how many DNA matches I had- 308 at fourth cousin level or closer. And though I was certain that my parents were truly my real DNA parents, I was glad to find matches in all lines of my tree that were what I had expected.

Some matches were easier to identify with family lines than others. Because I had built a good tree and linked it to my DNA, ThruLines even helped place quite a few matches in the relevant parts of the tree.

The first, and so far only, contact that has come from someone else, came from this 'wide' tree. Her husband was descended from a sibling of my 2X grt-grandfather- so our common ancestors are our 3X great-grandparents. That makes her husband my 4th cousin once removed, and we share 25cM and 3 segments of DNA. I was astounded to realise that distant cousins like that could still share enough DNA to show clear connections. She has done a lot of research on our family lines, and we were able to share info to build our knowledge about "Cousin Hilda" who had come from Jersey as a single woman to join Payn family here in New Zealand.

Cousin Hilda Payn

I looked at my DNA list and decided on a few people I would message. There were a couple of surnames I recognised as being likely 3rd cousins on the Riordan side in Christchurch. I have already had a reply from one. It turns out the circle has fully turned for him, and he has been living in Ireland for the last 20 years, not all that far from Ballylanders, where the Riordan farm was. (He is going to explore!)

I was lucky to have one maternal first cousin and one paternal first cousin who had tested. So by looking at shared matches with one or other of them, I could divide my matches down maternal/paternal lines quite easily.

I decided to go on a hunt for paternal Riordan matches that might have a link to Ballylanders. It had taken me almost a year to pinpoint the likely origin of our "Curraheen" as being Ballylanders, but I was still only about 98% sure I hadn't barked up a wrong genealogical tree of similar names. However, in the process of my long search, I had some familiarity with other local surnames. I messaged a few likely looking suspects. Bingo- the Creagh on the adjoining farm has quite a few DNA matches with us. An O'Donnell match replied and was able to helpfully push back my tree by one generation by telling me the common Quane ancestors we shared.

 This is info I got from Griffiths. I've drawn around farm #20, the Riordan one. You might just manage to see the Carheen fort in the top right corner of the farm. (Farms #11 and #12  are Quain ones.) Next to it are farms #18 and #19, which are Creagh farms. I wasn't surprised to find Creagh matches, and I feel I have now confirmed that Ballylanders is in fact our parish of origin.

So what next? I am delighted with my paternal finds so far, but in a sense they were easy enough, as I was able to bring all my genealogical knowledge about the family to examine the matches. It is a different story with my maternal Lalor line though. I know only that my Lalor 2x-grt-grandparents were John Lalor and Mary (maiden surname unknown,) and that they were from Co Kilkenny somewhere. It seems like I will have to be much more systematic when searching my matches for likely Lalor connections. I will plod away, and am hopeful that DNA will eventually help me through the Lalor brickwall!

Family History Expo -Follow-up!

I'm home again after a very interesting weekend in Auckland, learning so many things about how to research more about my family history.

I'd barely unpacked before I had visited Fiona Brooker's website, to downloads her Leeds method worksheet. Can't wait to go out and buy some coloured pencils to doodle on it. There's just the small matter of having to do a DNA test first!!! (Waiting for an Ancestry special.)

And if I hadn't heard the talk by Cyndi about how to build a digital research plan, I would have had no idea about her evernote templates- there is just so much info on her site. And after a bit of exploration, I can see that I need to bookmark her categories page for frequent use.

Another key resource. Patient Genie has redone Cyndi's resource checklist for us downunder. 

Have already decided that my first use of a strategy à la Cyndi will be to try and learn more about one or two mysterious John Riordan's in my tree. There was a John Riordan, brother-in-law, who was a witness who signed Mary Burke's death registration in 1892. His residence was "Christchurch". but I really know nothing more about him yet.

There was a death of a John Riordan in Christchurch, but the age seemed wrong. It's time I got a better strategy underway to identify my John Riordan and find him. Having listened to Fiona Brooker's Legacy webinar just last week, I now know about using electoral rolls on Ancestry- will just have to get down to the Palmy library to use their computer.

But there's more....  In January this year I was blindsided by the advent of a previously unknown John Riordan from Mosgiel, via Papers Past- or could he be a very old version of the first one? In 1931 this John from Mosgiel had travelled all the way from Mosgiel to Tututawa, in the backblocks of Stratford, to help my great-aunt Bridget Norris (nee Malone), while her husband was in hospital with a broken leg. (Doesn't actually sound like something an old man would do...)

So, time to get more methodical as I search to 'flesh out' the story/ies of these two (?) John Riordans!

But for now, it's just gone 7am on a Monday morning and genealogy needs to be put aside as the teaching week calls!

Sincere thanks to the Auckland Council Libraries, the NZ Genealogical Group, and the many volunteers for all the work involved in organising and running such an event.