Lineage IV From Tipperary

The Dorsey/Darsey/Darcy/Dawsey/Dossey/D'Arcy

Surname Project

To Define and Verify Family Lines and Connections

Established 2002
This project is organized, administered, and paid for by family members
for the purpose of linking ourselves to the past.

DNA Project Results and Discussion

Lineage IV From Tipperary to Australia and America

Two participants who trace their lines to County Tipperary in Ireland share a 23/25 marker match that includes a few quite unusual marker values. Their results are presented in Table IV-1. The first row of results in this group is from a descendent of Thomas D’Arcy who was born on a farm near Lorrha in County Tipperary about 1820¹ and arrived in Sydney, Australia on February 18, 1848.² The second member of this group can make his earliest connection to John Dorcey, who was in the County Tipperary (North Riding), the Barony of Lower Ormond, the Civil Parish of Kilbarron, the Townland of Lisquilabeen between 1834 and 1852.³ This John Dorcey immigrated to Michigan in the mid 1850’s only to be killed in the final days of the Civil War.

These two match on 23 of 25 markers with a two-step difference at DYS439 and a one-step difference at DYS458. For their mismatch at DYS439, one has one repeat more than the modal value and the other one has repeat less. (This suggests possible one-step mutations in both lines rather than one two-step mutation in one line.) The lower value 11 is found in about 15% of R1b haplotypes and the higher value of 13 is found in about 10%. (This is in contrast to the modal value of 12, which is found in almost 74% of individuals in the R1b Haplogroup.)⁴

Dorsey Ancestor	Y-STR Haplotype Comparisons for Lineage III Dorsey/Darcy/Dossey/D’Arcy DNA Project January 2006 *Tipperary Line*
	DYS Marker Values
	3 9 3	3 9 0	1 9	3 9 1	3 8 5 a	3 8 5 b	4 2 6	3 8 8	4 3 9	3 8 9 \| 1	3 9 2	3 8 9 \| 2	4 5 8	4 5 9 a	4 5 9 b	4 5 5	4 5 4	4 4 7	4 3 7	4 4 8	4 4 9	4 6 4 a	4 6 4 b	4 6 4 c	4 6 4 d
Thomas D’Arcy (Ire > Aus)	13	24	14	11	11	14	12	12	13	13	13	29	16	8	9	11	11	25	15	19	29	13	13	15	17
John Dorcy (Ire > MI)	13	24	14	11	11	14	12	12	11	13	13	29	17	8	9	11	11	25	15	19	29	13	13	15	17
Frequencies	.95	.55	.93	.63	.90	.52	.98	.98		.86	.90	.79		.02	.12	.98	.99	.67	.85	.81	.39	.02	.01	.07	.67

Table III-1 Source: Family Tree DNA. Data September 2001-November 2005 ¹Frequency of marker value occurrence in Haplogroup R1b calculations for the ancestral haplotype provided by Whit Athey 5 (http://www.worldfamilies.net/Super%20Western%20Atlantic%20Modal%20Haplotype.htm)

They also share particularly unusual values of 8 for DYS459a and 9 for DYS459b—values that are found in only about 2% and 12% of R1b populations respectively.⁶ Similarly, their values for DYS #'s 464a, b, and c are very unusual. Their genetic distance from the various other Irish and American Dorsey/D’Arcy/Dorcy/etc lines is from seven to 15 steps.

With their remaining markers matching the very common Atlantic Modal Haplotype and in spite of the five very unusual markers, these two have a number of matches with other surnames in the Family Tree DNA database.

The descendant of Thomas D’Arcy closest matches are 23/25 marker matches with only four, not surprisingly, Irish surnames--O’Brien, Hart, Everett (Graham), and Callahan. It is perhaps the values of 13 at DYS439 and 16 at DYS458 which are found in only about 10% and 18% of R1b men respectively that sets him apart. The descendant of John Dorcey, who has somewhat more typical values for these markers, has exact matches with five different surnames, again typically Irish names, Hogan, Casey, Bryan, West, and Donohoe. He has 23-24/25 marker matches as well with 25 others.

There has been some discussion on the Genealogy-DNA email list at Rootsweb about a (small) Irish cluster or haplotypes who share the unusual values of DYS459a,b = 8,9, and DYS464a,b,c,d = 13,13, 15, 17. Other distinctive marker values have been discussed. Len Keane, a list member who also shares this pattern wrote, “There seems to be an aura of mystery growing about this haplotype! It could relate to an ancient widespread group. What could it be??”⁷ As geneticists and historian continue to join forces to map out the lines of descent of the Irish people, we hope to learn more about this interesting cluster and our Dorcey/D’Arcy members’ place in it.

Because these two project members can place their earliest known ancestor in the same area of Ireland in the early 1800’s, it would make sense for them to upgrade to the 37 marker test to find out whether this match strengthens and to attempt to recruit fellow D’Arcy/Darcy/Dorcey participants with known roots in Tipperary. The American family believes there might have been a family member who came to Michigan about the same time as their ancestor but then returned to Ireland only to immigrate to Australia later.⁸ Though most likely a coincidence, they share a same somewhat uncommon first name.

Endnotes

¹ Bernie D’Arcy, “RE: D’Arcy”, email message to Nancy Custer, January 3, 2006. “Age is calculated from his age of 61 at death on 17th Aug 1881”. He arrived Sydney 18th Feb 1848. He was the only D'Arcy on the ship.

² Bernie D’Arcy, “RE: D’Arcy”, email message, “He arrived Sydney 18th Feb 1848. He was the only D'Arcy on the ship.”

³ Wayne and Maureen Hannah, The Descendants of John Dorsey, Civil War Soldier, (Shelton, WA: privately published, 1996)
p 3.

⁴Whit Athey, “STR Allele Frequencies for Haplogroup R1b” http://www.worldfamilies.net/Super%20Western%20Atlantic%20Modal%20Haplotype.htm accessed February 22, 2006.

⁵ Whit Athey, “STR Allele Frequencies for Haplogroup R1b.”

⁶ Whit Athey, “STR Allele Frequencies for Haplogroup R1b.”.

⁷ Len Keane, “Re: DNA What exactly do my results mean” email to Genealogy-DNA email list at Rootsweb.com, February 26, 2006, http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GENEALOGY-DNA/2006-02/1140994827

⁸Wayne and Maureen Hannah, July 2003, personal communication to Nancy Custer.

This page was last updated
Saturday, March 18, 2006

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