It has been confirmed that the M222 Curleys of the Galway/Sligo area belong to the subclade BY198/A738. BY198 and A738 are equivalent, being synonyms for the same SNP. This lineage is suspected of being the original Irish Curley lineage from the surname progenitor, unaffected by NPEs.
This SNP may now be used to test other M222 Curleys whose group placement is not clear from their STR test. The test may be ordered as A738 from FTDNA's upgrade, advanced orders. It is also included (under the label BY198) within the M222 subclade panel. It may also be ordered by either name, BY198 or A738, from a different company, YSeq.net (although this requires a new DNA sampled to be shipped to YSeq.net in Germany).
I recommend one of these tests for M222 Curleys whose group identity is currently unclear.
We also have a test result for our first Kerley of County Louth. This individual is unrelated to any of the other known Kerley/Curley lineages. This individual may represent either a separate lineage with its own surname origin, or a branch of one of the major lineages that has been affected by an NPE. Additional testing of this particular name spelling and region are needed to determine this individual's relationship to other lineages.
I have also heard rumor that there is a new Curley of the Athlone lineage, and that this person has a large GD to the other lineages of this group. Although the individual's data is private, so I cannot analyze it in detail. The high GD suggests that the Athlone lineage may be older than previously believed. Although the fact that this lineage appears to be contained within the locale of Athlone suggests otherwise. And it is important to keep in mind that the GD and MRCA estimates are just that, ESTIMATES of the group's age. Each MRCA estimate has a large probability distribution curve, with plenty of room on both the younger and older side of the curve. The center of the curve is where the MRCA is most likely to be, but the statistics allow a significant chance for the MRCA to be much older or much younger than the median. This particular individual may have just experienced a large number of STRs in their lineage within a few hundred years. The entire totality of evidence, including the MRCA estimate, the group's distribution, the relationship to other lineages of the area, and the documentation trail, still appear to favor the hypothesis that this is a younger lineage resulting from an NPE occurring in the town of Athlone, breaking it off from the main lineage of Galway/Sligo.
(11-30-2015 Update: This anonymous Athlone Curley's test was upgraded to 67 markers. As I expected, the genetic distance to this lineage decreased with the additional panel of markers. At 37 markers, the GD to the nearest match was 6/37. The second panel of markers has a GD of only 2/30, a significantly smaller fraction. This gives a total combined genetic distance of 8/67 to the nearest match. The GD of the first 37 markers was apparently misleadingly high, and the estimated age of the MRCA has declined with extended testing. An upgrade to 111 markers would possibly reduce the age of the MRCA estimate even further, as has been the case with other members of this genetic group.)
(1-24-2015 Update: This individual upgraded to 111 markers and the fractional GD has declined further, as I predicted. Markers 68-111 added only 1 more difference out of 44 markers. So the total GD is now 9/111 to the nearest match. This gives a more reasonable MRCA estimate, in line with the other members of this group.)
I am still working on getting additional testing from other areas of Ireland and the UK outside of what has already been tested. It is very slow going, but there is gradual progress being made. If there are any Curleys/Kerleys/Corleys whose lineage is originally from the area of County Louth or the Ulster province, please contact me and I may be able to arrange a free DNA test for you. These areas are currently under represented and are critical to revealing the family's history, as the documentation points toward this area for the family's origin.
I'm also especially interested in getting participation from any Scottish lineages, and any English or French lineages that are suspected to descend from the Norman family de Curlieu/Curley/Curlew/Corley/Corlew, etc. Individuals fitting the description may be eligible for a free test. If you qualify, please contact me.
This SNP may now be used to test other M222 Curleys whose group placement is not clear from their STR test. The test may be ordered as A738 from FTDNA's upgrade, advanced orders. It is also included (under the label BY198) within the M222 subclade panel. It may also be ordered by either name, BY198 or A738, from a different company, YSeq.net (although this requires a new DNA sampled to be shipped to YSeq.net in Germany).
I recommend one of these tests for M222 Curleys whose group identity is currently unclear.
We also have a test result for our first Kerley of County Louth. This individual is unrelated to any of the other known Kerley/Curley lineages. This individual may represent either a separate lineage with its own surname origin, or a branch of one of the major lineages that has been affected by an NPE. Additional testing of this particular name spelling and region are needed to determine this individual's relationship to other lineages.
I have also heard rumor that there is a new Curley of the Athlone lineage, and that this person has a large GD to the other lineages of this group. Although the individual's data is private, so I cannot analyze it in detail. The high GD suggests that the Athlone lineage may be older than previously believed. Although the fact that this lineage appears to be contained within the locale of Athlone suggests otherwise. And it is important to keep in mind that the GD and MRCA estimates are just that, ESTIMATES of the group's age. Each MRCA estimate has a large probability distribution curve, with plenty of room on both the younger and older side of the curve. The center of the curve is where the MRCA is most likely to be, but the statistics allow a significant chance for the MRCA to be much older or much younger than the median. This particular individual may have just experienced a large number of STRs in their lineage within a few hundred years. The entire totality of evidence, including the MRCA estimate, the group's distribution, the relationship to other lineages of the area, and the documentation trail, still appear to favor the hypothesis that this is a younger lineage resulting from an NPE occurring in the town of Athlone, breaking it off from the main lineage of Galway/Sligo.
(11-30-2015 Update: This anonymous Athlone Curley's test was upgraded to 67 markers. As I expected, the genetic distance to this lineage decreased with the additional panel of markers. At 37 markers, the GD to the nearest match was 6/37. The second panel of markers has a GD of only 2/30, a significantly smaller fraction. This gives a total combined genetic distance of 8/67 to the nearest match. The GD of the first 37 markers was apparently misleadingly high, and the estimated age of the MRCA has declined with extended testing. An upgrade to 111 markers would possibly reduce the age of the MRCA estimate even further, as has been the case with other members of this genetic group.)
(1-24-2015 Update: This individual upgraded to 111 markers and the fractional GD has declined further, as I predicted. Markers 68-111 added only 1 more difference out of 44 markers. So the total GD is now 9/111 to the nearest match. This gives a more reasonable MRCA estimate, in line with the other members of this group.)
I am still working on getting additional testing from other areas of Ireland and the UK outside of what has already been tested. It is very slow going, but there is gradual progress being made. If there are any Curleys/Kerleys/Corleys whose lineage is originally from the area of County Louth or the Ulster province, please contact me and I may be able to arrange a free DNA test for you. These areas are currently under represented and are critical to revealing the family's history, as the documentation points toward this area for the family's origin.
I'm also especially interested in getting participation from any Scottish lineages, and any English or French lineages that are suspected to descend from the Norman family de Curlieu/Curley/Curlew/Corley/Corlew, etc. Individuals fitting the description may be eligible for a free test. If you qualify, please contact me.