A paper from the Larkin DNA Project has been published which speaks to many of the issues found on this list and links some R1b-M222 (formerly known as R1b1c7) lines to specific geographies in Ireland. The paper is titled, "Larkin DNA Project - Ancestral Parish Sampling on the Shannon River" and is available online at http://www.jogg.info/62/files/Larkin.pdf. Some highlights: 1) By instance, 4 of the 14 groups with Irish Larkin ancestry were R1b-M222. But by frequency, the two largest R1b-M222 groups (concentrated in the Shannon River area analogous to ancient Hy Many / Uí Maine) are likely to comprise about 20% of the men with the Larkin surname today. 2) The observed mutation rate of the Larkin R1b-M222 men was much higher than standard estimates. If this phenomenon is true throughout R1b-M222, it implies that the TMRCA is on the shorter end of the range estimates. 3) The DNA observations are consistent with the account of the re-settlement of Connacht by Máine Mór (aka Maine Mor), son of Niall of the Nine Hostages in the 5th century CE contained in An Leabhar Breac - the Speckled Book of Duniry. These findings contradict some of the other annalistic accounts of Máine Mór which were repeated by John O'Donovan et al. The findings also contradict MacLysaght in that Larkins from Counties Tipperary and Galway have the same origin and are not separate septs. 4) Parish-level genealogical information is combined with the Y-STR DNA results, annalistic accounts of the Larkin surname, geographical place names, and the earliest remaining real estate records to identify the Larkin medieval homeland of Muinter Lorcán, in County Galway. 5) Some other Hy Many surname and R1b-M222 data were included in the analysis for contrast (e.g. Egan, Coffey, Cannon, Kelly, & Tracy). Appendix D also contains a re-drawn surname derivation from Máine Mór. Brad Larkin Larkin DNA Project http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/larkin/

Am interested to learn more about this M222+ population. However troubled by there origin for I have not heard of the O'Kelly and O'Madden of Ui Maine being M222+, its been the opposite to my understanding? I find the reference to Muinter Lorcain in Tribes and Customs of Hy Many Commonly Called O'Kellys Country transation by John O'Donovan. Yet when I found Tuath Muinter Muireagain (Rathcavan parish) in Co. Antrim, I didn't find any O'Muireagain. I also haven't been able to find any early reference to O'Lorcains west of the Shannon i.e. within Ui Maine lands?