Since many Russell countians have connections with the Flanagans, I thought that some folks here might be interested in the results of the project thus far. We appear to be well on the way to identifying the ancestral haplotype of the Russell County line of Flanagans. Though we only have a few participants from the Russell County line, three of these are exact matches at 12 marker. 25 or more markers are better, but given the relative rarity of the number of allele repeats at a particular marker [26 repeats st DYS390], a solid paper trail, and geographic residence, it seems likely that this is the genetic signature that Bryant Flanagan passed on to his sons and may be that going back further with John himself and before. If it goes back into the distant past, it may prove invaluable for identifying our likely origins in Ireland. Also, I would certainly encourage participation in the project - participants in the surname project must be descended in a direct paternal line fro! m the Flanagan ancestor, as comparisons are based on the fact that fathers pass their Y-chromosome to their sons. Maternal DNA testing [mtDNA] is available through the project but would not have anything to do with the surname itself. Results are online at http://flanaganfamily.org/FlanaganHaplotypes.html - take a look. Also, I have sent registration materials to Dublin to register the Flanagans as a clan with The Clans of Ireland Ltd., a genealogical, cultural and historical group that is recognized by the Irish government. I will psot more on that once I receive acknowledgement from them, on the Flanagan and Russell County lists. Gaire O'F. -- Gaire MacRuaidhri Ó Flannagáin gflanagan@adelphia.net Web Page: http://flanaganfamily.org DNA Project Page: http://dna.flanaganfamily.org