This message is to announce the creation of the Looney Surname DNA Project. The purpose of the Looney DNA project is to help individuals find which family line they belong to and to determine relationships among various Looney families, including variant spellings of the name, worldwide. DNA testing can be a valuable tool in genealogical research when it is combined with conventional research. Test results can be used to confirm a supposed connection between two families or disprove a suspected connection. Many Looneys in the United States descend from Robert (1) Looney (c1692-1770). Descendants of two of Robert Looney's sons have already been tested, and their results are available on the website of the Looney Surname DNA Project. It is the hope of the project coordinators that other descendants of Robert (1) Looney will choose to participate in the project and that the lineages of all of Robert's sons can be more clearly identified. It is known that there are other Looney lines in the United States and around the world. Some of these may be related to Robert (1) Looney, and to each other. DNA testing may help to clarify what their relationships may be, and their participation is most welcome. Research has shown that many Looneys trace their lineages back to the Isle of Man, or to Ireland. Therefore, we are very interested in having participants who are residents or known descendants from both of those locations. Comparing results from the Isle of Man and/or of Ireland, could help prove (or disprove) whether or not the ancestors of Looneys elsewhere originated in either location. Since DNA surname projects test the Y-Chromosome, participants must be direct male line Looneys (or variant spellings). Male researchers who do not carry the Looney surname and female researchers can participate in the project by having Looney cousins, uncles, or other male Looney be tested for them. The test does not involve giving a blood sample; it only involves swiping the inside of your mouth with a cotton swab. For more information on the Looney Surname DNA Project, please contact Wayne Modlin at jwmodlin@comcast.net.

Many Looneys in the United States descend from Robert (1) Looney (c1692-1770). Descendants of two of Robert Looney's sons have already been tested, and their results are available on the website of the Looney Surname DNA Project. What is the URL? Teresa McVeigh