Hi again Legal1 & robc4708,
Just an update to my previous message to you. The amount of dna markers that my Dempsey dna match shares with me had increased to 287,879 markers and the markers my McLean (from Tiree, Scotland) dna match shares with me has increased to 287,476 markers. I also now have a Mertz dna match who shares 289,431 markers with me. I don't know much about their history. Only that it is German and Dutch and from the Rhineland area in Germany. And that their was also a Mertz branch in Poland. I looked online and it says that the Mertz name is from the Roman God of War Mars and that the Mertz name becames Martz when they immigrated to America. Also that Mertz is a variant of Mertens/Martens or Martins. In the interest of time I will list other names that match closely with me that are new matches and the amount of markers they share with me. Maley (probably Mealey, a decendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages) 289,111 markers shared, Gilmore 288,892 markers shared, P. Moore Greer (decended from a Grear) 288,401 markers shared, McGough 288,204 markers shared, Gwinn 288,058 markers shared, Bryant 288,007 markers shared, Doherty (the III, most distant ancestor was from Buncrana, Co. Donegal, Ireland) 287,877 markers shared, Johnson (most distant ancestor was Johnston from Cavan, Ireland) 287,391 markers shared, Shaughnessy 286,573 markers shared, Wilson 285,818 markers shared, Walton 285,481 markers shared, Buchan 285,405 markers shared, Cain 285,012 markers shared, Milligan 284,563 markers shared, Stubley 284,557 markers shared, Clark (Clark ancestor was from Co. Sligo born there in 1700) 284,093 markers shared, Braswell 283,775 markers shared, Malloy 283,760 markers shared, McNutt 283,413 markers shared, Cosby 283,147 markers shared, Robbins 282,749 markers shared, McKee 282,487 markers shared, Campbell 281,829 markers shared, Bryan 281,347 markers shared, Hughes 279,323 markers shared, McClanahan 279,311 markers shared, Halloran 279,041 markers shared, Milliken 278,822 markers shared, Dolan 278,515 markers shared, Carney 277,686 markers shared, Liss 277,649 markers shared, Donnelly 277,639 markers shared, Naughton 277,231 markers shared, Craig 276,300 markers shared, McAnally 276,237 markers shared, Dunbar 275,713 markers shared, Galyean 275,539 markers shared, Campbell 275,036 markers shared, Russell 274,752 markers shared, Williams 273,980 markers shared, Robertson 273,118 markers shared, Glass 271,690 markers shared, Milligan 271,368 markers shared, Mullins 270,912 markers shared, Robertson 269,941 markers shared, Gibb 268,725 markers shared, Larkin 268,424 markers shared, Logan 268,207 markers shared, McQueen 265,897 markers shared, Conway 265,022 markers shared, Patterson 264,492 markers shared, McBride 261,676 markers shared, Daugherty 259,617 markers shared, O'Shaughnessy 259,220 markers shared, Heaney 259,045 markers shared, Morrison 255,950 markers shared, Lennon 255,340 markers shared, McAleer 253,753 markers shared, Laird 252,505 markers shared, Larsson 252,232 markers shared, Dodson 252,207 markers shared, Jack 251,998 markers shared, Sutherland 137,832 markers shared. I also match closely with a Ross (he is a 1st cousin twice removed). My Ross and Sutherland matches may be connected to my McKee dna match and somehow connected to the MacKee/McKee surname. This seems possible, but I haven't confirmed it.
All of these matches that I match with on my BigY dna test from familytreedna.com seem to be classified as carrying the "Niall of the Nine Hostages" marker. I'd like to figure out where my Kelly family originates from and why I have these matches. Also what connection I have to Duntocher, Tiree, Scotland due to a McLean match from Tiree. But I'd also like to know what my Dempsey, Gallagher, Malloy, Doherty, Duffy and McGee matches mean and what connections my Kellys have with them as well. Lastly I'd like to know what my Mertz match means which is my closest BigY dna match. Anyone who knows the history of Mertz in Ireland or Scotland and knows their pedigree, please send it to me in PM. I think Mertz may be a shortened variant of Martin or MacMartin (Clan Martin? or is FitzMartin?), not sure. Hoping to figure out where my Kelly line came from soon. Thanks and Merry Christmas.
Gene