DNA testing

[corky3]

  Has anyone done it?  I am at the point where I would be interested in trying it but since it is expensive I question what you actually get. The prices, from what I can find, from $99 and up. My problem is, is that I really don't need to spend money to tell me,for example, in my paternal side, that the family came from the Iberia, I can trace that back to the early 1800s.

   I know on the Curtin site they have DNA testing for the Irish side,supposely to give a closer result as to county but then again we know-at least they came from Clare-again,at least, to the early 1800s. 

    I am just curious if anyone has had it done and what kind of results they got.

[merski]

I think I used a 28 marker Y DNA test and it came back that we were related to most of the people in England and Ireland.  Well, DUH!  I think if you're going to want something worth comparing in a surname DNA group, you should go for the maximum # of markers.  Convince members of your family that it's important and have them chip in towards it.  I'd like to do a mitochondrial dna for my female line sometime, which goes straight back to ireland!

[traveler]

I joined the Devine DNA group because my family came from Waterford, not a traditional area for Devines. I wondered if I might have Norman or Viking ancestry. Donn Devine runs this Group and is an excellant teacher so I have learned alot about this complicated subject. As far as finding any relatives, I do belong to a group of 4 families that are probabaly related way way back in time. I found doing the testing a positive experience for many reasons, but not for finding family. I guess I feel that if more of us do this, the more valuable this testing will be.

[corky3]

 Thank you everyone for your responses. I am still in a muddle about the whole process. Some good things are that the area my grandparents -both sets came from- seems to be well researched. My daughter tells me islands are the perfect genetic model. Also I know the specific area, in most cases, villages where they came from. That is a double edged sword-I know a lot and yet I don't know enough.

  My daughter is also looking into it for me-she has the scientific background. There appears to be a National Geographic study going on as well-that might be the one I will connect.

[merski]

Corky, please keep us posted!