Welcome to our project web pages at Family Tree DNA. We are a committed group of researchers of the surname and its associated names. We enthusiastically seek to assist your research by unlocking your family history through the dual use of historical records and your genetic identity obtained from your YDNA sample. We are pleased to report that, as our membership has expanded, we have become very successful in our mission to increase the knowledge on our name.

Many of us want to know more about our family history and who our contemporary relatives may be. Our geographical origins and what our ancestors did may also be mysteries that we would like to understand. How we established the answers to these questions was, until recently, a painful process of long and drawn-out research which often resulted in tentative and inaccurate answers. Then DNA technology came along, and now questions can be answered with some scientific precision. Your YDNA profile won't tell you everything you may want to know, but it will tell you if you are related to other living people with your surname, or perhaps another surname. YDNA results and comparisons may also produce some surprises about our family histories. Results sometimes challenge accepted wisdom about our family history and, usually, it is undeniable.

Currently, the McManus YDNA project is centred at Family Tree DNA. A different McManus YDNA Project at DNA Heritage ceased after that company was acquired by Family Tree DNA in 2011. To find the McManus test results from both projects go to 'Results' on the menu above.

We believe that we have already convincingly shown distinguishing factors between McManus testers whose non-YDNA research, through family traditions and records, show domicile in either Ulster or Connaught. See the 'Distinctions' link in the menu above..

The requirement for participation in our family DNA project is to be a man named McManus, or one of the closely related variant surnames, of which there are many, or to be a close YDNA match to a McManus participant. Men are required because the DNA analysis uses the male-only Y-Chromosome. The test is simple and painless to perform. Cheek cells are gathered using a swab from the inside of the man's mouth. This is no more troublesome than brushing your teeth. Once collected, you place the swabs into an envelope and post them off to the laboratory for analysis. You receive the results in a few weeks. If you require more information about YDNA go to the Family Tree DNA web site through the link above.

If your name is McManus, or one of the variant names, and you want to know more about your family line, why not participate? You are very likely to discover the domicile of your ancient family, and of living relatives too. The more McManus men who take part, the clearer our story will become. If you already have a DNA analysis from any laboratory please contact us, and please let us know if you have questions or would like more information. Contact Morgan Broman, Project Coordinator, Family Tree DNA at .

History

The historical manuscripts tell us that there are two distinct McManus families with their origins in Ireland - one emanating from the Maguires of Fermanagh (Ulster) and the other from the O'Conors of Roscommon (Connaught).

The Fermanagh family's origins are identified as Senat, or Baile-Mic-Maghnusa, an island in Lough Erne. We are told in the old records that the island received the fancy name 'Belle Isle' from its beauty. One of the most celebrated characters associated with this family was Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa, chief of his clan and compiler of the Annals of Ulster. An entry in the annals for 1488 notes his inauguration by Maguire and the nobles of Fermanagh. This site contains a paper that summarizes the historic origins of this family, as are being confirmed by genetic testing. It and other materials on the McManuses of County Fermanagh are found at the 'References' link in the menu above.

The Roscommon family were seated in the territory known as Tir-Tuathail; today identifiable with the Parish of Kilronan, which includes the main villages of Keadue, Arigna and Ballyfarnon in County Roscommon. It was Maghnus Ua Conchobair of Tir Thuathail (Kilronan), son of the King of Connaugh and High King of Ireland, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, whose sons dropped the use of O’Conor and took the surname MacManus, meaning son of Magnus. So,these Kilronan McManuses are, effectively, O’Conors. This site contains a paper that documents this identity through historic records and genetic testing. It and other materials on the McManuses of County Roscommon are found at the 'References' link in the menu above.

Benchmark YDNA Profiles

We sought the YDNA profiles of McManuses still living in the relatively small areas of Ireland where it was known from the records that McManus families had domicile. Several men, either still living in these Irish areas today or whose families had migrated from Ireland in the nineteenth century, provided YDNA samples from which we have calculated benchmark profiles. These include geographical and topographic identities and alignment with celebrated characters in history, such as Cathal Óg MacManus in Fermanagh and the family of O'Conor Don in Roscommon. This combined historical and scientific approach gives us reason to believe in the accuracy of our conclusions on your identity. After joining our project and submitting your sample, your unique YDNA result will be analysed by our administrators and compared against the benchmarks. Thereafter, your profile is placed into a biological sub-grouping which most closely represents your characteristic origins. If you want further information, please consult the various links in the menu above, where you will find a variety of historical resources that our administration team have contributed. You can also listen to a talk on YDNA through the British National Archives.

Project Funds

Family Tree DNA offers a feature called The General Fund. It allows you to donate money to further our goals - increase the knowledge of our members through a combination of historical and genetic research; grow membership in order to increase knowledge; encourage and support all members in their research. If you would like to assist in progressing knowledge of our name, there is no better way of doing this than by increasing membership. This is especially true in respect of key McManuses, i.e. individuals whose documentary family history and the identity of their ancestral YNDA fingerprint can strengthen our knowledge base if they join the project. For example, not all McManuses are as enthusiastic about their genetic history as we are, and they may not want to join the project – yet their YDNA profiles may still be key in our efforts to progress. If an offer to reduce their expenses could be made, they may reconsider joining. Another example is where assistance can be given to financially challenged members already in the group whose cost for upgrades to larger numbers of markers can be reduced and, thus, broaden the knowledge of many others by unlocking hidden features on their history. The project administrators are constantly seeking to identify these ‘key McManuses’. Any money is used at the Group Administrators' discretion after liaison with donors at every stage. You may contribute to the fund via the Internet or by postal mail. Thank you.

Best wishes and good luck with your research. Phil, Lowell, Michael and Morgan (Project Administrators).

(All data held in these pages is available in the public domain unless otherwise stated.)