Irish DNA Atlas Project

A very interesting new DNA Project for Ireland is to be launched at the "Back To Our Past" show in Dublin on 21st October. The Irish DNA Atlas Project is a joint initiative between the Genealogical Society of Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The project's first newsletter states that the project has two purposes:

1. To further our knowledge of the population history of Ireland and its connections with other populations in Europe.
 2. To help us understand how genes influence health in Ireland through the creation of a resource for use as 'healthy' controls in researching how genes influence common diseases in Ireland, including (though not confined to) diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

 They are recruiting people with all eight great-grandparents born in Ireland. All of the eight great-grandparents should be born in the same general area of Ireland so that their DNA is representative of that particular region. The project is open both to Irish residents and people living overseas who meet the qualifying criteria.

The project will be using Y-chromosome DNA, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA. I can't find any information in the newsletter about the tests that will be done but I assume they will be doing chip sequencing along the lines of the People of the British Isles Project.

Further information can be found in the Irish DNA Atlas Project newsletter. This can be read online here but the PDF cannot be downloaded without paying a fee to access the hosting company's premium service.

© 2011 Debbie Kennett