I am What?!?! & A Toast to Being Irish!

 If you ever do a DNA test to check on your ancestral origins I have found out that it will change as the pool of folks who also test on whatever company's website changes.

As more people are included in the genetic pool it will affect how your DNA is read and placed into certain ethnicities.

This past weekend for some reason I went and took another look at mine, my son's and my brother's DNA results again.  I initially had my DNA tested in 2013 and my son and brother's both tested in 2015.

Back then my results came back in a pie chart form........

My DNA was 98.86% Western European(they had a 1.44% margin of error back then so it "could" have been 100% Western Europe).

It also came back with a 100% makeup of Orcadian population.  This refers to the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland(which are part of modern day Scotland)so includes Scottish, English, Irish, and then Viking and other Scandinavian populations.

So when I went back recently to look this is how my DNA results have changed.

First my map(they highlight places on a map now instead of using a pie chart....

You'll notice I have 3 areas highlighted--Ireland, Finland and the areas around Greece.
And here is my % breakdown....

Europe 100%

Western Europe
Ireland 95%

Southern Europe
Greece & Balkans 4%

Finnish
Finland  <2%

GREEK?!  WTF and where the heck did that come from?!? lolz  Well I do like Greek food. ;-)
And now ALL my Western European DNA is Irish?

Now let's compare my DNA with my brother's(and yes, we are full siblings so nobody was adopted nor did one of our parents have an affair or something).........

Brother's map.......

Areas highlighted include Iceland, Sweden, Norway-Finland-United Kingdom-Ireland-Poland, Denmark, Germany, Austria and France.  And you'll notice how his areas overlap too, one with another.

But the glaring difference you'll notice is he has no Greek or Balkans like I do!

And his % breakdown.......

100%
Western Europe

Ireland 56%
Central Europe 36%
England, Wales, and Scotland 4%
Scandinavia 4%

Finnish
Finland <1%

Lastly, let's take a look at my son's map.  Note that half son's DNA comes from Hubs.  Hubs ancestry is 50% Italy from his father and his mother gave him Dutch, German mostly but a little bit of Irish and English.

Son's % breakdown......

Europe 100%

Western Europe
Ireland 43%
Central Europe 29%
England, Wales, and Scotland 7%

Southern Europe
Italian Peninsula 13%
Malta 5%
Greece & Balkans 3%

So if you take out the Southern Europe piece(Italian Peninsula and Malta which obviously isn't from my side)son's map looks mostly like my brother's map rather than mine!  Except son has that weird Greek thing like I do.

So my son on paper could be my brother's son rather than mine! lolz

Now if you combine mine and my brother's maps it makes sense to what the paper trail so far has been...well, except that Greece & Balkans thing.  And I suspect that something I've been pondering about my Y-DNA may be true and if so, it would have made my father happy.

More on that later.

For now let's raise a green beer or rather a good Irish beer(I'll take a Guiness Stout!)and celebrate our Irish heritage.

The Irish, much like the Jews, Africans who were enslaved in various countries and others have experienced a Diaspora of their people from their homeland over the last few centuries.

First the English tried to eradicate the Irish and take over Ireland itself by force, giving their lands away to Scottish peoples who emigrated to the Emerald Isle.  Then the English and the Ulster Scots used the 2 Potato Famines to starve out the Irish and the Irish natives began a mass exodus in the 1840's to the lands west-the US, Canada and Australia mostly.  Some Irish were also part of the "transportation" scheme whereas England got rid of any poor and/or criminal element by shipping them overseas to one of various English colonies. 
The Irish who fled to the US's eastern cities(especially New York and Boston)didn't find a hearty welcome.  Being new immigrants they were at the bottom of the food chain and there were "No Irish Need Apply" signs  everywhere. 
The only group that welcomed the Irish off the ships in the North was the US military if  a ship arrived after the start of the War Between the States(1861-1865).  Recruiters for the Union army met arriving ships at the harbors to sign newly arriving Irish emigrants up to fight in the war for the Yanks.  Not even citizens they were asked to die for this country in battle yet no business would give them a job thus many had no alternative but to muster in.
The Irish had a rough start in the US but over time and due to their ability to overcome oppression have survived and thrived here in America.

If you descend from the great Brian Boru or not(and if you have ancestors with the surname of O'Brien you  are)let's wish Sláinte to our tribe!

I post this song every St. Patty's Day....

Here are some more Irish bands or songs for your enjoyment.....

And lets close with this lovely traditional song......

Sluggy