Tuesday, March 12, 2019

My Irish DNA by Cindy Flores Martinez


Now that St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, I thought it would be the perfect time to write an update on my search for my Irish ancestors, which I've written about before.

A few years ago, my mom gave me an AncestryDNA kit that she received as a gift. The test results revealed that I had 4 percent ancestry from Ireland and Scotland. I transferred my raw data to Family Tree DNA, and they claimed I had 4 percent ancestry from Ireland/Scotland/Wales. My mom had similar results.

I thought it was a mistake because our family tree didn’t have any names from those places. But then I noticed that my mom and I had DNA cousin matches from Northern Ireland--some as close as third cousins. They all live in the areas of Antrim and Armagh, and their family trees and DNA results are only from that area.

So I began to research and found the names of specific Irish men who lived in the same small towns in Mexico as my ancestors during the 1800s. There was Mr. O’Connor, Mr. Kirker (from Antrim), Mr. Kinder, and the brothers McKnight and brothers Murphy. All of those last names are in the family trees of my DNA matches. Some of these men are the ancestors of my DNA cousins.

I also learned that many other Irish men went to Mexico for other reasons, such as the Mexican-American War and to work in the copper and silver mines where some of my ancestors worked. All of this made me realize that one of the names in my family tree must be wrong.

Today, I still don’t have answers but I’m a lot closer to finding them than before. For now, I’m grateful to have found my long-lost Irish cousins.


What about you? Have you ever taken an ancestry DNA test? Did the results surprise you?





Cindy Flores Martinez is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes Christian Romance. She has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. You can learn more about her at www.cindyfloresmartinez.com

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10 comments:

  1. Jean C. GordonMarch 12, 2019 at 4:22 AM

    My daughter had a DNA test done, and didn't get any real surprises.

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    1. Cindy Flores MartinezMarch 12, 2019 at 12:25 PM

      It's good to know that the tests are accurate. Most of my results were what I expected, too--Spanish and Native American, so the Irish results and Irish cousin matches changed what I thought I knew about myself.

      Delete
  2. JosieMarch 12, 2019 at 5:48 AM

    So fun, Cindy! And it's a coincidence, because my daughter attended university in Northern Ireland, and actually lives near Belfast and near the areas you mentioned.

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    1. Cindy Flores MartinezMarch 12, 2019 at 12:34 PM

      I had no idea that your daughter lives there. How exciting for her. It seems like such a different world compared to the U.S.

      Delete
  3. Merrillee WhrenMarch 12, 2019 at 8:49 AM

    Cindy, I have not taken a DNA test. I think it would be interesting. I have Irish ancestry, but I don't know how much. My maternal grandmother's maiden name was McGee. My dad's family was German. My maiden name was Luft.

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    1. Cindy Flores MartinezMarch 12, 2019 at 12:32 PM

      That's so interesting. I have DNA cousin matches who have the last name McGee in their family trees.

      Delete
  4. Margaret DaleyMarch 12, 2019 at 10:12 AM

    I have family still in Ireland (North). Years ago my older brother was there and met them. I'd love to go to Ireland. How about you?

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    1. Cindy Flores MartinezMarch 12, 2019 at 12:29 PM

      Wow! I wonder if we're related. :) Your brother is so fortunate. I would definitely love to go there, too, and see what it's like in person. It looks so beautiful in pictures and videos.

      Delete
  5. Lyn CoteMarch 12, 2019 at 1:55 PM


    People did move around alot even before airplanes!

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  6. Magdalena ScottMarch 13, 2019 at 8:30 AM

    Thank you for the update, Cindy. How interesting and intriguing! I hope you'll get to go to Ireland some day and visit. It is gorgeous.

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