My McMahon DNA Breakthrough

A DNA whirlwind of discoveries

I am researching two very common names on my maternal side, McMahon and McNamara, the place, Clare, Ireland. After searching through wills, land records, civil war records, death, baptism, cemetery records, tombstones in Canada. I was no closer to where in Clare they were from.

Once the Catholic records went on-line I searched through them but was still lost, the index, once it was finished, gave me my suspicions. My McMahon family had a total of eight children, three shortly before journeying to Canada in 1851, Matilda (1844), John (1846) and Mary Ann (1849). Matilda not being the most common of names was the focus, and once I found a possible baptism I started searching for siblings. I was able to find potential records, but that’s all they are potential. The location was O’Callaghan’s Mills in Clare.

I was stumped and so I set it aside, focusing on other lines.

A little later I searched through matches my mother had at Ancestry for people with the surname McMahon. I started looking to see if there were on-line trees and sure enough there was a tree with the McMahon surname and the location for this family was, you got it, O’Callaghan’s Mills. Ok, time to make contact and I received a reply, which is almost a success in itself! After messaging on Ancestry back and forth, I asked the question, Would you upload to Gedmatch? At Gedmatch I have uploaded the DNA of seven people who descend from three sons of Michael McMahon. Gedmatch is my go-to place for matching. The reply, Not at this time. Although disappointed I set it aside, but was left wondering.

Another relative tested at Ancestry, another match to this person, another message sent to inform her of this match.

Yesterday, it all began. She messaged me to let me know she has uploaded to Gedmatch. All day I kept checking, I stayed up until midnight….her DNA was still processing.

I hurried out of bed this morning and checked Gedmatch and it was all there. This person matches a descendant of all THREE of the McMahon brothers. Did you hear that…? She is a match to all of the third cousins that have tested!

 

 

Edward McMahon descendant – one tested – a match
Cornelius McMahon – five tested – all match
Michael McMahon – two tested – all match

This match is a first-generation American, her father was born in O’Callaghan’s Mills!

Twenty-years for me, (longer for some of the other people in our family) to find a location in Ireland and one Gedmatch upload is all it took.

Without a doubt, there is a connection between our families. Now, the digging begins as she has both the surname McMahon and McNamara in her tree too!

I end this with GEDMATCH – GEDMATCH – GEDMATCH – upload, upload, upload!