From Roscommon to the wider world

Every family leaves a trail.

Follow the McManus story through people, places, photographs, documents, DNA research, and the memories that connect generations.

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Kilronan Castle in County Roscommon, Ireland

Help find our shared ancestor

Connect the Kilronan McManus branches

Four R-FT194071 paternal match lines. Explore the known names, investigate the missing generations, and share what you know.

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What does R-FT194071 tell us?

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PeopleLives & lineagesBiographies, ancestors, and family connections FamiliesHouseholds & branchesTrace relationships across generations PlacesTownlands & journeysExplore the landscapes behind the records DocumentsEvidence & sourcesCertificates, newspapers, maps, and archives

DNA & family history Connections across generations

Explore the shared paternal ancestry revealed by our FamilyTreeDNA research, alongside the stories of the people and lineages connected to it.

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Companion research projects

These independent resources preserve source material and support the DNA research connected with this archive.

Original research and recordsMcManus YDNA Project at Mexlist

Read Michael McManus’s research and consult the original Kilronan record pages and images.

Visit Mexlist Genetic genealogyFamilyTreeDNA McManus Group

Explore the surname project and DNA research connecting documented McManus family lines.

Visit FamilyTreeDNA

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Across the generations

A timeline of family history

Move through the archive by era, from early Irish lineages to migration and life in new communities.

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Before 1700Origins, Septs & Early Records 1700–1845Parishes, Land & Family Lines 1845–1900Famine, Migration & New Lives 1900–TodayPhotographs, Memories & Research

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Fields and hedgerows in the Irish countryside; an illustrative landscape for paternal-line research.

DNA research

Understanding our R-FT194071 paternal line

What our paternal haplogroup tells us, and how to read its estimated dates.

17 Sep 2026

Church ruins and a stone cross at sunset; an illustrative scene for Irish family history.

DNA research

The O’Conor–McManus connection: history and DNA

The historical tradition and genetic findings linking McManus and O’Conor paternal branches.

17 Sep 2026

Colourful waterfront buildings; an illustrative image of place and movement.

Family

Reading our FamilyTreeDNA migration maps

How estimated paternal migration routes and ancient DNA discoveries fit into family research.

17 Sep 2026

Church ruins and stone crosses beneath a cloudy sky; an illustrative historical landscape.

Family story

McManus history in medieval Ireland

A short introduction to the regional and genealogical setting before and around 1450.

17 Sep 2026

A stone monument in a green landscape; illustrative scenery, not a site identified with Niall.

DNA research

M222 and the Niall of the Nine Hostages hypothesis

A brief guide to FamilyTreeDNA’s Niall association and our place within M222.

17 Sep 2026

Colourful houses with fields beyond, illustrating the relationship between settlement and countryside.

Family story

Ireland: land, work and migration

Historical context for understanding where families lived, the work they did and why they moved.

17 Sep 2026