How to Test
April 21, 2026 2026-04-22 1:11How to Test
How to Test
Choosing a DNA test in 2026 is more complicated than it was five years ago. Here is what we recommend — and why.
I. Decide what you want to know
Start with the question. Almost every mistake new testers make comes from buying the wrong kit — usually the one they've seen advertised, not the one that answers their actual question. The short version:
- If your goal is the dynastic / clan question — do I descend, on the male line, from Fiachra? — you need Y-DNA, and you need to test at FamilyTreeDNA.
- If your goal is to find living cousins, build a family tree, or get an ethnicity breakdown — the biggest autosomal database is AncestryDNA. This is most new testers' best first step.
- If you want both — and for clan members the answer is usually yes — test autosomal at Ancestry, then order a Big Y from FamilyTreeDNA. The two complement each other.
II. The major testing companies in 2026
| Company | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AncestryDNA | Largest cousin database, family trees | Autosomal only. Over 25 million testers. The biggest Irish match pool. |
| FamilyTreeDNA | Y-DNA, mtDNA, surname projects | The only serious option for the dynastic question. Big Y-700 is the flagship. |
| MyHeritage | European matching, regional ethnicity | Autosomal. Strong on continental European cousins; good third leg after Ancestry. |
| 23andMe | Health reports, basic haplogroup | Filed for bankruptcy in March 2025; sold to the TTAM Research Institute (nonprofit) in January 2026. Still operating. Approach new purchases with the usual caution. |
| LivingDNA | Sub-regional Ireland/Britain detail | Smaller database, but the most detailed regional ethnicity breakdown for the British Isles. Useful supplement. |
III. Already tested somewhere? Transfer your raw data.
A strategy the 2022 committee did not emphasise. Most testers do not know that they can download their raw autosomal results from one company and upload them to another — often for free. This is the single most cost-effective thing a clan member can do.
As of 2026:
- Ancestry → FamilyTreeDNA: Free upload. Basic matching included; advanced tools paid.
- 23andMe → FamilyTreeDNA: Free upload. Same deal.
- Ancestry or 23andMe → MyHeritage: Free upload. Basic matches free; advanced features paid.
- FamilyTreeDNA → MyHeritage: Free upload.
- Ancestry and 23andMe do not accept uploads — you must test with them natively.
The critical caveat: transferring raw autosomal data gives you cousin-matching at the new company, but it does not give you Y-DNA results. If you tested at Ancestry and want to participate in the clan's Y-DNA work, you still need to order a native Y-37 or Big Y-700 kit from FamilyTreeDNA.
IV. Recommended pathway for clan members
- Order an AncestryDNA kit (the biggest cousin pool).
- If male, also order a FamilyTreeDNA Big Y-700 — this is the dynastic test. Watch for sales; Big Y drops to around €260 a few times a year.
- Once AncestryDNA results are in, download your raw data and upload it free to FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage.
- Join the clan projects: Dowd, Sons of Aodh, Ireland yDNA, R-M222 (all free at FTDNA).
- Download your raw autosomal data from wherever you tested.
- Upload it (free) to FamilyTreeDNA and/or MyHeritage to broaden your match pool.
- If male and interested in the clan Y-DNA question, order a native Big Y-700 from FamilyTreeDNA — the raw-data transfer does not substitute.
- Identify a male relative who carries the clan surname on his father's line — a brother, father, uncle, or male cousin.
- Ask him to test. A Big Y-700 from him is a test of your shared paternal line.
- Your own mtDNA can be tested separately at FTDNA if you wish to contribute to the maternal-line picture.
V. Privacy, ethics, and a word of warning
A DNA test is more intimate than any other record a family keeps. Some straightforward principles:
- Read the terms. Companies differ on data sharing, law-enforcement access, and what happens if they are sold. 23andMe's 2025 insolvency and subsequent sale to a new nonprofit is a reminder that companies change ownership.
- Test results can surprise people. Occasionally a test reveals that a documented relationship is not a biological one. Go in knowing this is possible.
- Your DNA is also partly your relatives'. A test you take discloses information about your siblings, parents and cousins too. It is courteous to tell them before testing.
- Opt in thoughtfully. You can usually turn off law-enforcement matching, health reports, or public DNA-relative display. Check the privacy dashboard at whichever company you test with.
None of which is a reason not to test. It is a reason to test knowingly.
Continue Your Journey
A Note from the Clan
This page is written and maintained by volunteer members of the O'Dubhda clan. We are not a laboratory; we are kin, working to understand our shared inheritance. If you find an error, or if you would like to contribute your own DNA results to the clan project, please get in touch.
The companies, technologies, and scientific findings described here change regularly — we update when we can.
